Editing 31: Barrel - Part 5
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| date = November 16, 2005 | | date = November 16, 2005 | ||
| title = Barrel - Part 5 | | title = Barrel - Part 5 | ||
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| image = barrel_part_5.jpg | | image = barrel_part_5.jpg | ||
− | | titletext = Too good not to happen. | + | | titletext = Too good not to happen. |
}} | }} | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This | + | This gives a happy ending to the [[:Category:The Boy and his Barrel|The Boy and his Barrel series]], with the flying ferret from [[20: Ferret]]. The humor is derived from the juxtaposition of two unlike elements - in this case, the contemplative and even dark nature of the series being resolved through the timely intervention of a comical flying animal. |
− | + | The ferret could also be interpreted as a symbol of hope and following your dreams, since in its original appearance, its powers of flight were just that: a dream. However, the dream becomes reality to save a child from an endless sea of hopelessness. | |
− | This is the last in a six-part series of comics whose parts were randomly published during the first several dozen strips. The series features [[Barrel Boy]], a character that is different from what would quickly become the xkcd [[stick figure]] style. The full series can be found [[:Category:The Boy and his Barrel|here]] | + | The series is probably inspired by the novella {{w|The Little Prince}} by {{w|Antoine de Saint-Exupéry}}. [[Randall]] is well known to be a fan of this book. |
+ | |||
+ | Somewhere between the release of the first ferret comic in October 2005 and the re-release of that comic (and all the other from [[LiveJournal]] in 2005) on New Year's Day 2006 on the new xkcd site, Randall's brother's ferret died - as given by the new RIP comment in the title text. The sad comment in the title text of [[25: Barrel - Part 4]], ":(", possibly implying harm to the boy, along with this RIP comment, may imply that the boy has died and joined the ferret (in flying to Heaven). However, this line of reasoning only makes sense if the ferret actually died before the release of both the Part 4 comic at the end of October and this comic, which was released in the middle of November 2005, one and a half months before the new title text was made public. | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the last in a six-part series of comics whose parts were randomly published during the first several dozen strips. The series features [[Barrel Boy]], a character that is different from what would quickly become the xkcd [[stick figure]] style. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The full series can be found [[:Category:The Boy and his Barrel|here]]. The comics are listed in the order chosen by Randall: | ||
* [[1: Barrel - Part 1]] | * [[1: Barrel - Part 1]] | ||
* [[20: Ferret]] | * [[20: Ferret]] | ||
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* [[31: Barrel - Part 5]] | * [[31: Barrel - Part 5]] | ||
− | + | After Randall released the full [http://liveweb.archive.org/web/20070207052159/http://www.xkcd.com/barrel.html The Boy and his Barrel] story on the site, it became clear that the original comic [[20: Ferret]] was also part of the series. | |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
− | This | + | *This was the 33rd comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]]. |
+ | **The previous was [[28: Elefino]]. | ||
+ | **The next was [[32: Pillar]]. | ||
+ | *This comic kept its original title: "Barrel - Part 5" | ||
+ | **The first since [[16: Monty Python -- Enough]] (called "Support Surreal Humor" originally) that had a title without mentioning the week day. | ||
+ | **Also the last until the comics began being released also on xkcd (the second of these [[46: Secrets]], nine comics later). | ||
+ | *Original [[Randall]] quote: "The [[Ferret|ferret]] got to fly, in the end!" | ||
+ | **The link took the reader to the first ferret comic. | ||
+ | *This comic was posted on [[xkcd]] when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006. | ||
+ | **It was posted along [[:Category:First day on xkcd|with all 41 comics]] posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others. | ||
+ | **The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44. | ||
+ | *One of the original drawings drawn on [[:Category:Checkered paper|checkered paper]]. | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
[[Category:Posted on LiveJournal| 33]] | [[Category:Posted on LiveJournal| 33]] | ||
− | [[Category:First day on xkcd | + | [[Category:First day on xkcd]] |
[[Category:Checkered paper]] | [[Category:Checkered paper]] | ||
[[Category:Comics with color]] | [[Category:Comics with color]] | ||
− | [[Category:The Boy and his Barrel| | + | [[Category:The Boy and his Barrel|6]] |
− | [[Category:Comics sharing name|Barrel | + | [[Category:Comics sharing name|Barrel 6]] |
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Ferret]] |
[[Category:Comics featuring Barrel Boy]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Barrel Boy]] |