explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3242: Aperiodic Table

2026-05-08T01:33:52Z

Cy1110: Add link

{{comic
| number = 3242
| date = May 6, 2026
| title = Aperiodic Table
| image = aperiodic_table_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x464px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created APERIODICALLY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
The {{w|periodic table of the elements}} is a diagram often used to show the properties of the {{w|chemical elements}} that make up the world. Its structure represents several properties of the elements. Atoms increase in {{w|atomic number}} from left to right and continue on each new row, going top to bottom. Elements in a single column will have similar chemical properties, with allowance for any crossing of the {{w|dividing line between metals and nonmetals}}, and each row exhibits a similar trend to adjacent rows for the gaining or losing electrons and other physical properties.

[[Randall]] spoofs this concept by creating a similar view that is much less useful. The original table is "periodic" because it has consistent, repeating patterns that are represented by the horizontal position of the elements. Randall's 'table' is "aperiodic", meaning it has no consistent, repeating patterns. Instead, it is just a meandering line ordered by atomic number. To fit into a compact space, the sequence snakes back and forth and (roughly) down the page. This presentation is not actually helpful{{cn}}, since it contains little information other than the atomic number of each element. Faint colouring on each box does show its category, but due to the dull colours that is also quite inconvenient to use, and depicts this information in an unnecessarily unhelpful and hard-to-read format.

The title text suggests that the creation of {{w|Types of periodic tables|alternative periodic table layouts}} is due to them not having enough work to do. However, it frames this by comparing them to animals kept in enclosures, with a lack of {{w|Behavioral_enrichment|enrichment activities}} to keep them occupied and satisfied in their lab, implying that this is a form of aberrant dysfunctional behaviour. Researcher enclosure enrichment was previously mentioned in [[3052: Archive Request]].

==Trivia==
* Element 81, Thallium, should be labeled "Tl", but is incorrectly labeled "Ti", which is the abbreviation for Titanium (element 22).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon. All 118 elements and their number should be included in a full transcript.}}

:The Aperiodic Table of the Elements
:[Rectangles showing the atomic symbols and atomic numbers from H (1) through Og (118) are arranged in a serpentine chain. Each rectangle has the atomic number in small numerals at the upper left and the atomic symbol in large letters. The color of each rectangle matches the the pattern of a standard periodic table. For example, the noble elements all have a red background.]

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Periodic table]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]

3221: Landscape Features

2026-03-19T01:06:26Z

Cy1110: Landscape of the Southeast US

{{comic
| number = 3221
| date = March 18, 2026
| title = Landscape Features
| image = landscape_features_2x.png
| imagesize = 537x454px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a MANTLE HOTSPOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic is a map of the United States, purporting to explain some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. For each area it names one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which it claims is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.

Many of these causes are summarized in a single word answer, which doesn't do much to explain a complex landscape. A few phrases are longer but still don't actually explain much. And some areas are just labeled "geology".

The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology is concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., {{w|Hawaii hotspot}}, {{w|Iceland}}, the {{w|Snake River Plain}} in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Location
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| Adirondack Mountains
| ???
| The Adirondack Mountains are made of billion-year-old rock but were uplifted relatively recently, within the last 5–10 million years. They’re still rising today despite being far from any plate boundary, forming a dome with no clear tectonic cause, [[3141|thus the "???" due to an ongoing mystery as to their formation]].
|-
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.
| glaciers
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.
|-
| Appalachian Mountains
| continents colliding
| {{w|Geology of the Appalachians}}
|-
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers
| rivers
| {{w|Ohio_River#Geology|Ohio River Geology}}
|-
| Southeastern U.S.
| farming
| Landscape changes from {{w|cotton production in the United States}}, due to the presence of the {{w|Black Belt (geological formation)}}.
|-
| Southern Florida
| ongoing disputes between limestone and water
| {{w|Karst}} topography
|-
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas
| geology
| The {{w|Ozark Mountains}}, which are composed primarily of ancient limestone and {{w|dolomite}}, form a rugged landscape characterized by hills, caves, and springs. Prolonged erosion of these soluble rocks has produced extensive karst features, including sinkholes and underground rivers.
|-
| {{w|Great Plains}}
| farming
| The lack of other major events left the terrain relatively level, and areas were historically shaped by either herds of bison or indigenous agriculture, both limiting the growth of forests. "Farming" is likely a reference to the more recent mix of large-scale crop farming (especially staples like wheat and corn) and herding (bison replace by cattle).
|-
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone
| a supervolcano
| The {{w|Snake River Plain}} is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contiguous Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the continental plate over the {{w|Yellowstone Hotspot}}.
|-
| American West surrounding Idaho/Yellowstone
| geology
| [[3162]]
|-
| Immediately off of West coast up to the Four Corners
| volcanoes
| A combination of various {{w|volcanic field}}s of different origins, including {{w|Cascade Volcanoes}} in the Pacific Northwest, {{w|Albuquerque volcanic field}} in New Mexico, {{w|San Francisco volcanic field}} in Arizona, and {{w|San Juan volcanic field}} in Colorado.
|-
| Eastern Washington
| megafloods
| Most likely a reference to the {{w|Missoula floods}} and the {{w|Bonneville flood}}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day eastern Washington. These floods actually continued all the way to the Pacific Ocean, altering the shape of the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} and flooding much of the {{w|Willamette River}} in western Oregon. The comic may have simplified these to avoid bisecting the adjacent zones along the coast.
|-
| West Coast
| a plate tectonic speedrun
| Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the {{w|Juan de Fuca plate}}, {{w|Pacific plate}}, and the {{w|North American plate}}, as part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}.
|-
| Desert Southwest
| water and time
|
|-
| Northern Alaska
| geology
|
|-
| Aleutian Islands
| volcanoes
| The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan {{w|Aleutian Range}}, and form part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanoes, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.
|-
| Southeast Alaska
| glaciers
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.
|-
| Hawaiian island chain
| volcanoes
| Hawaii, including the {{w|Northwest Hawaiian Islands}}, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen [https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0555574,-176.5939317,4904085m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D here].
|}

This map with subdivisions follows up on a number of prior (non-[[:Category:Bad Map Projections|cursed]]) maps representing (supposed) geographical splits of some conversational outcome or other, such as [[1407: Worst Hurricane]] and [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A small panel showing Cueball pointing toward the left and Ponytail standing to his right overlaps the top of a much larger panel containing a map.]
:Cueball: What's up with this weird landscape?
:Ponytail: Oh, it was caused by ...

:[The larger panel shows a map of the United States, with southern Canada, northern Mexico, and most of Cuba and the Bahamas visible as well. An inset at lower left shows Alaska along with part of northwest Canada, with a smaller inset showing Hawaii. International borders and coastlines are indicated in black, and state borders are indicated in gray. Red lines divide the United States into irregularly shaped zones (the red lines indicating zones do not cross into the neighboring countries, except in the Alaska inset), with each zone being labeled with red text. Each text label begins with "..." to indicate that it is the conclusion of Ponytail's sentence. The following are the labels used:]
:[Main map:]
:... a plate tectonics speedrun
:... volcanoes
:... megafloods
:... a supervolcano
:... geology
:... water and time
:... glaciers
:... rivers
:... continents colliding
:... ???
:... ongoing disputes between limestone and water
:[On the main map, the label "... glaciers" appears three times in various places in the same contiguous zone that runs from Washington state to Maine. The label "... farming" appears twice, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Montana to Louisiana and the other that runs from New Jersey to Mississippi. The label "... geology" appears twice on the main map, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Washington state to Texas and the other being a roughly circular region mostly in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.]
:[Alaska inset:]
:... geology
:... volcanoes
:... glaciers
:[Hawaii inset:]
:... volcanoes

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:US maps]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Volcanoes]]

3221: Landscape Features

2026-03-19T00:55:23Z

Cy1110: typos

{{comic
| number = 3221
| date = March 18, 2026
| title = Landscape Features
| image = landscape_features_2x.png
| imagesize = 537x454px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a MANTLE HOTSPOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic is a map of the United States, purporting to explain some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. For each area it names one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which it claims is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.

Many of these causes are summarized in a single word answer, which doesn't do much to explain a complex landscape. A few phrases are longer but still don't actually explain much. And some areas are just labeled "geology".

The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology is concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., {{w|Hawaii hotspot}}, {{w|Iceland}}, the {{w|Snake River Plain}} in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Location
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| Adirondack Mountains
| ???
| The Adirondack Mountains are made of billion-year-old rock but were uplifted relatively recently, within the last 5–10 million years. They’re still rising today despite being far from any plate boundary, forming a dome with no clear tectonic cause, [[3141|thus the "???" due to an ongoing mystery as to their formation]].
|-
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.
| glaciers
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.
|-
| Appalachian Mountains
| continents colliding
| {{w|Geology of the Appalachians}}
|-
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers
| rivers
| {{w|Ohio_River#Geology|Ohio River Geology}}
|-
| Southeastern U.S.
| farming
|
|-
| Southern Florida
| ongoing disputes between limestone and water
| {{w|Karst}} topography
|-
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas
| geology
| The {{w|Ozark Mountains}}, which are composed primarily of ancient limestone and {{w|dolomite}}, form a rugged landscape characterized by hills, caves, and springs. Prolonged erosion of these soluble rocks has produced extensive karst features, including sinkholes and underground rivers.
|-
| {{w|Great Plains}}
| farming
| The lack of other major events left the terrain relatively level, and areas were historically shaped by either herds of bison or indigenous agriculture, both limiting the growth of forests. "Farming" is likely a reference to the more recent mix of large-scale crop farming (especially staples like wheat and corn) and herding (bison replace by cattle).
|-
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone
| a supervolcano
| The {{w|Snake River Plain}} is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contiguous Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the continental plate over the {{w|Yellowstone Hotspot}}.
|-
| American West surrounding Idaho/Yellowstone
| geology
| [[3162]]
|-
| Immediately off of West coast up to the Four Corners
| volcanoes
| A combination of various {{w|volcanic field}}s of different origins, including {{w|Cascade Volcanoes}} in the Pacific Northwest, {{w|Albuquerque volcanic field}} in New Mexico, {{w|San Francisco volcanic field}} in Arizona, and {{w|San Juan volcanic field}} in Colorado.
|-
| Eastern Washington
| megafloods
| Most likely a reference to the {{w|Missoula floods}} and the {{w|Bonneville flood}}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day eastern Washington. These floods actually continued all the way to the Pacific Ocean, altering the shape of the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} and flooding much of the {{w|Willamette River}} in western Oregon. The comic may have simplified these to avoid bisecting the adjacent zones along the coast.
|-
| West Coast
| a plate tectonic speedrun
| Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the {{w|Juan de Fuca plate}}, {{w|Pacific plate}}, and the {{w|North American plate}}, as part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}.
|-
| Desert Southwest
| water and time
|
|-
| Northern Alaska
| geology
|
|-
| Aleutian Islands
| volcanoes
| The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan {{w|Aleutian Range}}, and form part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanoes, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.
|-
| Southeast Alaska
| glaciers
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.
|-
| Hawaiian island chain
| volcanoes
| Hawaii, including the {{w|Northwest Hawaiian Islands}}, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen [https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0555574,-176.5939317,4904085m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D here].
|}

This map with subdivisions follows up on a number of prior (non-[[:Category:Bad Map Projections|cursed]]) maps representing (supposed) geographical splits of some conversational outcome or other, such as [[1407: Worst Hurricane]] and [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A small panel showing Cueball pointing toward the left and Ponytail standing to his right overlaps the top of a much larger panel containing a map.]
:Cueball: What's up with this weird landscape?
:Ponytail: Oh, it was caused by ...

:[The larger panel shows a map of the United States, with southern Canada, northern Mexico, and most of Cuba and the Bahamas visible as well. An inset at lower left shows Alaska along with part of northwest Canada, with a smaller inset showing Hawaii. International borders and coastlines are indicated in black, and state borders are indicated in gray. Red lines divide the United States into irregularly shaped zones (the red lines indicating zones do not cross into the neighboring countries, except in the Alaska inset), with each zone being labeled with red text. Each text label begins with "..." to indicate that it is the conclusion of Ponytail's sentence. The following are the labels used:]
:[Main map:]
:... a plate tectonics speedrun
:... volcanoes
:... megafloods
:... a supervolcano
:... geology
:... water and time
:... glaciers
:... rivers
:... continents colliding
:... ???
:... ongoing disputes between limestone and water
:[On the main map, the label "... glaciers" appears three times in various places in the same contiguous zone that runs from Washington state to Maine. The label "... farming" appears twice, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Montana to Louisiana and the other that runs from New Jersey to Mississippi. The label "... geology" appears twice on the main map, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Washington state to Texas and the other being a roughly circular region mostly in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.]
:[Alaska inset:]
:... geology
:... volcanoes
:... glaciers
:[Hawaii inset:]
:... volcanoes

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:US maps]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Volcanoes]]

3221: Landscape Features

2026-03-19T00:53:40Z

Cy1110:

{{comic
| number = 3221
| date = March 18, 2026
| title = Landscape Features
| image = landscape_features_2x.png
| imagesize = 537x454px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a MANTLE HOTSPOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic is a map of the United States, purporting to explain some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. For each area it names one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which it claims is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.

Many of these causes are summarized in a single word answer, which doesn't do much to explain a complex landscape. A few phrases are longer but still don't actually explain much. And some areas are just labeled "geology".

The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology is concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., {{w|Hawaii hotspot}}, {{w|Iceland}}, the {{w|Snake River Plain}} in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Location
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| Adirondack Mountains
| ???
| The Adirondack Mountains are made of billion-year-old rock but were uplifted relatively recently, within the last 5–10 million years. They’re still rising today despite being far from any plate boundary, forming a dome with no clear tectonic cause, [[3141|thus the "???" due to an ongoing mystery as to their formation]].
|-
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.
| glaciers
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.
|-
| Appalachian Mountains
| continents colliding
| {{w|Geology of the Appalachians}}
|-
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers
| rivers
| {{w|Ohio_River#Geology|Ohio River Geology}}
|-
| Southeastern U.S.
| farming
|
|-
| Southern Florida
| ongoing disputes between limestone and water
| {{w|Karst}} topography
|-
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas
| geology
| The {{w|Ozark Mountains}}, which are composed primarily of ancient limestone and {{w|dolomite}}, form a rugged landscape characterized by hills, caves, and springs. Prolonged erosion of these soluble rocks has produced extensive karst features, including sinkholes and underground rivers.
|-
| {{w|Great Plains}}
| farming
| The lack of other major events left the terrain relatively level, and areas were historically shaped by either herds of bison or indigenous agriculture, both limiting the growth of forests. "Farming" is likely a reference to the more recent mix of large-scale crop farming (especially staples like wheat and corn) and herding (bison replace by cattle).
|-
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone
| a supervolcano
| The {{w|Snake River Plain}} is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contiguous Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the continental plate over the {{w|Yellowstone Hotspot}}.
|-
| American West surrounding Idaho/Yellowstone
| geology
| [[3162]]
|-
| Immediately off of West coast up to the Four Corners
| volcanoes
| A combination of various {{w|volcanic field}}s of different origins, including {{w|Cascade Volcanoes}} in the Pacific Northwest, {{w|Albuquerque volcanic field}} in New Mexico, {{w|San Francisco volcanic field}} in Arizona, and {{w|San Juan volcanic field}} in Colorado.
|-
| Eastern Washington
| megafloods
| Most likely a reference to the {{w|Missoula floods}} and the {{w|Bonneville flood}}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day eastern Washington. These floods actually continued all the way to the Pacific Ocean, altering ht shape of the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} and flooding much of the {{w|Willamette River}} in western Oregon. The comic may have simplified these to avoid bisecting the adjacent zones along the coast.
|-
| West Coast
| a plate tectonic speedrun
| Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the {{w|Juan de Fuca plate}}, {{w|Pacific plate}}, and the {{w|North American plate}}, as part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}.
|-
| Desert Southwest
| water and time
|
|-
| Northern Alaska
| geology
|
|-
| Aleutian Islands
| volcanoes
| The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan {{w|Aleutian Range}}, and form part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanos, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.
|-
| Southeast Alaska
| glaciers
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.
|-
| Hawaiian island chain
| volcanoes
| Hawaii, including the {{w|Northwest Hawaiian Islands}}, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen [https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0555574,-176.5939317,4904085m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D here].
|}

This map with subdivisions follows up on a number of prior (non-[[:Category:Bad Map Projections|cursed]]) maps representing (supposed) geographical splits of some conversational outcome or other, such as [[1407: Worst Hurricane]] and [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A small panel showing Cueball pointing toward the left and Ponytail standing to his right overlaps the top of a much larger panel containing a map.]
:Cueball: What's up with this weird landscape?
:Ponytail: Oh, it was caused by ...

:[The larger panel shows a map of the United States, with southern Canada, northern Mexico, and most of Cuba and the Bahamas visible as well. An inset at lower left shows Alaska along with part of northwest Canada, with a smaller inset showing Hawaii. International borders and coastlines are indicated in black, and state borders are indicated in gray. Red lines divide the United States into irregularly shaped zones (the red lines indicating zones do not cross into the neighboring countries, except in the Alaska inset), with each zone being labeled with red text. Each text label begins with "..." to indicate that it is the conclusion of Ponytail's sentence. The following are the labels used:]
:[Main map:]
:... a plate tectonics speedrun
:... volcanoes
:... megafloods
:... a supervolcano
:... geology
:... water and time
:... glaciers
:... rivers
:... continents colliding
:... ???
:... ongoing disputes between limestone and water
:[On the main map, the label "... glaciers" appears three times in various places in the same contiguous zone that runs from Washington state to Maine. The label "... farming" appears twice, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Montana to Louisiana and the other that runs from New Jersey to Mississippi. The label "... geology" appears twice on the main map, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Washington state to Texas and the other being a roughly circular region mostly in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.]
:[Alaska inset:]
:... geology
:... volcanoes
:... glaciers
:[Hawaii inset:]
:... volcanoes

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:US maps]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Volcanoes]]

3221: Landscape Features

2026-03-19T00:52:08Z

Cy1110:

{{comic
| number = 3221
| date = March 18, 2026
| title = Landscape Features
| image = landscape_features_2x.png
| imagesize = 537x454px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a MANTLE HOTSPOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic is a map of the United States, purporting to explain some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. For each area it names one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which it claims is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.

Many of these causes are summarized in a single word answer, which doesn't do much to explain a complex landscape. A few phrases are longer but still don't actually explain much. And some areas are just labeled "geology".

The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology is concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., {{w|Hawaii hotspot}}, {{w|Iceland}}, the {{w|Snake River Plain}} in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Location
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| Adirondack Mountains
| ???
| The Adirondack Mountains are made of billion-year-old rock but were uplifted relatively recently, within the last 5–10 million years. They’re still rising today despite being far from any plate boundary, forming a dome with no clear tectonic cause, [[3141|thus the "???" due to an ongoing mystery as to their formation]].
|-
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.
| glaciers
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.
|-
| Appalachian Mountains
| continents colliding
| {{w|Geology of the Appalachians}}
|-
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers
| rivers
| {{w|Ohio_River#Geology|Ohio River Geology}}
|-
| Southeastern U.S.
| farming
|
|-
| Southern Florida
| ongoing disputes between limestone and water
| {{w|Karst}} topography
|-
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas
| geology
| The {{w|Ozark Mountains}}, which are composed primarily of ancient limestone and {{w|dolomite}}, form a rugged landscape characterized by hills, caves, and springs. Prolonged erosion of these soluble rocks has produced extensive karst features, including sinkholes and underground rivers.
|-
| {{w|Great Plains}}
| farming
| The lack of other major events left the terrain relatively level, and areas were historically shaped by either herds of bison or indigenous agriculture, both limiting the growth of forests. "Farming" is likely a reference to the more recent mix of large-scale crop farming (especially staples like wheat and corn) and herding (bison replace by cattle).
|-
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone
| a supervolcano
| The {{w|Snake River Plain}} is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contiguous Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the continental plate over the {{w|Yellowstone Hotspot}}.
|-
| American West surrounding Idaho/Yellowstone
| geology
| [[3162]]
|-
| Immediately off of West coast up to the Four Corners
| volcanoes
| A combination of various {{w|volcanic field}}s of different origins, including {{w|Cascade Volcanoes}} in the Pacific Northwest, {{w|Albuquerque volcanic field}} in New Mexico, {{w|San Francisco volcanic field}} in Arizona, and {{w|San Juan volcanic field}} in Colorado.
|-
| Eastern Washington
| megafloods
| Most likely a reference to the {{w|Missoula floods}} and the {{w|Bonneville flood}}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day eastern Washington. These floods actually continued all the way to the Pacific Ocean, altering ht shape of the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} and flooding much of the {{w|Willamette River}} in western Oregon. The comic may have simplified these to avoid bisecting the adjacent zones along the coast.
|-
| West Coast
| a plate tectonic speedrun
| Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the {{w|Juan de Fuca plate}}, {{w|Pacific plate}}, and the {{w|North American plate}}, as part of the {{w|Ring_of_Fire}}.
|-
| Desert Southwest
| water and time
|
|-
| Northern Alaska
| geology
|
|-
| Aleutian Islands
| volcanoes
| The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan {{w|Aleutian Range}}, and form part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanos, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.
|-
| Southeast Alaska
| glaciers
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.
|-
| Hawaiian island chain
| volcanoes
| Hawaii, including the {{w|Northwest Hawaiian Islands}}, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen [https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0555574,-176.5939317,4904085m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D here].
|}

This map with subdivisions follows up on a number of prior (non-[[:Category:Bad Map Projections|cursed]]) maps representing (supposed) geographical splits of some conversational outcome or other, such as [[1407: Worst Hurricane]] and [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[A small panel showing Cueball pointing toward the left and Ponytail standing to his right overlaps the top of a much larger panel containing a map.]
:Cueball: What's up with this weird landscape?
:Ponytail: Oh, it was caused by ...

:[The larger panel shows a map of the United States, with southern Canada, northern Mexico, and most of Cuba and the Bahamas visible as well. An inset at lower left shows Alaska along with part of northwest Canada, with a smaller inset showing Hawaii. International borders and coastlines are indicated in black, and state borders are indicated in gray. Red lines divide the United States into irregularly shaped zones (the red lines indicating zones do not cross into the neighboring countries, except in the Alaska inset), with each zone being labeled with red text. Each text label begins with "..." to indicate that it is the conclusion of Ponytail's sentence. The following are the labels used:]
:[Main map:]
:... a plate tectonics speedrun
:... volcanoes
:... megafloods
:... a supervolcano
:... geology
:... water and time
:... glaciers
:... rivers
:... continents colliding
:... ???
:... ongoing disputes between limestone and water
:[On the main map, the label "... glaciers" appears three times in various places in the same contiguous zone that runs from Washington state to Maine. The label "... farming" appears twice, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Montana to Louisiana and the other that runs from New Jersey to Mississippi. The label "... geology" appears twice on the main map, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Washington state to Texas and the other being a roughly circular region mostly in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.]
:[Alaska inset:]
:... geology
:... volcanoes
:... glaciers
:[Hawaii inset:]
:... volcanoes

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:US maps]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Volcanoes]]

3220: Rotational Gravity

2026-03-17T11:49:11Z

Cy1110: Add link

{{comic
| number = 3220
| date = March 16, 2026
| title = Rotational Gravity
| image = rotational_gravity_2x.png
| imagesize = 303x325px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I don't get it. The peak acceleration for passengers was WAY lower than in the giant-waterslide-loop-the-loop incident the other cruise line fired me for.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by A DISMEMBERED WATERSLIDE TEST DUMMY. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
Low-gravity environments can cause humans and other animals to lose muscle mass, a serious problem for people staying for extended periods on the {{w|International Space Station}}.

[[Cueball]] at first appears to be describing his experience operating a spaceship, creating {{w|Artificial_gravity#Centrifugal_force|artificial gravity by rotating the ship}} so as to preserve the passengers' muscle mass.

However, the caption to the panel indicates that the "ship" Cueball was operating was a cruise ship, not a space ship. Since cruise ships that travel upon the seas and oceans of the Earth, experience the same gravity that they would experience at sea level on land, there is no need for "artificial gravity" aboard a cruise ship.

Furthermore, Cueball's rotation of the ship along its longitudinal axis would involve turning the ship upside down (and then right side up again). This would likely result in many people aboard drowning, as well as anything on the decks being lost that wasn't nailed down. Of course not if he did this with the angular speed required to create artificial gravity. But a cruise ship would not be build to withstand the stress imposed on it if it was rotated like this (at all, independent of the speed!)

The title text references the earlier comic [[2935: Ocean Loop]], where Cueball made an {{w|Action Park}}'s Cannonball Loop for Cruise ships. Such loops can subject riders to [https://www.wired.com/2012/04/g-forces-in-a-looping-water-slide/ over 10g] of acceleration. Cueball complains about being fired, and says he do not understand why. Since "The peak acceleration for passengers was WAY lower than in the giant-waterslide-loop-the-loop incident the other cruise line fired me for." This is thus the second comic where Cueball has been fired by a cruise line for his hazardous actions. In the first comic he similarly complains about the decision of the cruise line in the title text.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands facing Hairbun and White Hat. Hairbun has a "steaming" symbol above her head indicating anger, while White Hat is facepalming.]

:Cueball: I was able to produce artificial gravity by rotating the ship along its longitudinal axis, helping passengers maintain muscle mass on the long-duration voyage!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Well, the cruise line fired me.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Physics]]

3212: Little Red Dots

2026-02-26T11:16:39Z

Cy1110: graphic design section

{{comic
| number = 3212
| date = February 25, 2026
| title = Little Red Dots
| image = little_red_dots_2x.png
| imagesize = 634x306px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = After a lot of analysis, I've determined that they're actually big red dots; they're just very far away.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a LITTLE RED BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Cueball asks researchers in different subjects to identify "little red dots" in an image from the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (referred to in the caption as "JWST").

The {{w|Little red dot (astronomical object)|little red dot}}s that the comic refers to are actually young black holes from 500-700 million years after the Big Bang in the JWST telescope, the comic instead jokingly asks several different experts their thoughts

According to the {{w|Entomology|Entomologists}} (scientists who study insects and related arthropods), they are {{w|Clover mite | clover mites}} (''Bryobia praetiosa''), which are very small red arachnids.

According to the {{w|Computer_science|Computer Scientists}}, they are: {{w|Defective pixel|Stuck pixels}}, pixels that do not work properly, and are stuck to one single color (red in this case).

According to the {{w|Dermatology|Dermatologists}} (doctors who specialize in skin disorders), they are: {{w|Cherry angioma|Cherry angiomas}}, harmless, non-cancerous skin growths made of clusters of dilated capillaries, appearing as bright red, smooth, or slightly raised spots.

According to the {{w|Graphic_design|Graphic Designers}}, they are: Colors of type [https://www.colorhexa.com/d73b3e Jasper] (● #d73b3e) and [https://www.colorhexa.com/e34234 Vermillion] (● #e34234, sometimes called Cinnabar). Part of the punchline is the shift in focus: instead of trying to identify the object, the designer is nitpicking the description of "red dot." Additionally, the graphic designer is also requesting Cueball's {{w|Color_calibration|color settings}}, implying they believe the reason Cueball calls them "red" is due to poor display settings, and not due to using the common term for the color.

The alt text is a reference to the Father Ted scene from Series 2, Episode 1, titled "Hell", where Ted tries to explain perspective to Dougal while they are on holiday in a cramped caravan, using plastic toy cows to illustrate that real cows in a distant field are not small, they're just "far away" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMiKyfd6hA0 YouTube]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Caption above all the panels:]
:Astronomers asking researchers from different departments to help them identify the "little red dots" in JWST images:

:[In each panel, Cueball stands at the left of an easel. The easel is shown each time as having a black image with three red dots on it. At the right of the easel in each panel is a different character looking at the image on the easel and commenting on it. At the top of each panel is a caption indicating the type of researcher commenting on the image.]

:Caption: Entomologists
:Megan: Clover mites.

:Caption: Computer scientists
:Knit Cap: Stuck pixels.

:Caption: Dermatologists
:Ponytail: Cherry angiomas.

:Caption: Graphic designers
:Hairy: No, those are vermillion, or maybe jasper.
:Hairy: Can I see your color settings?

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Graphic designers]]

3212: Little Red Dots

2026-02-26T10:58:44Z

Cy1110: add links, rephrase, format scientific name

{{comic
| number = 3212
| date = February 25, 2026
| title = Little Red Dots
| image = little_red_dots_2x.png
| imagesize = 634x306px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = After a lot of analysis, I've determined that they're actually big red dots; they're just very far away.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a LITTLE RED BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Cueball asks researchers in different subjects to identify "little red dots" in an image from the {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}} (referred to in the caption as "JWST").

The {{w|Little red dot (astronomical object)|little red dot}}s that the comic refers to are actually young black holes from 500-700 million years after the Big Bang in the JWST telescope, the comic instead jokingly asks several different experts their thoughts

According to the {{w|Entomology|Entomologists}} (scientists who study insects and related arthropods), they are {{w|Clover mite | clover mites}} (''Bryobia praetiosa''), which are very small red arachnids.

According to the {{w|Computer_science|Computer Scientists}}, they are: {{w|Defective pixel|Stuck pixels}}, pixels that do not work properly, and are stuck to one single color (red in this case).

According to the {{w|Dermatology|Dermatologists}} (doctors who specialize in skin disorders), they are: {{w|Cherry angioma|Cherry angiomas}}, harmless, non-cancerous skin growths made of clusters of dilated capillaries, appearing as bright red, smooth, or slightly raised spots.

According to the Graphic Designer they are: Colors of type [https://www.colorhexa.com/d73b3e Jasper] (● #d73b3e) and [https://www.colorhexa.com/e34234 Vermillion] (● #e34234, sometimes called Cinnabar). Part of the punchline is the shift in focus: instead of trying to identify the object, the designer is nitpicking the description of "red dot."

The alt text is a reference to the Father Ted scene from Series 2, Episode 1, titled "Hell", where Ted tries to explain perspective to Dougal while they are on holiday in a cramped caravan, using plastic toy cows to illustrate that real cows in a distant field are not small, they're just "far away" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMiKyfd6hA0 YouTube]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[Caption above all the panels:]
:Astronomers asking researchers from different departments to help them identify the "little red dots" in JWST images:

:[In each panel, Cueball stands at the left of an easel. The easel is shown each time as having a black image with three red dots on it. At the right of the easel in each panel is a different character looking at the image on the easel and commenting on it. At the top of each panel is a caption indicating the type of researcher commenting on the image.]

:Caption: Entomologists
:Megan: Clover mites.

:Caption: Computer scientists
:Knit Cap: Stuck pixels.

:Caption: Dermatologists
:Ponytail: Cherry angiomas.

:Caption: Graphic designers
:Hairy: No, those are vermillion, or maybe jasper.
:Hairy: Can I see your color settings?

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Graphic designers]]

2994: Númenor Margaritaville

2024-10-05T07:13:28Z

Cy1110: source quote

{{comic
| number = 2994
| date = October 4, 2024
| title = Númenor Margaritaville
| image = numenor_margaritaville_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x553px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I see [white] shores, and beyond it, a far green country under a tequila sunrise.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PARROTHEAD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball is conflating {{w|J.R.R. Tolkien}}'s "[https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/N%C3%BAmenor Númenor]" with {{w|Jimmy Buffett}}'s "{{w|Margaritaville}}". The Elf who is telling him about Numenor is very upset.

"I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead" is a line from Buffett's song "Growing Older But Not Up", from his 1981 album ''{{w|Coconut Telegraph}}''. Tar-Pharazôn (more commonly known as [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ar-Pharaz%C3%B4n Ar-Pharazôn]) is the last king of the aforementioned island kingdom of Númenor.

"If there's a heaven for me, I'm sure it has a beach attached" is a quote from the chapter "A Caribbean Soul" of " Buffett's autobiography ''{{w|A Pirate Looks at Fifty}}''. [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tol_Eress%C3%ABa Tol Eressëa] is an island off the coast of Aman, the continent on which the Valar (divine angelic spirits) live. Aman is thought to have been inspired by the concept of a [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Aman#Inspiration paradise out of time].

Cueball's last line alludes to a statement made by Galadriel in ''{{w|The Fellowship of the Ring}}'', in the chapter "The Mirror of Galadriel": "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel." Cueball's altered version of the statement refers to {{w|Key West, Florida}}, a city closely associated with Buffett, where he lived for many years, recorded albums, and established the first restaurant in his Margaritaville chain.

The title text alludes to a line from Chapter 9:The Grey Havens in ''{{w|The Return of the King}}''. "And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise." The modified line makes a reference to the {{w|Tequila sunrise}} cocktail.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[An Elf and Cueball are walking to the right. The Elf is wearing a dress and a headwear.]
:Elf: Aragorn was king of Gondor, but we Elves remember when his line ruled Numenor.
:Cueball: Oh, the place from the Jimmy Buffett songs?

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: What.
:Cueball: The semi-mythical seafaring Atlantic paradise? He sang about it. With the fancy cocktails?

:[The Elf and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: ... You mean Margaritaville?
:Cueball: Yeah, that must be the modern name.

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: Numenor is not Margaritaville.
:Cueball: "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead," sang Tar-Pharazôn, king of island life.

:[The Elf, now facepalming, and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: Please stop.
:Cueball: "If there's a heaven for me, I'm sure it has a beach attached" is about the shores of Tol Eressëa.

:[The Elf is walking away from Cueball, to the left. Cueball raises one arm and finger.]
:Elf: See, this is why I'm leaving the world of Men.
:Cueball: You shall diminish, and go into Key West.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Songs]]

2994: Númenor Margaritaville

2024-10-05T06:27:02Z

Cy1110: partial explanation of 5th panel

{{comic
| number = 2994
| date = October 4, 2024
| title = Númenor Margaritaville
| image = numenor_margaritaville_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x553px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I see [white] shores, and beyond it, a far green country under a tequila sunrise.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PARROTHEAD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball is conflating {{w|J.R.R. Tolkien}}'s "[https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/N%C3%BAmenor Númenor]" with {{w|Jimmy Buffett}}'s "{{w|Margaritaville}}". The Elf who is telling him about Numenor is very upset.

"I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead" is a line from Buffett's song "Growing Older But Not Up", from his 1981 album ''{{w|Coconut Telegraph}}''. Tar-Pharazôn (more commonly known as [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ar-Pharaz%C3%B4n Ar-Pharazôn]) is the last king of the aforementioned island kingdom of Númenor.

Cueball's last line alludes to a statement made by Galadriel in ''{{w|The Fellowship of the Ring}}'', in the chapter "The Mirror of Galadriel": "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel." Cueball's altered version of the statement refers to {{w|Key West, Florida}}, a city closely associated with Buffett, where he lived for many years, recorded albums, and established the first restaurant in his Margaritaville chain.

[https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tol_Eress%C3%ABa Tol Eressëa] is an island off the coast of Aman, the continent on which the Valar (divine angelic spirits) live. Aman is thought to have been inspired by the concept of a [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Aman#Inspiration paradise out of time].

The title text alludes to a line from Chapter 9:The Grey Havens in ''{{w|The Return of the King}}''. "And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise." The modified line makes a reference to the {{w|Tequila sunrise}} cocktail.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[An Elf and Cueball are walking to the right.]
:Elf: Aragorn was king of Gondor, but we Elves remember when his line ruled Numenor.
:Cueball: Oh, the place from the Jimmy Buffett songs?

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: What.
:Cueball: The semi-mythical seafaring Atlantic paradise? He sang about it. With the fancy cocktails?

:[The Elf and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: ... You mean Margaritaville?
:Cueball: Yeah, that must be the modern name.

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: Numenor is not Margaritaville.
:Cueball: "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead," sang Tar-Pharazôn, king of island life.

:[The Elf, now facepalming, and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: Please stop.
:Cueball: "If there's a heaven for me, I'm sure it has a beach attached" is about the shores of Tol Eressëa.

:[The Elf is walking away from Cueball, to the left. Cueball raises one arm.]
:Elf: See, this is why I'm leaving the world of Men.
:Cueball: You shall diminish, and go into Key West.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Music]]

2994: Númenor Margaritaville

2024-10-05T05:51:56Z

Cy1110: title text explanation.

{{comic
| number = 2994
| date = October 4, 2024
| title = Númenor Margaritaville
| image = numenor_margaritaville_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x553px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I see [white] shores, and beyond it, a far green country under a tequila sunrise.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PARROTHEAD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball is conflating {{w|J.R.R. Tolkien}}'s "[https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/N%C3%BAmenor Númenor]" with {{w|Jimmy Buffett}}'s "{{w|Margaritaville}}". The Elf who is telling him about Numenor is very upset.

"I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead" is a line from Buffett's song "Growing Older But Not Up", from his 1981 album ''{{w|Coconut Telegraph}}''. Tar-Pharazôn (more commonly known as [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ar-Pharaz%C3%B4n Ar-Pharazôn]) is the last king of the aforementioned island kingdom of Númenor.

Cueball's last line alludes to a statement made by Galadriel in ''{{w|The Fellowship of the Ring}}'', in the chapter "The Mirror of Galadriel": "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel." Cueball's altered version of the statement refers to {{w|Key West, Florida}}, a city closely associated with Buffett, where he lived for many years, recorded albums, and established the first restaurant in his Margaritaville chain.

The title text alludes to a line from Chapter 9:The Grey Havens in ''{{w|The Return of the King}}''. "And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise." The modified line makes a reference to the {{w|Tequila sunrise}} cocktail.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[An Elf and Cueball are walking to the right.]
:Elf: Aragorn was king of Gondor, but we Elves remember when his line ruled Numenor.
:Cueball: Oh, the place from the Jimmy Buffett songs?

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: What.
:Cueball: The semi-mythical seafaring Atlantic paradise? He sang about it. With the fancy cocktails?

:[The Elf and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: ... You mean Margaritaville?
:Cueball: Yeah, that must be the modern name.

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: Numenor is not Margaritaville.
:Cueball: "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead," sang Tar-Pharazôn, king of island life.

:[The Elf, now facepalming, and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: Please stop.
:Cueball: "If there's a heaven for me, I'm sure it has a beach attached" is about the shores of Tol Eressëa.

:[The Elf is walking away from Cueball, to the left. Cueball raises one arm.]
:Elf: See, this is why I'm leaving the world of Men.
:Cueball: You shall diminish, and go into Key West.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Music]]

2994: Númenor Margaritaville

2024-10-05T05:40:29Z

Cy1110: fix formatting

{{comic
| number = 2994
| date = October 4, 2024
| title = Númenor Margaritaville
| image = numenor_margaritaville_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x553px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I see [white] shores, and beyond it, a far green country under a tequila sunrise.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PARROTHEAD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball is conflating {{w|J.R.R. Tolkien}}'s "[https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/N%C3%BAmenor Númenor]" with {{w|Jimmy Buffett}}'s "{{w|Margaritaville}}". The Elf who is telling him about Numenor is very upset.

"I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead" is a line from Buffett's song "Growing Older But Not Up", from his 1981 album ''{{w|Coconut Telegraph}}''. Tar-Pharazôn (more commonly known as [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ar-Pharaz%C3%B4n Ar-Pharazôn]) is the last king of the aforementioned island kingdom of Númenor.

Cueball's last line alludes to a statement made by Galadriel in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', in the chapter "The Mirror of Galadriel": "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel." Cueball's altered version of the statement refers to {{w|Key West, Florida}}, a city closely associated with Buffett, where he lived for many years, recorded albums, and established the first restaurant in his Margaritaville chain.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[An Elf and Cueball are walking to the right.]
:Elf: Aragorn was king of Gondor, but we Elves remember when his line ruled Numenor.
:Cueball: Oh, the place from the Jimmy Buffett songs?

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: What.
:Cueball: The semi-mythical seafaring Atlantic paradise? He sang about it. With the fancy cocktails?

:[The Elf and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: ... You mean Margaritaville?
:Cueball: Yeah, that must be the modern name.

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: Numenor is not Margaritaville.
:Cueball: "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead," sang Tar-Pharazôn, king of island life.

:[The Elf, now facepalming, and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: Please stop.
:Cueball: "If there's a heaven for me, I'm sure it has a beach attached" is about the shores of Tol Eressëa.

:[The Elf is walking away from Cueball, to the left. Cueball raises one arm.]
:Elf: See, this is why I'm leaving the world of Men.
:Cueball: You shall diminish, and go into Key West.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Music]]

2994: Númenor Margaritaville

2024-10-05T05:38:44Z

Cy1110: add links and context

{{comic
| number = 2994
| date = October 4, 2024
| title = Númenor Margaritaville
| image = numenor_margaritaville_2x.png
| imagesize = 553x553px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I see white shores, and beyond it, a far green country under a tequila sunrise.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PARROTHEAD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball is conflating {{w|J.R.R. Tolkien}}'s "[Númenor](https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/N%C3%BAmenor)" with {{w|Jimmy Buffett}}'s "{{w|Margaritaville}}". The Elf who is telling him about Numenor is very upset.

"I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead" is a line from Buffett's song "Growing Older But Not Up", from his 1981 album ''{{w|Coconut Telegraph}}''. Tar-Pharazôn (more commonly known as [Ar-Pharazôn](https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ar-Pharaz%C3%B4n)) is the last king of the aforementioned island kingdom of Númenor.

Cueball's last line alludes to a statement made by Galadriel in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', in the chapter "The Mirror of Galadriel": "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel." Cueball's altered version of the statement refers to {{w|Key West, Florida}}, a city closely associated with Buffett, where he lived for many years, recorded albums, and established the first restaurant in his Margaritaville chain.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[An Elf and Cueball are walking to the right.]
:Elf: Aragorn was king of Gondor, but we Elves remember when his line ruled Numenor.
:Cueball: Oh, the place from the Jimmy Buffett songs?

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: What.
:Cueball: The semi-mythical seafaring Atlantic paradise? He sang about it. With the fancy cocktails?

:[The Elf and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: ... You mean Margaritaville?
:Cueball: Yeah, that must be the modern name.

:[Closeup on Cueball.]
:Elf [off-panel]: Numenor is not Margaritaville.
:Cueball: "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead," sang Tar-Pharazôn, king of island life.

:[The Elf, now facepalming, and Cueball stand facing each other.]
:Elf: Please stop.
:Cueball: "If there's a heaven for me, I'm sure it has a beach attached" is about the shores of Tol Eressëa.

:[The Elf is walking away from Cueball, to the left. Cueball raises one arm.]
:Elf: See, this is why I'm leaving the world of Men.
:Cueball: You shall diminish, and go into Key West.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Music]]