1970: Name Dominoes

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Name Dominoes
In competition, you can only play a name if you know who the person is. No fair saying "Frank ... Johnson. That sounds like a real person! Let me just Google him real quick."
Title text: In competition, you can only play a name if you know who the person is. No fair saying "Frank ... Johnson. That sounds like a real person! Let me just Google him real quick."
  • A large version of the comic picture can be found here.
  • A numbered version can be found here.

Explanation[edit]

Dominoes is a family of boardgames played with rectangular "domino" tiles. A domino tile is divided into two squares, each displaying a number. Under most rules, a domino tile is placed on the table adjacent to another tile, and the adjacent ends must match in some way (usually by the number displayed on the touching ends). Randall's "name dominoes" shows a set of domino tiles with people's names instead of numbers, and adjacent tiles are matched by whether the closest name is the same (such as how Chris Evans' family name matches Evan Taylor Jones' given name). A large board is covered in rectangular "dominoes" (271 pieces), with each domino bearing the name of a "well-known" person or character (fictional). The dominoes are arranged as if a game of dominoes were being played, but instead of the game requiring the number of spots of adjacent dominoes to match up, this game requires adjacent names to match up. Because most people have two or more names, different matches are made at each end of a domino. Fun fact is that two of the people are "named after" the game: Fats Domino and Domino Harvey.

The match can be exact (e.g., "Kevin" on one domino adjacent to "Kevin" on another), homonymic (e.g., "Klein" adjacent to "Kline"), nickname-based (e.g., "James" adjacent to "Jimmy", which in turn is adjacent to "Jim"), or gender different versions of a name (e.g., "Olivia" adjacent to "Oliver"). Sometimes last names are matched up with first names (e.g., "Elizabeth Warren" adjacent to "Warren Beatty"), and in some cases only a single name is used (e.g., "Columbo", "Drake", "Garfield", "Prince"). Singular names are represented by a half-size square "domino" (or "monomino"), with a few exceptions: "Garnet" has a full-size tile (a complex reference explained below), and "Batman" and "Superman" have full-size tiles and are placed as though they were two-part names: the first square of "Superman" is matched with "Super", and the second square is matched with the second square of "Batman" (as though both characters had the last name "Man"). Some people have three or more names (e.g., "Frank Lloyd Wright") and have a 3-square domino tile (or "straight tromino", 50% longer than normal) which permits matching to a middle name (e.g. "Frank Lloyd Wright" is matched to "Lloyd Alexander" and "Harold Lloyd").

The names come from a wide variety of fields: scientists (e.g., Isaac Newton), historical figures (George Washington), musicians (Drake), politicians (John Kerry), actors (Kevin Costner), writers (Washington Irving), fashion designers (Oscar de la Renta), and so on. Most of the names are real people but a few are fictional characters, including some non-human characters like Garfield and Super Grover. In one case the nick name for a company is used: Ma Bell aka Bell System. Another "play on names" can be seen on 1529: Bracket.

One notable reference beyond just the use of a name is in the bottom left, there is the connection [ William Safire ][ Garnet ][ Ruby, Jack ]. The connection seems to be based on the fact that Sapphire, Garnet and Ruby are all gemstones, which does not match the implied rules of the game. This tile is a reference to the character Garnet in the cartoon Steven Universe, who is a "fusion" formed by two Gems: Ruby and Sapphire. Thus, the name "Garnet" is treated as though it was two names "Ruby" and "Sapphire", requiring a two-square tile despite having a one-word name. Randall has previously made references to this universe in 1608: Hoverboard. (See this and this image from that comic). Additionally, Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan and Rand Paul have been mentioned before, in the title text of 1277: Ayn Random. That idea may have been the prototype for this. Connecting Marilyn Manson with Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson is likely a tongue-in-cheek reference, as the musician's stage name was literally chosen in the same way as this. In at least one case it is not entirely clear who is being referred to: "John Kelly" most likely refers to Gen. John F. Kelly, Donald Trump's chief of staff, but the name is extremely common and could equally refer to any number of people.

The title text spells out a rule that a player may only place a tile if they know who that person is. This is a variation of a rule in Scrabble, where a player loses a turn if their chosen word don't survive a dictionary challenge over the validity of the word. This rule implies that players are allowed to create new name dominoes tiles and that it is not a fixed set. In this case the player that is challenged has used the name Frank Johnson of which there are 12 exact matches on Wikipedia along with six with a middle name and more. (The player was likely trying to place a tile in the upper-left area of the board, in an attempt to connect the "Frank Vincent" and "Lyndon Johnson" dominoes. The move was subsequently made impossible when the "Francis Drake" domino was played.) In a google search as of the day the comic came out the first hit was Frank Johnson who is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. Randall has made several references to basketball in his comics.

Table of names[edit]

The number # refers to the numbers on this numbered picture. Read more on this page: 1970: Name Dominoes/Numbered images.

Wiki links have been tested but may not go to the right place.

Domino Notability and notes Connections Mode #
Christian Campbell Canadian American stage and screen actor, writer, and photographer. Most likely refers to the actor, but there are also a Trinidadian-Bahamian poet called Christian Campbell. Neve Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Last-Last
Last-Last
1
Neve Campbell Canadian actress, known for starring in the movie series Scream. Christian Campbell
Joseph Campbell
Last-Last
Last-Last
2
Joe McCarthy Joseph McCarthy, (also called Joe McCarthy), served as U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. McCarthyism is named after him. It was the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence, especially caused by fear of Communist influence during the beginning of the cold war. McCarthyism has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from 1947 to 1956. Eugene McCarthy
Joseph Smith
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
3
Eugene McCarthy Eugene Joseph McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time Congressman from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. (He is not to be confused with the other Senator McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, see #3) Joe McCarthy
Gene Vincent
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
4
Gene Vincent American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly. Eugene McCarthy
Gene Kelly
Frank Vincent
First-First (approximate)
First-First
Last-Last
5
Gene Kelly American actor and dancer known primarily for musicals such as 'Singing in the rain' Gene Vincent
John Kelly
First-First
Last-Last
6
Kate Hudson Golden Globe-winning American actress. Won for playing Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous in 2000. Rock Hudson
Katherine Johnson
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
7
Rock Hudson American actor who was viewed as a prominent 'heartthrob' of the Hollywood Golden Age, staring as the lead man in many movies during the 1950s and 60s, among other Giant, James Deans last film, for which both where nominated for an Oscar in the best actor category. He later became known for his secret homosexual life. Hudson died from AIDS-related complications in 1985, becoming the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness. Katie Hudson
The Rock
Last-Last
First-Last
8
Gordon Brown British Prime Minister from 2007-2010. James Brown Last-Last 9
James Brown American singer, known as the Godfather of Soul Gordon Brown
John Brown
James Newton Howard
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First
10
John Brown American abolitionist who led an attack on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry. There are several other John Browns. James Brown
John Howard
John Wayne
Last-Last
First-First
First-First
11
John Howard Australian politician. Served as 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 1996-2007. There are several other John Howards but this Prime Minister is by far the best known among them. John Brown
Howard Stern
First-First
Last-First
12
Columbo Fictional character. Homicide detective from American TV show "Columbo"; portrayed by actor Peter Falk. Chris Columbus Only-Last (approximate) 13
Chris Columbus Film director and screenwriter. Columbo
Christopher Columbus
Chris Hughes
Last-Only (approximate)
First-First (approximate) and Last-Last
First-First
14
Christopher Columbus Italian explorer. Credited with "discovering" the Americas in 1492 by leading voyages and establishing continued ties between Europe and the Americas. Chris Columbus First-First (approximate) and Last-Last 15
Naomi Campbell British model and actress. Christian Campbell
Joseph Campbell
Naomi Klein
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First
16
Joseph Campbell American author. Most known for his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces about the hero type found throughout world mythologies. Neve Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Joseph Smith
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First
17
Joseph Smith American religious leader; founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other churches in the Christian Restorationist movement. Translator of The Book of Mormon. Joe McCarthy
Joseph Campbell
First-First (approximate)
First-First
18
Frank Vincent American actor. Gene Vincent
Francis Drake
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
19
John Kelly(1) Many people are named John Kelly, it is unclear which one Randall is referring to. Gene Kelly
Katherine Johnson
Last-Last
First-Last (approximate)
20
Katherine Johnson African-American mathematician at NASA. Calculated trajectories, launch windows, and flight paths for NASA moon missions and the Space Shuttle. Kate Hudson
John Kelly
Lyndon Johnson
First-First (approximate)
Last-First (approximate)
Last-Last
21
The Rock Nickname for Dwayne Johnson, a pro wrestler, and actor. Rock Hudson
Chris Rock
Oscar the Grouch
Last-First
Last-Last
First-Middle
22
Chris Rock American comedian. The Rock
Chris Isaac
Last-Last
First-First
23
Chris Isaac Former quarterback in the Canadian Football League. Probable misspelling of Chris Isaak, American musician. Chris Rock
Isaac Newton
First-First
Last-First
24
James Newton Howard American composer, conductor, music producer and musician. James Brown
Isaac Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Howard
First-First
Middle-Last
Middle-Last
Last-Last
25
John Wayne American actor, known primarily for roles in Westerns John Brown
Wayne Newton
First-First
Last-First
26
Howard Stern Radio talk show host. Known for The Howard Stern Show. John Howard
Howard Hunt
First-Last
First-First
27
Howard Hunt Former CIA operative, convicted for Watergate burglary. Howard Stern
Helen Hunt
First-First
Last-Last
28
Chris Hughes American entrepreneur who co-founded Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg. Chris Columbus
Helen Hughes
First-First
Last-Last
29
Naomi Watts Australian actress, born in Britain Naomi Klein
James Watt (steam)
First-First
Last-Last (approximate)
30
Naomi Klein Best known for the book "No Logo" Naomi Campbell
Naomi Watts
Kevin Kline
First-First
First-First
Last-Last (approximate)
31
Kevin Kline American actor Naomi Klein
Kevin Bacon
Last-Last (approximate)
First-First
32
Francis Bacon 16th century English philosopher. Commonly credited with the phrase "knowledge is power". Francis Drake
Kevin Bacon
First-First
Last-Last
33
Francis Drake English privateer Frank Vincent
Francis Bacon
Frank Drake
First-First (approximate)
First-First
First-First (approximate)
34
Lyndon Johnson Former American president (1963-1969) Katherine Johnson Last-Last 35
Oscar the Grouch A muppet who lives in a trash can from the children's TV show Sesame Street. The Rock
Oscar Isaac
Middle-Last
First-First
36
Oscar Isaac Actor. Oscar the Grouch
Isaac Hayes
Oscar de la Hoya
First-First
Last-First
First-First
37
Isaac Hayes American singer-songwriter Oscar Isaac
Isaac Newton
Sean Hayes
First-Last
First-First
Last-Last
38
Isaac Newton Well-known 15th century physicist who discovered the three laws of motion. Chris Isaac
James Newton Howard
Isaac Hayes
First-Last
Last-Middle
First-First
39
Wayne Newton Musician. James Newton Howard
John Wayne
Wayne Knight
Last-Middle
First-Last
First-First
40
Wayne Knight American actor best known for playing Newman in the TV show Seinfeld. Wayne Newton
Wayne Brady
First-First
First-First
41
Helen Hunt American actress Howard Hunt
Helen Hughes
Helen Thomas
Last-Last
First-First
First-First
42
Helen Hughes Australian economist Chris Hughes
Helen Hunt
Last-Last
First-First
43
James Watt (Steam) Scottish inventor who perfected on the earlier Newcomen steam engine with a design that made it practical for widespread use and is credited with helping to usher in the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain. His name became the SI unit for power. Naomi Watts
James Watt (Interior)
Stephen James
Last-Last (approximate)
First-First and Last-Last
First-Last
44
James Watt (Interior) U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1981-1983 James Watt (Steam) First-First and Last-Last 45
Kevin Costner Academy Award-winning American actor. Kevin Bacon
Kevin Love
First-First
First-First
46
Kevin Bacon American actor. Known for Footloose, and for Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Kevin Kline
Francis Bacon
Kevin Costner
First-First
Last-Last
First-First
47
Kevin Love Relatively famous and accomplished professional basketball player who won an NBA championship with the much more famous and accomplished LeBron James in Cleveland. Kevin Costner
Kevin Smith
First-First
First-First
48
Lisa Frank American businesswoman who founded Lisa Frank Incorporated. Frank Drake Last-First 49
Frank Drake American astronomer and astrophysicist. Francis Drake
Lisa Frank
Drake
Last-Last
First-Last
Last-Only
50
Drake Grammy Award-winning Canadian rapper. Frank Drake Only-Last 51
Oscar de la Renta Fashion designer. Oscar de la Hoya First-First 52
Oscar de la Hoya Professional boxer who won multiple titles in different weight classes as well as an Olympic gold medal before his retirement in 2009. Oscar Isaac
Oscar de la Renta
First-First
First-First
53
Sean Hayes Sean Hayes is an American actor, singer, comedian, and producer. He is best known for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace. Isaac Hayes
Wallace Shawn
Last-Last
First-Last (approximate)
54
Wallace Shawn American actor. Vizzini in The Princess Bride George Wallace
Charles Wallace
Sean Hayes
First-Last
First-Last
Last-First (approximate)
55
Wayne Howard African-American comic book artist. Best known for his work in the 1970s at Charlton Comics. James Newton Howard
Wayne Brady
Last-Last
First-First
56
Wayne Brady American comedian, known for Whose Line Is It Anyway? Wayne Howard
Wayne Knight
James Brady
Tom Brady
First-First
First-First
Last-Last
Last-Last
57
James Brady White House Press Secretary for US President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) who was shot during an assassination attempt against Reagan in 1981. Subsequent gun control legislation known as the "Brady Bill" was named for him. Wayne Brady
James Monroe
Last-Last
First-First
58
Tom Brady Quarterback for the New England Patriots. Notable for winning 6 Super Bowls. James Brady
Helen Thomas
Last-Last
First-Last (approximate)
59
Helen Thomas American reporter and author best known for her longtime membership in the White House press corps—from the start of the Kennedy administration to the second year of the Obama administration. Helen Hunt
Tom Brady
Tom Hanks
First-First
Last-Last (approximate)
Last-Last (approximate)
60
Tom Hanks Academy award winning actor. Known for Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, and several other famous films. Helen Thomas
Hank Aaron
Hank Williams
First-Last (approximate)
Last-First (approximate)
Last-First (approximate)
61
Hank Aaron Former Major League Baseball player. Hit 755 career home runs, a record at the time. Tom Hanks
Aaron Carter
First-Last (approximate)
Last-First
62
Aaron Carter American singer. Hank Aaron First-Last 63
Stephen James British model and former footballer James Watt (Steam)
Steve Harvey
Last-First
First-First (approximate)
64
Will Smith American actor. Known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Kevin Smith Last-Last 65
Kevin Smith American writer and director of Clerks and other films who often also plays the character Silent Bob in his films. Will Smith
Kevin Love
Kevin James
Last-Last
First-First
First-First
66
Kevin James American actor. Known for Paul Blart: Mall Cop Kevin Smith
James Saint James
First-First
Last-Last
67
Garfield A fictional cat and the star of the eponymous Garfield comic by Jim Davis. Previously appeared in 78: Garfield. James Garfield Only-Last 68
James Garfield 20th President of the United States. Notably, he was assassinated after only 6 months. Garfield
Etta James
James Saint James
Last-Only
First-Last
First-Last
69
Warren Buffett Billionaire and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Jimmy Buffett
Warren Beatty
Last-Last
First-First
70
Jimmy Buffett American country musician. Etta James
Warren Buffett
Jim Jones
First-Last (approximate)
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
71
Warren Beatty Actor. Warren Buffett
Elizabeth Warren
First-First
First-Last
72
Elizabeth Warren Massachusetts Senator since 2013. Known for her work as a consumer rights activist. Warren Beatty
Earl Warren
Elizabeth Kolbert
Last-First
Last-Last
First-First
73
Earl Warren Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969. Presided over several landmark cases including Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (ruled segregation of public schools unconstitutional), Reynolds v. Sims (electoral districts for state legislature must be equal in population), and Miranda v. Arizona (suspects detained by police must be informed of their rights as an accused). Elizabeth Warren
James Earl Jones
Last-Last
First-Middle
74
Elizabeth Kolbert American journalist and author. Best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. Elizabeth Warren
Stephen Colbert
First-First
Last-Last (approximate)
75
Stephen Colbert American talk show host. Known for The Colbert Report and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Elizabeth Kolbert Last-Last (approximate) 76
George Wallace American politician, who initially supported, but later renounced racial segregation. Wallace Shawn Last-First 77
Charles Wallace American scholar and researcher. Famed for his discoveries in the field of English Renaissance theatre. Wallace Shawn
Charles Manson
Last-First
First-First
78
James Monroe Founding father and Fifth president of the USA James Brady
Marilyn Monroe
First-First
Last-Last
79
Marilyn Monroe American actress and pin-up model from the 50s. She was immensely famous during her time, and unexpectedly committed suicide at age 36. James Monroe
Marilyn Manson
Last-Last
First-First
80
Hank Williams Country singer Tom Hanks
William C. Williams
Robin Williams
First-Last (approximate)
Last-Last
Last-Last
81
William C. Williams American poet closely associated with modernism and imagism. Hank Williams
Billy D. Williams
Last-Last
First-First (approximate) and Last-Last
82
Steve Harvey Host of Family Feud. Stephen James
Domino Harvey
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last
83
Domino Harvey British bounty hunter in the United States. Her fame was increased posthumously by the 2005 release of the film Domino. Steve Harvey
Harvey Milk
Fats Domino
Last-Last
Last-First
First-Last
84
Harvey Milk American politician and gay rights activist. Domino Harvey First-Last 85
James Saint James television personality, author, celebutante, frequent collaborator with Mathu Andersen. Kevin James
James Garfield
Jimmy John
Last-Last
Last-First
First-First (approximate)
86
Etta James (1) American Singer. Used again in 268. James Garfield
Jimmy Buffett
Last-First
Last-First (approximate)
87
Jim Jones Cult leader behind the 1978 Jonestown mass suicide in Guyana. Jimmy Buffett
James Earl Jones
Tom Jones
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last
Last-Last
88
James Earl Jones American actor. Voiced Darth Vader in the original Star Wars. Earl Warren
Jim Jones
Quincy Jones
James Earl Ray
Middle-First
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First
89
Charlie Parker Jazz musician. Ray Parker Jr.
Charles Manson
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
90
Ray Parker Jr. Singer and songwriter who wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 film Ghostbusters. Charlie Parker
Man Ray
Rachael Ray
Last-Last
First-Last
First-Last
91
Ray Charles American blues musician. Blind from the age of 7. Charles Manson
Rachael Ray
Ray Allen
Last-First
First-Last
First-First
92
Charles Manson Cult leader of the Manson Family. Convicted of 7 murders; used Beatles songs as bases. Charles Wallace
Charlie Parker
Ray Charles
Marilyn Manson
First-First
First-First (approximate)
First-Last
Last-Last
93
Marilyn Manson American musician. Known for esoteric performances. Marilyn Monroe
Charles Manson
First-First
Last-Last
94
Robin Williams American stand up comedian. Voiced the Genie in Aladdin. Hank Williams
Billy D. Williams
Robin Wright
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First
95
Billy D. Williams American actor best known for playing Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. William C. Williams
Robin Williams
Will Wright
First-First (approximate) and Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
96
Will Wright American video game designer and co-founder of the former game development company Maxis. Billy D. Williams
Robin Wright
Wilber Wright
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last
Last-Last
97
Fats Domino Jazz musician. Domino Harvey
Fatty Arbuckle
Last-First
First-First (approximate)
98
Bill Clinton 42nd president of the United States. His wife, Hillary Clinton, ran against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election and was Secretary of State. George Clinton Last-Last 99
Jimmy John Founder of the sandwich shop chain Jimmy John's. James Saint James
John Kerry
First-First (approximate)
Last-First
100
Tom Jones Can refer to the Welsh Singer or to the fictional character from the book of the same name by Henry Fielding Jim Jones
Tommy John
Quincy Jones
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last
101
Tommy John Former baseball pitcher who had a surgical graft done to replace a blown ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974; the procedure is now called Tommy John surgery. Tom Jones
John Irving
John Quincy Adams
First-First (approximate)
Last-First
Last-First
102
Quincy Jones American Jazz musician James Earl Jones
Tom Jones
John Quincy Adams
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-Middle
103
James Earl Ray Killer of Martin Luther King Jr. James Earl Jones
Man Ray
First-First
Last-Last
104
Man Ray Photographer (Dada, Surrealism). Possibly referring to the SpongeBob villain. Ray Parker Jr.
James Earl Ray
Batman
Last-First
Last-Last
First-Last
105
Rachel Ray Celebrity chef. Ray Parker Jr.
Ray Charles
Last-First
Last-First
106
Ray Allen Professional basketball player who retired in 2013. Won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, making him the second teammate of LeBron James to appear on this list. Ray Charles
Tim Allen
First-First
Last-Last
107
Tim Allen American comedic actor. Created and starred in the long running sitcom "Home Improvement". Voiced Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Ray Allen
Tim Cook
Lily Allen
Last-Last
First-First
Last-Last
108
Tim Cook Current (as of the time of this comic) Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Inc. Tim Allen
Tim Howard
First-First
First-First
109
Tim Howard Former goalkeeper for the United States men's national soccer team. Holds the record for most saves made in a World Cup match (15 against Belgium in 2010). Tim Cook
Ron Howard
First-First
Last-Last
110
Robin Wright American actress, aka Robin Wright-Penn Robin Williams
Will Wright
First-First
Last-Last
111
Wilbur Wright One of the two Wright Brothers (the other was Orville) who made the world's first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903. Will Wright Last-Last 112
Fatty Arbuckle Comedian. Fats Domino
Fat Joe
First-First (approximate)
First-First (approximate)
113
Fat Joe Real name Joseph Antonio Cartagena, rapper. Fatty Arbuckle
Joe Kennedy
First-First (approximate)
Last-First
114
George Clinton Could be either the 19th Century politician who served as Governor of New York and later as Vice President under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, or the musician who rose to fame in the 1970's as one of the biggest acts in funk music and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Bill Clinton
George Washington
Last-Last
First-First
115
John Kerry Secretary of State under Barack Obama. Ran against George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. Jimmy John
Kerry Washington
John Irving
First-Last
Last-First
First-First
116
Kerry Washington Actress in the TV show Scandal. John Kerry
George Washington
Washington Irving
First-Last
Last-Last
Last-First
117
John Irving Author. Tommy John
John Kerry
Washington Irving
First-Last
First-First
Last-Last
118
John Quincy Adams Sixth president of the United States and son of John Adams. Tommy John
Quincy Jones
John Adams
First-Last
Middle-First
Last-Last
119
John Adams Second president of the United States and father of John Quincy Adams. John Quincy Adams
Amy Adams
Jack Ma
First-First
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
120
Amy Adams American actress. John Adams
Aimee Mann
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
121
Aimee Mann Singer and songwriter. Amy Adams
Batman
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last (approximate)
122
Superman Superhero owned by DC comics who can fly and has super strength/invincibility. Batman
Super Grover
Last-Last
First-First
123
Batman Superhero owned by DC comics. Man Ray
Aimee Mann
Superman
Last-First
Last-Last
Last-Last
124
Ayn Rand Russian political author, known for Atlas Shrugged. XKCD frequently makes fun of Rand's philosophy. Rand Paul Last-First 125
Lily Allen British singer-songwriter, sometime actress. Tim Allen
Paul Allen
Last-Last
Last-Last
126
Paul Allen Co-founder of Microsoft along with Bill Gates and current owner of several professional sports teams in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers, part of Seattle Sounders FC). Lily Allen
Rand Paul
Last-Last
First-Last
127
Ron Howard Actor and director. Most famously acted in Happy Days; later directed Apollo 13. Tim Howard
Howard Hughes
Ron Paul
Last-Last
Last-First
First-First
128
Howard Hughes American business tycoon Ron Howard
John Hughes
Langston Hughes
First-Last
Last-Last
Last-Last
129
Joe Kennedy US ambassador to the United Kingdom and father of John F. Kennedy. Fat Joe
John F. Kennedy
First-Last
Last-Last
130
George Bush George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush (father and son, respectively), were both presidents of the United States. George Washington First-First 131
George Washington First president of the United States, and general during the Revolutionary War. George Clinton
Kerry Washington
George Bush
First-First
Last-Last
First-First
132
Washington Irving Short story author who wrote "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Kerry Washington
John Irving
Martha Washington
First-Last
Last-Last
First-Last
133
Martha Washington Wife of George Washington. Washington Irving
Martha Stewart
Last-First
First-First
134
Ma Rainey Singer dubbed "Mother of the Blues" Jack Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
First-Last
First-Last
135
Jack Ma Prominent Chinese business tycoon. Co-founder and executive chairman of the Alibaba Group John Adams
Ma Rainey
Ma Bell
First-First (approximate)
Last-First
Last-First
136
Super Grover Superhero identity of the character Grover from Sesame Street Superman
Grover Cleveland
First-First
Last-First
137
Jack Black Singer and actor. Jack Ryan First-First 138
Rand Paul Republican senator from Kentucky; member of the Tea Party movement. Ran in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Ayn Rand
Paul Allen
Paul Ryan
First-Last
Last-First
Last-First
139
Paul Ryan Republican representative from Wisconsin. Served as Speaker of the House at the time this comic was published. Rand Paul
Debby Ryan
First-Last
Last-Last
140
Paul Simon Eponymous member of Simon & Garfunkel. Ron Paul
Carly Simon
First-Last
Last-Last
141
Ron Paul Libertarian politician. Known for running for president in many elections and mentioned often in xkcd. Ron Howard
Paul Simon
First-First
Last-First
142
John Hughes Director famed for a series of 1980s coming of age movies including "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club", and "Pretty in Pink" Howard Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes
Last-Last
Last-Last
143
Langston Hughes American poet prominent during the Harlem Renaissance Howard Hughes Last-Last 144
John F. Kennedy 35th president of the United States. Known for his public assassination during a parade, now the subject of many conspiracy theories. Joe Kennedy
John Williams
Last-Last
First-First
145
Little Richard Early rock and roll singer known for his energetic and flamboyant style on songs such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" Rich Little
Little John
First-Last and Last-First (approximate)
First-First
146
Rich Little American comedian known for his impressions of numerous celebrities and public figures Little Richard
Stuart Little
First-Last (approximate) and Last-Last
Last-Last
147
Martha Stewart American TV personality. Convicted of insider trading in 2004. Martha Washington
Kristen Stewart
First-First
Last-Last
148
Yo-Yo Ma Chinese cellist. Known for winning 18 Grammys; considered a child prodigy. Ma Rainey
Ma Bell
Last-First
Last-First
149
Ma Bell AKA Bell System, the system of companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by AT&T, which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984. Jack Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
First-Last
First-Last
150
Grover Cleveland Alexander Pitcher named after the president; co-holds record for most wins by a pitcher in the National League (374). Grover Cleveland
Alexander Graham Bell
Lloyd Alexander
First-First and Middle-Last
Last-First
LAst-Last
151
Grover Cleveland 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Notably the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. Super Grover
Grover Cleveland Alexander
First-Last
First-First and Last-Middle
152
Jack White American musician. Part of The White Stripes. Jack Ryan
Meg White
First-First
Last-Last
153
Jack Ryan Fictional character in the novels by Tom Clancy. Portrayed in Movies by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, and Ben Affleck. Jack Black
Jack White
Debby Ryan
Meg Ryan
First-First
First-First
Last-Last
Last-Last
154
Debby Ryan American actress and singer. She starred as Bailey Pickett on The Suite Life on Deck Paul Ryan
Jack Ryan
Debbie Reynolds
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
155
Carly Simon Singer. "You're So Vain" referenced on xkcd in 1501: Mysteries. Paul Simon
Carly Hughes
Last-Last
First-First
156
Carly Hughes Actress Carly Simon
Charles Evans Hughes
Carly Fiorina
First-First
Last-Last
First-First
157
Charles Evans Hughes Was an American statesman, Republican Party politician, and the 11th Chief Justice of the United States. John Hughes
Carly Hughes
Last-Last
Last-Last
158
John Williams American composer. Known for many famous movie soundtracks, including Star Wars and Harry Potter. John F. Kennedy
Little John
William Safire
First-First
First-Last
Last-First (approximate)
159
Little John Fictional character in the Robin Hood Legend. Known for great stature and strength. Little Richard
John Williams
Stuart Little
First-First
Last-First
First-Last
160
Stuart Little Fictional character by E. B. White, a boy with mouse-like appearance and stature. Rich Little
Little John
Potter Stuart
Little Prince
Last-Last
Last-First
First-Last
Last-First
161
Potter Stewart Was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from 1958 to 1981. Stuart Little
Kristen Stewart
Harry Potter
Last-First (approximate)
Last-Last
First-Last
162
Kristen Stewart American actress. Known for Twilight. Martha Stewart
Potter Stewart
Kristen Bell
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First
163
Kristen Bell American actress, known for various romantic comedies. Kristen Stewart
Bell Hooks
First-First
Last-First
164
Bell Hooks American author, professor, feminist, and social activist. Kristen Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
James Hook
First-Last
First-Last
Last-Last (approximate)
165
Alexander Graham Bell Scottish inventor, credited with inventing the telephone. Ma Bell
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Bell Hooks
Franklin Graham
Last-Last
First-Last
Last-First
Middle-Last
166
Franklin Graham Christian evangelist and missionary. He is currently president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and of Samaritan's Purse. Alexander Graham Bell
Aretha Franklin
Last-Middle
First-Last
167
Lloyd Alexander American author of more than forty books, primarily fantasy novels for children and young adults. Grover Cleveland Alexander
Frank Lloyd Wright
Last-Last
First-Middle
168
Meg White Drummer. The other half of The White Stripes. Jack White
Meg Ryan
Barry White
Last-Last
First-First
Last-Last
169
Meg Ryan American actress. Known for 'When Harry met Sally' Jack Ryan
Meg White
Last-Last
First-First
170
Debbie Reynolds American singer and actress. Debby Ryan
John Reynolds
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last
171
John Reynolds It is unclear which John Reynold Randall is refering to, Like one of the science-oriented ones. Debbie Reynolds
John Kelly
Last-Last
First-First
172
Carly Fiorina Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Ran for president in the 2016 Republican primaries. Carly Hughes First-First 173
Grace Lee Boggs American author, social activist, philosopher and feminist. Wade Boggs
Grace Lee
Nancy Grace
Last-Last
First-First and Middle-Last
First-Last
174
Wade Boggs American baseball player. Played with the Boston Red Sox. Grace Lee Boggs Last-Last 175
William Safire Writer and publicist. John Williams
Prince William
Garnet
First-Last (approxiamte)
First-Last
Last-Only (as a Sapphire gem stone and fused together with Ruby to form Garnet.)
176
Prince William Member of the British Royal Family. Second in line for succession to the throne. William Safire
Little Prince
Prince
Last-First
First-Last
First-Only
177
Little Prince One of the main characters of The Little Prince, a novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The Little Prince has previously appeared in 618: Asteroid, as well as article 68 of what if?. Stuart Little
Prince William
Prince Harry
First-Last
First-First
First-First
178
Harry Potter Fictional main character in the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling Potter Stewart
James Potter
Prince Harry
Last-First
Last-Last
First-Last
179
James Potter Fictional character, father of Harry Potter. Harry Potter
James Dean
Last-Last
First-First
180
James Hook Fictional character from 'Peter Pan' Bell Hooks
James Dean
Last-Last (approximate)
First-First
181
James Dean American actor and teen icon. Starred in the films "Rebel Without a Cause", "East of Eden" and "Giant" before his sudden death in a car accident James Potter
James Hook
John Dean
First-First
First-First
Last-Last
182
Aretha Franklin Soul singer, first woman to be inducted into the hall of fame and performer of Respect. Franklin Graham
Frank Lloyd Wright
Benjamin Franklin
Last-First
Last-First (approximate)
Last-Last
183
Frank Lloyd Wright American architect, known for his unconventional buildings such as Fallingwater and the Guggenheim. Lloyd Alexander
Aretha Franklin
Harold Lloyd
Middle-First
First-Last (approximate)
Middle-Last
184
Barry White American soul singer known for his deep, rich voice on songs such as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" Meg White
Walter White
Last-Last
Last-Last
185
Walter White Main character from the TV show Breaking Bad. Barry White
Betty White
Last-Last
Last-Last
186
Walt Whitman American poet. A bridge in Philadelphia was named after him. Walter White
Meg Whitman
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last
187
John Kelly(2) Likely a different John Kelly than appears at tile 20 John Reynolds
Megyn Kelly
First-First
Last-Last
188
Grace Lee Korean television host and radio disc jockey Grace Lee Boggs
Grace Kelly
First-First and Last-Middle
First-First
189
Nancy Grace American legal commentator and television journalist.She was the host of Nancy Grace. Grace Lee Boggs Last-First 190
Garnet A garnet is a gem stone and the two names around here are William Safire (almost Sapphire) and Jack Ruby as in Ruby. But it is not just used because they are all gemstones. It is instead a reference to the character Garnet in the cartoon Steven Universe. She is a "fusion" formed by two gems: Ruby and Sapphire, hence the legal connection in the Name Dominoes... Randall has previously made references to this universe in 1608: Hoverboard. (See this and this image from that comic). William Safire
Jack Ruby
Last-Only (as a Sapphire gem stone)
Last-Only (as a Ruby gem stone)
Both used to fuse together to form Garnet.
191
Prince American musician, part of the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He died two years prior to the release of this comic. Prince William
Prince Harry
Only-First
Only-First
192
Prince Fielder Professional baseball player who retired in 2016 after playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. Prince Harry
Harry Fielder
First-First
Last-Last
193
Prince Harry Member of the British royal family. Currently sixth in line for succession to the throne. Little Prince
Harry Potter
Prince
Prince Fielder
First-Last
Last-First
First-Only
First-First
194
Harry Styles Singer from One Direction. Harry Truman
Harry Jon Benjamin
First-First
First-First
195
John Dean former attorney who served as White House Counsel for United States President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. James Dean
Harry Jon Benjamin
Last-Last
First-Middle (approximate)
196
Benjamin Franklin One of the founding fathers of the United States. Credited with "discovering" electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm. Aretha Franklin
Benjamin Harrison
Last-Last
First-First
197
Harold Lloyd American actor, comedian, director, producer, screenwriter, and stunt performer who is best known for his silent comedy films. Frank Lloyd Wright
Harold Ford
Last-Middle
First-First
198
Harold Ford American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. congressmen. Harold Lloyd
Henry Ford
First-First
Last-Last
199
Betty White American comedian. Known for The Golden Girls. Walter White
Betty Friedan
Last-Last
First-First
200
Meg Whitman American business executive, former CEO of eBay and Hewlett Packard, unsuccessful candidate for California governor in 2010 Walt Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Megyn Kelly
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
201
Christine Todd Whitman Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, then served as Director of the Environmental Protection Agency under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. Meg Whitman
Chris Christie
Chris Cooper
Last-Last
First-Last (approximate)
First-First (approximate)
202
Megyn Kelly American TV news anchor. Worked for Fox news until 2017, then switched to NBC. John Kelly
Meg Whitman
Grace Kelly
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last
203
Grace Kelly American actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Lee
Megyn Kelly
Grace Jones
First-First
Last-Last
First-First
204
Grace Jones Singer and actress. Grace Kelly
Maggie Grace
First-First
First-Last
205
Jack Nicholson Actor who has appeared in many films from The Shining (film) (as Jack Torrance) to Batman (1989 film) (as the Joker) to A Few Good Men (as Colonel Jessup). Jack Ruby First-First 206
Jack Ruby Jack Ruby is known for shooting and killing Lee Harvey Oswald on national television. Oswald was the prime suspect in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Ruby's involvement is the subject of many conspiracy theories. Garnet
Jack Nicholson
Jack Russell
Only-Last (as a Ruby gem stone and fused together with Safire to form Garnet.)
First-First
First-First
207
Jack Russell American rock vocalist. Founding member of the American hard rock band Great White. Jack Ruby
Russell Crowe
Russ Smith
First-First
Last-First
Last-First (approximate)
208
Harry Fielder English actor and supporting artist who has worked extensively in British films and television since the 1960s. Prince Fielder
Harry Truman
Last-Last
First-First
209
Harry Truman 33rd president of the United States. Known for authorizing the use of atomic weapons against Japan at the end of World War 2. Harry Styles
Harry Fielder
First-First
First-First
210
Harry Jon Benjamin American actor, voice actor and comedian best known for voicing characters, such as Sterling Archer in Archer and Carl in Family Guy. Harry Styles
John Dean
John Edward
Benjamin Harrison
First-First
Middle-First (approximate)
Middle-First (approximate)
First-Last (approximate)
211
John Edward American television personality, author and purported psychic medium. Harry Jon Benjamin
John Bel Edwards
First-Middle (approximate)
First-First
212
Benjamin Harrison 23rd president of the United States Benjamin Franklin
Harry Jon Benjamin
Harrison Ford
First-First
First-Last and Last-First (approximate)
Last-First
213
Harrison Ford American actor. Known for playing Han Solo in the Star Wars films and the titular character in the Indiana Jones films. Benjamin Harrison
Henry Ford
First-Last
Last-Last
214
Henry Ford Founder of the Ford Motor Company. Credited with inventing the assembly line. Harold Ford
Harrison Ford
Betty Ford
John Henry
Last-Last
Last-Last
Last-Last
First-Last
215
Betty Ford Wife of Gerald Ford, 38th president of the United States. Henry Ford
Betty Friedan
Last-Last
First-First
216
Betty Friedan American feminist writer and activist. Her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique is often credited with sparking the second wave of American feminism. Betty White
Betty Ford
First-First
First-First
217
Chris Christie Governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Ran for president in the Republican primaries in 2016. Christine Todd Whitman
Chris Cooper
Chris Hemsworth
Last-First (approximate)
First-First
First-First
218
Chris Pratt American actor. Known for Parks and Recreation Chris Hemsworth
Topher Grace
First-First
First-First (approximate)
219
Maggie Grace American actress and model. Known for playing Shannon Rutherford on Lost and Kim Mills in the Taken trilogy. Grace Jones
Grace Hopper
Last-First
Last-First
220
Grace Hopper American computer scientist. Helped develop the COBOL programming language. Maggie Grace
Topher Grace
First-Last
First-Last
221
Russell Crowe Australian actor. Jack Russell
Sheryl Crow
Cameron Crowe
First-Last
Last-Last (approximate)
Last-Last
222
Russ Smith American professional basketball player for Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Associatio. Jack Russell
John Smith
First-Last (approximate)
Last-Last
223
John Smith John Smith is the most common name in the United States. See Wikipedia for a list of people this may refer to. Russ Smith
Long John Silver
Last-Last
First-Middle
224
Justin Long American actor, comedian and humorist known for roles in such films as Alvin and the Chipmunks and Live Free or Die Hard. Huey Long Last-Last 225
John Bel Edwards American politician and lawyer serving as the 56th Governor of Louisiana since 2016. John Edward
John Candy
John Edwards
First-First
First-First
First-First
226
John Candy Canadian comedian and actor. Known for Spaceballs. John Bel Edwards
John Henry
Candy Crowley
First-First
First-First
Last-First
227
John Henry American folk hero Henry Ford
John Candy
Henry James
Last-First
First-First
Last-First
228
Henry James American author known for works including "The Turn of the Screw" and "The Portrait of a Lady" John Henry
Bill James
First-Last
Last-Last
229
Bill James American baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Henry James
James Fenimore Cooper
Last-Last
Last-First
230
Chris Cooper American film actor. Portrayed Sheriff July Johnson in Lonesome Dove and supervillain Norman Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Christine Todd Whitman
Chris Christie
James Fenimore Cooper
First-First (approximate)
First-First
Last-Last
231
Chris Hemsworth Actor. Chris Christie
Chris Pratt
First-First
First-First
232
Chris Evans American actor. Best known for his role as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Topher Grace
Evan Taylor Jones
First-First (approximate)
Last-First (approximate)
233
Topher Grace American actor. Best known for playing Eric Forman in That '70s Show and Eddie Brock / Venom in Spider-Man 3. Chris Pratt
Grace Hopper
Chris Evans
First-First (approximate)
Last-First
First-First (approximate)
234
Van Morrison Irish singer best known for the song "Brown Eyed Girl" Van Jones First-First 235
Sheryl Crow American singer and session musician Russell Crowe
Sheryl Sandberg
Last-Last (approximate)
First-First
236
Sheryl Sandberg American technology executive, activist, author, and billionaire. Chief operating officer (COO) of Facebook. Sheryl Crow First-First 237
Cameron Crowe American director, producer, screenwriter, journalist, author, and actor. Was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine. Russell Crowe
James Cameron
Cam Newton
Last-Last
First-Last
First-First (approximate)
238
Long John Silver Fictional antagonist from Treasure Island. John Smith
Olivia Newton John
Huey Long
Middle-First
Middle-Last
first-Last
239
Olivia Newton John American actress. Known for Grease Long John Silver
Cam Newton
Huey Newton
John Oliver
Last-Middle
Middle-Last
Middle-Last
First-Last (approximate) and Last-First
240
Huey Long Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932, and US Senator from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. Known for his "Share Our Wealth" proposal to address the hard economic conditions of the Great Depression. Justin Long
Long John Silver
Huey Newton
Last-Last
Last-First
First-First
241
John Edwards American politician. Democratic candidate for presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008. John Bel Edwards
John Lewis
First-First
First-First
242
Candy Crowley American news anchor. Was employed as CNN's chief political correspondent. John Candy
Aleister Crowley
First-Last
Last-Last
243
Alesteir Crowley English occultist and author Candy Crowley
Alistiar Cooke
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
244
James Fenimore Cooper Author of The Last of the Mohicans. Bill James
Chris Cooper
James Cook
First-Last
Last-Last
First-First
245
James Cook 18th century British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy. Alistair Cooke
Cokie Roberts
Alistair Cookie
James Fenimore Cooper
Last-Last (approximate)
Last-First (approximate)
Last-Last (approximate)
First-First
246
Robert Frost 19th century American poet, named Poet Laureate of Vermont in 1922 by the Vermont State League of Women's Clubs, and in 1961 by the Vermont State legislature Cokie Roberts
John Roberts
First-Last (approximate)
First-Last (approximate)
247
Bob Evans American film producer and former studio executive, best known for The Godfather. Evan Taylor Jones
Robert E.Lee
Last-First (approximate)
Last-Middle (approximate)
248
Evan Taylor Jones Musical artist Chris Evans
Bob Evans
Van Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
First-Last (approximate)
First-Last (approximate)
Last-Last
Last-Last
249
Van Jones American news commentator, author, and non-practicing attorney. Van Morrison
Evan Taylor Jones
First-First
Last-Last
250
James Cameron American director. Known for Terminator and Titanic. Cameron Crowe
Cameron Diaz
Etta James
Last-First
Last-First
First-Last
251
Cam Newton Quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. Cameron Crowe
Olivia Newton John
Cameron Diaz
First-First (approximate)
Last-Middle
First-First (approximate)
252
Cameron Diaz American actress. Voiced Fiona in Shrek. James Cameron
Cam Newton
First-Last
First-First (approximate)
253
Huey Newton Co-founder of the Black Panthers. Olivia Newton John
Huey Long
Last-Middle
First-First
254
Huey Lewis Lead singer for the band Huey Lewis and the News. Huey Newton
John Lewis
First-First
Last-Last
255
John Lewis American politician and civil rights leader. U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district, serving in his 17th term (since 1987). John Edwards
Huey Lewis
Jenny Lewis
First-First
Last-Last
Last-Last
256
Jenny Lewis American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. Best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. John Lewis
Ryan Lewis
Last-Last
Last-Last
257
Ryan Lewis American DJ, musician, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, rapper and songwriter. Jenny Lewis
Ryan Reynolds
Last-Last
First-First
258
Burt Reynolds American actor. Known for a wide variety of western and/or action films. Ryan Reynolds
Alastair Reynolds
Last-Last
Last-Last
259
Alistair Cooke Name misspelled Alistiar Cooke in the comic. Alestier Crowley
James Cook
First-First (approximate)
Last-Last (approximate)
260
Alistair Cookie A parody of Alistair Cooke "played" by Cookie Monster in the Sesame Street sketch "Monsterpiece Theatre" in the 1980s, a parody of the PBS series "Masterpiece Theatre". James Cook
Alastair Reynolds
Last-Last (approximate)
First-First (approximate)
261
Cokie Roberts National Public Radio (NPR) political correspondent known for her recurring segment "Ask Cokie" in which she answers listener submitted questions. James Cook
Robert Frost
First-Last (approximate)
Last-First (approximate)
262
John Roberts Current Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court at the time of the comic's publication. Robert Frost
Robert Johnson
Last-First (approximate)
First-Last (approximate) and Last-First (approximate)
263
Robert Johnson Delta blues guitar legend. John Roberts
Robert E.Lee
First-Last (approximate) and Last-First (approximate)
First-First
264
Robert E. Lee Confederate general during the American Civil War. Bob Evans
Robert Johnson
Tommy Lee
Middle-Last (approximate)
First-First
Last-Last
265
Tommy Lee Drummer for the rock band Mötley Crüe Robert E. Lee
Tommy Lee Jones
Last-Last
First-First and Middle-Middle
266
Tommy Lee Jones American actor known for 'The Fugitive' Evan Taylor Jones
Tommy Lee
Last-Last
First-First and Middle-Middle
267
Etta James (2) Used first time in 87 James Cameron Last-First 268
John Oliver American talk show host. Known for Last Week Tonight. Olivia Newton John First-Last and Last-First (approximate) 269
Ryan Reynolds Canadian actor. Known for several romantic comedies, and Deadpool. Ryan Lewis
Burt Reynolds
First-First
Last-Last
270
Alastair Reynolds SF writer. Burt Reynolds
Alistair Cookie
Last-Last
First-First (approximate)
271

Transcript[edit]

[This comic a large grid, 27 units wide and 35 units high, with 271 black "domino" tiles. On each tile there is a name written with white text. The grid is arranged so that each touching side corresponds with the first or last name of another person. Some of the domino tiles are rotated 90, 180 or 270 degrees so the text is either to be read down, up-side down or up. The names on the tiles are listed here below in approximate reading order starting at top left.]
Christian Campbell, Neve Campbell, Joe McCarthy, Eugene McCarthy, Gene Vincent, Gene Kelly, Kate Hudson, Rock Hudson, Gordon Brown, James Brown, Jon Brown, John Howard, Columbo, Chris Columbus, Christopher Columbus, Naomi Campbell, Joseph Campbell, Joseph Smith, Frank Vincent, John Kelly, Katherine Johnson, The Rock, Chris Rock, Chris Isaac, James Newton Howard, John Wayne, Howard Stern, Howard Hunt, Chris Hughes, Naomi Watts, Naomi Klein, Kevin Kline, Francis Bacon, Francis Drake, Lyndon Johnson, Oscar the Grouch, Oscar Isaac, Isaac Hayes, Isaac Newton, Wayne Newton, Wayne Knight, Helen Hunt, Helen Hughes, James Watt (Steam), James Watt (Interior), Kevin Costner, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Love, Lisa Frank, Frank Drake, Drake, Oscar de la Renta, Oscar de la Hoya, Sean Hayes, Wallace Shawn, Wayne Howard, Wayne Brady, James Brady, Tom Brady, Helen Thomas, Tom Hanks, Hank Aaron, Aaron Carter, Stephen James, Will Smith, Kevin Smith, Kein James, Garfield, James Garfield, Warren Buffett, Jimmy Buffett, Warren Beatty, Elizabeth Warren, Earl Warren, Eliabeth Kolbert, Stephen Colbert, George Wallace, Charles Wallace, James Monroe, Marilyn Monroe, Hank Williams, William C. Williams, Steve Harvey, Domino Harvey, Harvey Milk, James Saint James, Etta James, Jim Jones, James Earl Jones, Charlie Parker, Ray Parker Jr., Ray Charles, Charles Manson, Marilyn Manson, Robin Williams, Billy D. Williams, Will Wright, Fats Domino, Bill Clinton, Jimmy John, Tom Jones, Tommy John, Quincy Jones, James Earl Ray, Man Ray, Rachel Ray, Ray Allen, Tim Allen, Tim Cook, Tim Howard, Robin Wright, Wilbur Wright, Fatty Arbuckle, Fat Joe, George Clinton, John Kerry, Kerry Washington, John Irving, John Quincy Adams, John Adams, Amy Adams, Aimee Mann, Superman, Batman, Ayn Rand, Lily Allen, Paul Allen, Ron Howard, Howard Hughes, Joe Kennedy, George Bush, George Washington, Washington Irving, Martha Washington, Ma Rainey, Jack Ma, Super Grover, Jack Black, Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, Paul Simon, Ron Paul, John Hughes, Langston Hughes, John F. Kennedy, Little Richard, Rich Little, Martha Stewart, Yo Yo Ma, Ma Bell, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Grover Cleveland, Jack White, Jack Ryan, Debby Ryan, Carly Simon, Carly Hughes, Charles Evans Hughes, John Williams, Little John, Stuart Little, Potter Stewart, Kristen Stewart, Kristen Bell, Kristen Hooks, Alexander Graham Bell, Franklin Graham, Lloyd Alexander, Meg White, Meg Ryan, Debbie Reynolds, John Reynolds, Carly Fiorina, Grace Lee Boggs, Wade Boggs, William Safire, Prince William, Little Prince, Harry Potter, James Potter, James Hook, James Dean, Aretha Franklin, Frank Lloyd Wright, Barry White, Walter White, Walt Whitman, John Kelly, Grace Lee, Nancy Grace, Garnet, Prince, Prince Fielder, Prince Harry, Harry Styles, John Dean, Benjamin Franklin, Harrold Lloyd, Harrold Ford, Betty White, Meg Whitman, Christine Todd Whitman, Megyn Kelly, Grace Kelly, Grace Jones, Jack Nicholson, Jack Ruby, Jack Russel, Harry Fielder, Harry Trueman, Harry Jon Benjamin, John Edward, Benjamin Harrison, Harrison Ford, Henry Ford, Betty Ford, Betty Friedan, Chris Christie, Chris Pratt, Maggie Grace, Grace Hopper, Russel Crowe, Russ Smith, John Smith, Justin Long, John Bel Edwards, John Candy, John Henry, Henry James, Bill James, Chirs Cooper, Chirs Hemsworth, Chirs Evans, Topher Grace, Van Morrison, Sheryl Crow, Sheryl Sandberg, Cameron Crow, Long John Silver, Olivia Newton John, Huey long, John Edwards, Candy Crowley, Alestier Crowley, James Fenimore Cooper, James Cook, Robert Frost, Bob Evans, Evan Tayler Jones, Van Jones, James Cameron, Cam Newton, Cameron Diaz, Huey Newton, Huey Lewis, John Lewis, Jenny Lewis, Ryan Lewis, Burt Reynolds, Alistiar Cooke, Alistair Cookie, Cokie Roberts, John Roberts, Robert Johnson, Robert E. Lee, Tommy Lee, Tommy Lee Jones, Etta James, John Oliver, Ryan Reynolds, Alastair Reynolds

Trivia[edit]

The names Etta James and John Kelly are used twice, but the latter likely refers to different John Kellys.


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Discussion

This comic is a long list of names overlayed onto black domino tiles, arranged so that each touching side corresponds with the first or last name of another person. This will be difficult to transcribe. 108.162.221.53 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Would it be possible to use a fixed width format and try and transcribe like an actual scrabble board? I think there are unicode characters for upside-down and rotated text that we could use for the flipped names. But yes, definitely will be difficult.172.68.211.244 18:21, 21 March 2018 (UTC)
The transcript doesn't need upside-down and rotated text. It should be enough to mention that some tiles are. A first draft with all names would be good, but even mentioning all the connections would be to complex to read. Think about the reader... --Dgbrt (talk) 18:39, 21 March 2018 (UTC)
How about using a fixed-width font and then representing each domino with an alphanumeric character, and then put a list below of what each character corresponds to? Even though there are more dominoes than characters, duplicate uses of a character (but referring to different names) can be easily disambiguated if we assign each character in order, left to right and top to bottom. 172.69.70.71 20:04, 21 March 2018 (UTC)
I have made an image where each tile is numbered from left to right. See this picture and Explanation here. I have created a transcript from this list. And the table --Kynde (talk) 14:01, 22 March 2018 (UTC)
Do you think that maybe Randall created this comic just to screw with this wiki? 108.162.221.53 14:51, 22 March 2018 (UTC)Martin
Certainly, a real explanation to Randall's Name Dominoes doesn't need a numbered list or one of these overwhelming tables. A short overview (a small bullet list would be the best) to the rules implied by the image and shown in the title text would be a proper explanation. Everything else is trivia at maximum. And I can't resist: This table, whenever it will be completely filled, tops them all...--Dgbrt (talk) 21:30, 22 March 2018 (UTC)
The purpose of the transcript is so someone can search the site for a phrase (or in this case, a name) used in a strip, and find the page for it. Encode the words using upside-down UNICODE letters would defeat that purpose. JamesCurran (talk) 22:12, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

I see alternative names or nicknames sometimes matches together. But is the Chris Pratt/Chris Evans match with Topher Grace a bit of a stretch? I see that Topher is a variation of Christopher and Chis is a shortening of the same. But I guess it must be an acceptable move if Randle put it in the comic. Maybe it’s worth special points or something. 162.158.38.70 18:14, 21 March 2018 (UTC)TheStewart

Walter White/Walt Whitman is a reference to Breaking Bad. 172.68.58.101 18:20, 21 March 2018 (UTC)Pat

And Garnet being used to join Ruby and Saffire is clever... 141.101.98.64 18:23, 21 March 2018 (UTC) This is a reference to Steven Universe where there is a character, Garnet, who is a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire.

"The title text spells out a rule that a player may only place a tile if they know who that person is" is mention as a reason for it not to be a fixed set of dominos, But I took it to mean you can't use "Jim Jones" unless you know of Jim Jones; as in, I could challenge your use of it by asking "okay who is he?". Maybe saying "oh, he went to school with me" or something wouldn't count, anymore than "crft is too a word!" works in Scrabble Afbach (talk) 19:36, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

Harrison Ford is from Blade Runner I believe. 162.158.2.124 23:07, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

Ma Bell is interesting... is it the only one that not an actual person? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_System

Alistair Cooke's name is misspelt "Alistiar"; it'll be interesting to see if this gets corrected (as errors sometimes do). Not to be confused with Alistair Cookie, a short distance away! -- Peregrine (talk) 08:45, 22 March 2018 (UTC)

I think maybe Chris Isaac (Canadian football quarterback) was intended to be Chris Isaak (American rock musician, singer, and actor). Can we just assume that was a mistake? Imperpay (talk) 14:29, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

Maybe a table?[edit]

I think a table would be a useful and user-friendly way of capturing everything that's going on here. Forgive this feeble attempt. I am not an html coder. I know enough to go steal something somewhere and see if it works:

Domino Notability Connections Mode
Alistair Cookie A parody of Alistair Cooke "played" by Cookie Monster in the Sesame Street sketch "Monsterpiece Theatre" in the 1980s, a parody of the PBS series "Masterpiece Theatre". James Cook

Alastair Reynolds

Last-Last (approximate)

First-First (approximate)

James Cook 18th century British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy. Alistair Cooke

Cokie Roberts
Alistair Cookie
James Fenimore Cooper

Last-Last (approximate)

Last-First (approximate)
Last-Last (approximate)
First-First

Chris Columbus Film director and screenwriter. Columbo

Christopher Columbus
Chris Hughes

Last-Only (approximate)

First-First (approximate) and Last-Last
First-First

Imperpay (talk) 23:27, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

I like that idea. Especially because it would mean that all those links are removed from the transcript. As far as I understand transcripts (at least in this wiki) they don't inlcude any meta information (e.g. nothing that is not shown in the comic). Elektrizikekswerk (talk) 08:48, 22 March 2018 (UTC)
Yes great example of a table, and yes no wiki links in transcript. I will put this in the explanation now. --Kynde (talk) 09:42, 22 March 2018 (UTC)
I have now made an image where each tile is numbered from left to right. See this picture and Explanation here. I have created a transcript from this list. And the table --Kynde (talk) 14:01, 22 March 2018 (UTC)
Great job, thanks for the effort :) Should the table be moved to a separate page? Beacuse it's really massive... And another thing: I think the name list in the transcript as it was before (excluding links, of course) was better. At least for someone who is not visually impaired Elektrizikekswerk (talk) 14:52, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

And I thought Alistair Cookie was a reference to the fact Alistair Cook is batting like a muppet. BTW I have WG Grace and Grace Darling in my hand - but i cannot seem to fit them in. 141.101.107.204 17:16, 22 March 2018 (UT

I've created a table/spreadsheet of all the numbers, with a,b,c meaning first, second, and third part of name, respectively, here. Also, Van Jones is missing in both the numbered image and all text on this page. Ad1217 (talk) 04:40, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

Cool. Thanks for pointing out that I failed to number the tile after 249. I'm now correcting the image adding this as number 250 and correcting the numbers after that. Ad1217 could you update your spreadsheet, and would it be OK to add a picture of this to the explanation? (I spotted an error in your spreadsheet as well, as you have used 286b rather than 268b at the bottom, but correctly used 268a --Kynde (talk) 09:55, 23 March 2018 (UTC)
Feel free to use it however you like! Also, it's publicly editable, so feel free to fix any other issues. My plan is to write a script to map names->boxes, then ideally make an html table with text transformed correctly, but it could take a bit of time before I get that working right. Ad1217 (talk) 08:24, 24 March 2018 (UTC)

Does anyone else see the connection between "Six degrees of Kevin Bacon" and the fact that this picture is basically a network/graph? 108.162.249.136 05:25, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

I was disappointed that Kevin Bacon isn't a clear node of some sort. The joke could have been extended by adding a Paul Erdős tile. --Quantum7 (talk) 08:41, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

I wonder if Randall used an algorithm to build this. It would be interesting to generate dense domino packings automatically. Does he have an official github account or similar? --Quantum7 (talk) 08:42, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

I'll continue looking into it, and thought it might be worth mentioning. Could this be some kind of QR code?

Would it be helpful to fill in still-missing entries of the Notability column of the Table of Names. I can volunteer to do that. These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For (talk) 10:49, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Looking at some of the missing entries in the Notability column for common names (eg. John Lewis, Chris Evans) and wondering what the best approach to this is. To me as a British person, John Lewis is a department store and Chris Evans is a radio presenter and former Top Gear host, however I realise this is not the case everywhere - Chris Evans is also an actor who featured in the Marvel films (probably more likely who Randell was referring to). Would it be best to list all notable people with that name (how do we decide who is notable enough?...) or should we just link the Wikipedia entry for people with that name? AlChemist (talk) 10:49, 3 March 2019 (UTC)


Other languages[edit]

Can "Name Dominoes" grids written in another non-English alphabet be assembled? ColorfulGalaxy (talk) 08:36, 13 December 2022 (UTC)