Difference between revisions of "8: Red spiders"

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| title    = Red Spiders
 
| title    = Red Spiders
 
| image    = red_spiders_small.jpg
 
| image    = red_spiders_small.jpg
| imagesize =
 
 
| titletext = They are six-legged spiders
 
| titletext = They are six-legged spiders
 
}}
 
}}
  
== Explanation ==
+
==Explanation==
The full series of [[:Category:Red Spiders|Red spiders]]:
+
The early comics often feature a style different to what would become the signature xkcd stick-figure style. This comic is the first in an arc of comics, spaced out over 3 years (so far) in which Red Spiders are seen attacking humans. Its objective is not to be funny, philosophical or scientifically interesting; it just tells a story, in a {{w|Questionable Content}}-type way.
* [[8: Red spiders]]
 
* [[43: Red Spiders 2]]
 
* [[47: Counter-Red Spiders]]
 
* [[126: Red Spiders Cometh]]
 
  
== Trivia ==
+
The full series of [[:Category:Red Spiders|Red Spiders]]:
* [Quote from [[Randall]]] "They're not spiders; they have six legs!"
+
*8: Red spiders (this one)
* Original title "Spiders"
+
*[[43: Red Spiders 2]], in which the spiders begin building.
* Originally posted at [[Randall]]'s livejournal site.
+
*[[47: Counter-Red Spiders]], in which the humans begin a counter-offensive.
* This is the eighth comic posted to livejournal.  The previous one was [[13: Canyon]]. The next one was [[6: Irony]]
+
*[[126: Red Spiders Cometh]], in which the spiders attack a city.
 +
*[[427: Bad Timing]], in which, in a style more typical to xkcd, the spiders attack a couple in the middle of a serious relationship discussion in a hot-air balloon.
 +
*[[442: xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel]], in which it appears briefly in the 14th panel crawling over a cube
  
== Transcript ==
+
==Transcript==
[Many red spiders standing on and hanging from cuboids. The cuboids hang in the air with no visible means of support.]
+
:[Many six-legged red spiders standing on and hanging from cuboids. The cuboids hang in the air with no visible means of support. Some of the spiders have made a bridge out of themselves.]
  
{{Comic discussion}}
+
==Trivia==
 +
*This is the eighth comic originally posted on livejournal. The previous was [[13: Canyon]]. The next was [[6: Irony]]. View archive [http://liveweb.archive.org/web/20070927001941/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=40 here].
 +
*Original title: "Spiders"
 +
*[[Randall]] has been quoted as saying: "They're not spiders; they have six legs!"
 +
 
 +
{{comic discussion}}
 
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
 
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
 +
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Red Spiders|0008]]
 
[[Category:Red Spiders|0008]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 

Revision as of 13:48, 30 May 2014

Red Spiders
They are six-legged spiders
Title text: They are six-legged spiders

Explanation

The early comics often feature a style different to what would become the signature xkcd stick-figure style. This comic is the first in an arc of comics, spaced out over 3 years (so far) in which Red Spiders are seen attacking humans. Its objective is not to be funny, philosophical or scientifically interesting; it just tells a story, in a Questionable Content-type way.

The full series of Red Spiders:

Transcript

[Many six-legged red spiders standing on and hanging from cuboids. The cuboids hang in the air with no visible means of support. Some of the spiders have made a bridge out of themselves.]

Trivia

  • This is the eighth comic originally posted on livejournal. The previous was 13: Canyon. The next was 6: Irony. View archive here.
  • Original title: "Spiders"
  • Randall has been quoted as saying: "They're not spiders; they have six legs!"


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Discussion

In addition to 8 - Red spiders, Red spiders also appear in comic 42 - Red Spiders 2 and 126 - Red Spiders Cometh and are referenced in 77 - Counter-Red Spiders J-beda (talk) 01:51, 14 August 2012 (UTC)


The "cuboids" always reminded me of how I picture the "stars" in the Battle Room in Ender's Game -- mwburden 70.91.188.49 22:45, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

The drawing is reminiscent of M.C.Escher style, isn't it ? 37.160.7.233 19:58, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

But why *RED* spiders, or is there some reference that I am just too dense to fathom? 68.115.52.179 06:33, 25 October 2013 (UTC)

Sadly, mites are also 8-legged, so the below two comments aren't totally correct. ClashTheBunny (talk) 15:15, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

I came to this page to say there is an actual insect known colloquially as red spiders. Dad was telling me about how his azalea plants got something powdery on them which he took to the nursery for identification. The nursery guy freaked out and said it was a highly contagious mite infestation ('get that stuff away from here!'). Even though they are a mite they are sometimes known as red spiders. So I guess these 6-legged "spiders" are a thing. - loudwhitenoise 108.162.250.231 02:00, 23 March 2014 (UTC)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetranychus_urticae "common names include red spider mite" Mike (talk) 09:32, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Runescape has 6-legged "Deadly Red Spiders" (http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Deadly_red_spider) Mountain Hikes (talk) 22:39, 22 August 2015 (UTC)

The spiders in the upper centre of the drawing are cooperating to form a bridge between two cubes. This is behaviour more commonly seen in ants which are six-legged. Many species of ant are red. However, there are spiders that cooperate. Out of some 45,000 known species of spiders, 23 are known to be social (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_spider). One of the most studied social spiders is Anelosimus eximius which is a red spider (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160122-meet-the-spiders-that-have-formed-armies-50000-strong). --DP9000 (talk) 01:05, 16 February 2016 (UTC)