Editing 1536: The Martian
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | [[Cueball]] is very excited | + | [[Cueball]] (here most likely representing [[Randall]]) is very excited that the trailer for ''The Martian'' is finally coming out. Because he really liked the book. |
− | ''The Martian'' | + | [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4PCI0NamI This trailer] for ''{{w|The Martian (film)|The Martian}}'', was released two days before this comic (Monday 8th June). So this was the first comic released after that. Although a teaser [https://youtu.be/CumZP6_9sHU "viral" trailer] had been released the previous day. The film is starring {{w|Matt Damon}} (of ''{{w|Interstellar (film)|Interstellar}}'') and directed by {{w|Ridley Scott}} (of ''{{w|Alien (film)|Alien}}''). The film is due to be released in the United States on November 25th, 2015. (At the time of writing, no other release dates are listed.) |
− | + | ''The Martian'' is based on {{w|The Martian (Weir novel)| a book of the same name}} by {{w|Andy Weir (writer)|Andy Weir}}. The book is very popular for its funny writing, great cast of characters, and skilled use of realistic science to create drama. The plot is a cross between the film ''{{w|Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13}}'' (but on Mars) and the plot of ''{{w|Robinson Crusoe}}''. | |
− | Cueball | + | Cueball is telling [[White Hat]] about this trailer and the book, thus White Hat asks if he should read it. Cueball then describes a scene from Apollo 13: '' You know the scene in Apollo 13 where the guy says "we have to figure out how to connect this thing to this thing using this table full of parts or the astronauts will all die?'' And he then tells White Hat that The Martian is like that the whole way through. |
− | In the | + | In ''Apollo 13'' (a film based on a true historical event), the astronauts of the title space mission find themselves in a damaged spacecraft. One issue the crew faced was a buildup of carbon dioxide. In order to resolve the issue, the crew needed to find a way to attach a square-shaped air-cleaning cartridge from the command module to the circular receptacle of the lunar module. In one [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YZnTL596Q brief scene], the {{w|mission control}} staff gather together a box of items equivalent to what the crew would also have on-board and sit down with the mandate to figure out how the astronauts can connect the two with the items available to them. In that case, the ground crew took on the task of trial and error given the availability of backup supplies in case they damaged or destroyed some of the supplies. Once a working solution was devised, specific instructions were relayed to the astronauts. Cueball suggests that ''The Martian'' essentially consists primarily of the type of problem-solving showed in that scene. (What is actually said in the scene is: ''We gotta find a way to make this fit into the hole for this using nothing but that.'' The first part being a large square box and the other a smaller cylinder. And the that is all the parts they have in the space capsule.) |
− | + | In the final panel, White Hat, who probably would not be so interested in this kind of story, wonders how a novel based on that kind of seemingly cerebral and procedural problem-solving became a big-budget film starring Damon. Big-budget films are generally action films with a great deal of special effects and action sequences likely to draw big audiences (to recover equally large box office returns). Matt Damon has become is high-profile big-budget star known for action films like the {{w|Bourne (film series)|''Borne'' film series}}. | |
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'''Spoiler alert:'''<br> | '''Spoiler alert:'''<br> | ||
− | The title text | + | The title text is a reference to a particular part of ''The Martian''s story: The astronaut stranded on Mars has previously established communications with Earth by {{w|repurposing}} the {{w|Mars Pathfinder|Pathfinder}} probe that NASA landed on Mars in 1997. While working on another piece of equipment, he accidentally subjects the probe to an electrical short-circuit, destroying its electronics and "bricking" it. "{{w|Bricking}}" is a neologism in respect of consumer electronics which essentially means to cause an electronic device to become non-functional, and essentially no more useful than a "brick". The term is commonly used in respect of an unrecoverable failure of {{w|software}} and often a corruption of {{w|firmware}}. An unexpected "bricking" can be very surprising, and in a case where the item is critical, could be devastating. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Cueball is sitting at a desk using a computer and White Hat walks in.] | :[Cueball is sitting at a desk using a computer and White Hat walks in.] | ||
:Cueball: Ooh, trailer for ''The Martian!'' | :Cueball: Ooh, trailer for ''The Martian!'' | ||
− | : | + | :Whitehat: What's that? |
:Cueball: Movie of a book I liked. | :Cueball: Movie of a book I liked. | ||
− | : | + | :Whitehat: Should I read it? |
− | :[Cueball pivots on chair and turns away from computer to face | + | :[Cueball pivots on chair and turns away from computer to face Whitehat.] |
− | :Cueball: Depends. You know the scene in Apollo 13 where the guy says "we have to figure out how to connect ''this'' thing to ''this'' thing using ''this'' table full of parts or the astronauts will all die? | + | :Cueball: Depends. You know the scene in Apollo 13 where the guy says "we have to figure out how to connect ''this'' thing to ''this'' thing using ''this'' table full of parts or the astronauts will all die? |
− | : | + | :Whitehat: Yeah? |
:[Cueball pivots on chair again and resumes using computer while talking. White Hat looks at his smart phone.] | :[Cueball pivots on chair again and resumes using computer while talking. White Hat looks at his smart phone.] | ||
:Cueball: ''The Martian'' is for people who wish the whole movie had just been more of that scene. | :Cueball: ''The Martian'' is for people who wish the whole movie had just been more of that scene. | ||
− | : | + | :Whitehat: How on earth did ''that'' become a big-budget thing with Matt Damon? |
:Cueball: No idea, but I'm ''so'' excited. | :Cueball: No idea, but I'm ''so'' excited. | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]] | [[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]] | ||
[[Category:Space]] | [[Category:Space]] | ||
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