1416: Pixels/Transcript

This is one of 35 incomplete transcripts: Most images, such as those in the #mario-sitting-1 series, are missing a transcript. You can help by editing the transcript!

Below, you will find a complete transcript of 1416: Pixels. This includes descriptions of all drawings.

First panel

[Cueball has stacked three turtles, and is about to put the fourth turtle on his pile. At the bottom right there is a small panel. Inside it is written:]

Scroll to zoom

[When zooming in there will be several panels with text. The transcript of these may not be possible to complete - but add the transcript of these panels here: ]

The following code can be found by inspecting the comic's source code:

[[A large picture of a person kneeling on the ground, stacking turtles.]]

((In this strip, when you zoom into the panel, each pixel becomes its own panel. Each of those panels can be scrolled into, for the same effect. The story progresses as you scroll deeper.))

[[The Earth as seen from space with the words BOOK LAUNCH.]]

[[A stick-Randall holding a copy of 'What If?' saying, "So excited about my book launch!"]]

[[A copy of the cover of 'What If?' labeled "book."]]

[[Stick-Randall is assembling parts from a box labeled 'rocket parts' and preparing to 'launch' his book.]]

[[Various stages of assembly.]]

[[A second person comes in, looks at SR's rocket set-up and says, "Needs more struts."]]

[[SR adds more struts.]]

[[The rocket launches.]]

[[A big cloud of smoke, which then dissipates.]]

[[SR and the other person look skywards at the launched book.]]

[[The book is shown leaving Earth's orbit.]]

[[The other person turns to SR and says, "I think that was the only one."]]

[[The two walk away.]]

((The panels after this are a random assortment of these mostly stand-alone panels.))

[[A momma duck with several ducklings in a row behind her, labeled 'Evolution.']]

[[The other person floating around in the sky.]]

[[A stick figure with a sploshing bucket of water saying, "I'm gonna shut down the server!"]]

[[Two people walking along, one saying, "But if the Time-Turners worked after Book 3, Rowling would have used one to go back and remove the Time Turner from Book 3."]]

[[The code:

~$ du -s video

4170882256

~$ du -hs video

A lot.

~$]]

[[A cloud.]]

[[A flock of birds.]]

[[MU]]

[[A pixel.]]

[[A person using a computer on the floor.]]

[[HOLISM]]

[[Saturn]]

[[An atom.]]

[[Two people star-gazing on a hill.]]

[[Person one says, "Someone once told me the great kings of the past look down on us..." Person two says, "From the stars?" The first person replies, "Just in general."]]

[[The start of Mario World 1-1.]]

Specific images

Each image below is called using the title used by Randall. They are listed alphabetically and the headings are links to the actual comic pictures. For each image, there are two versions: one mostly white pixels, and one mostly black pixels. The comic starts with turtles.

assembly-1

[Randall's What If? book is standing next to Cueball who is taking something out of a box. On the side of the box it says:]

Rocket parts

[There are also text on the open lid of the box, which thus is written upside down. It says:]

KSP

• White: assembly-2
• Black: assembly-planet-3

assembly-2

[Cueball is beginning to assemble a rocket containing Randall's What If? book.]

• White: assembly-3
• Black: assembly-planet-3

assembly-3

[Cueball is assembling a rocket putting Randall's What If? book at the top.]

• White: assembly-4
• Black: assembly-planet-1, assembly-planet-3

assembly-4

[Cueball has assembled a rocket with Randall's What If? book at the top. Megan walks in:]

Megan: Needs more Struts

• White: assembly-5
• Black: assembly-planet

assembly-5

[Cueball and Megan has left the assembled rocket with Randall's What If? book at the top.]

• White: assembly-6
• Black: assembly-planet

assembly-6

[Cueball has added lots of struts to the rocket he has assembled with Randall's What If? book at the top.]

• White: assembly-7
• Black: assembly-planet-1

assembly-7

[Cueball admires the final version of the rocket he has assembled with Randall's What If? book at the top and lots of struts.]

• White: assembly-7, upgoer
• Black: moon, saturn, sun

assembly-planet

[The Earth seen from space. A speak line goes to Megan on the planet]

Megan: More struts

• White: assembly-6
• Black: assembly-planet

assembly-planet-1

[The Earth seen from space]

• White: assembly-6, assembly-7
• Black: assembly-planet

assembly-planet-3

[The Earth seen from space with the moon visible]

• White: assembly-3, assembly-4
• Black: assembly-planet-3, chess-b

atom

• White: string
• Black: stars-1, stars-2

blank-figure

• White: book-launch, cantor, chess-w
• Black: moon, saturn, sun

book-launch

[Cueball is holding his (i.e. Randall's) What If? book in front of him]

Cueball: So excited about my book launch!

• White: assembly-1, book-launch, particles, turtles, whatif-trade
• Black: atom, launch-planet, moon, saturn

cantor

• White: du, evolution, server-1, time-turner
• Black: moon, stars-1, stars-2

chess-b

• White: chess-w
• Black: chess-b

chess-w

• White: chess-w, du, evolution, server-1, time-turner
• Black: chess-b

clouds-1

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, du, evolution, mario-entry, mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3, particles, server-1, time-turner
• Black: sky, sky-4

clouds-2

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, du, evolution, fire-hydrant, mario-entry, mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3, particles, server-1
• Black: sky-3, sky-4

clouds-3

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, du, evolution, fire-hydrant, mario-entry, mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3, particles, server-1, time-turner
• Black: sky-4

clouds-4

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, evolution, mario-entry, mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3, particles, server-1
• Black: sky, sky-4

clouds-5

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, evolution, fire-hydrant, mario-entry, mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3, particles, quiet-turtle
• Black: sky-3

du

~$ du -s video/
4170882256
~$ du -hs video/
A lot.
~$

• White: blank-figure, chess-w, clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, du, e1, evolution, server-1, time-turner, what-if-trade
• Black: sky-4

e1

• White: e2, e3, e4
• Black: eb

e2

• White: e2, e3, e4, e5
• Black: eb

e3

• White: e2, e3, e4, e5
• Black: eb

e4

• White: e2, e3, e4, e5
• Black: eb

e5

• White: e5, e6
• Black: eb

e6

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5
• Black: sky-4

eb

• White: e5
• Black: eb

evolution

• White: blank-figure, chess-w, clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, du, e1, evolution, server-1, time-turner, what-if-trade
• Black: sky-4

fire-hydrant

Black hat: "To be fair, what else would you expect to come out of a fire hydrant?"

• White: blank-figure
• Black: moon, saturn, sun

holism

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, mu
• Black: moon, saturn, sun

holism-b

• White: reductionism
• Black: reductionism-b

i-am-a-turtle

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, particles, quiet-turtle
• Black: atom, moon, stars-1, stars-2

launch-planet

• White: assembly-1
• Black: launch-planet, stars-1, stars-2

mario-entry

• White: mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3
• Black: sky-4

mario-n1

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5
• Black: mario-n2

mario-n2

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5
• Black: mario-n3

mario-n3

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5
• Black: stars-1, stars-2

mario-sitting-1

• White: mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3
• Black: mario-n1, mario-sitting-b

mario-sitting-2

• White: mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3
• Black: mario-n1, mario-sitting-b

mario-sitting-3

• White: mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3
• Black: mario-n1, mario-sitting-b

mario-sitting-b

• White: mario-sitting-1, mario-sitting-2, mario-sitting-3
• Black: mario-n1

moon

[The moon on a starlit sky]

• White: holism, reductionism
• Black: launch-planet, moon, mu-b, saturn, stars-1, stars-2, sun

mu

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, holism
• Black: holism-b

mu-b

• White: holism
• Black: moon, saturn, sun

particles

• White: mu, particles
• Black: atom

quiet-turtle

• White: i-am-a-turtle, quiet-turtle
• Black: atom, saturn, stars-1, stars-2

reductionism

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, mu, stockholm
• Black: holism-b

reductionism-b

• White: holism
• Black: moon, saturn, stars-1, stars-2

rope

• White: cantor
• Black: stars-1, stars-2

saturn

[The Saturn on a starlit sky]

• White: holism, reductionism
• Black: launch-planet, moon, saturn, stars-1, stars-2, sun

server-1

• White: blank-figure, chess-w, clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, du, e1, evolution, server-1, time-turner, what-if-trade
• Black: sky-4

sky

[Cueball sits and Megan lies on her back under a starlit sky]

• White: clouds-1, mario-entry
• Black: sky, sky-2, sky-3

sky-2

[Cueball sits and Megan lies on her back under a starlit sky]

Cueball: Someone once told me the great kings of the past look down on us...

Megan: From the stars?

Cueball: Just in general.

• White: clouds-1, mario-entry
• Black: sky, sky-2, sky-3

sky-3

[Cueball sits and Megan lies on her back under a starlit sky as a shooting stars pass over them]

• White: clouds-4, mario-entry, quiet-turtle
• Black: sky, sky-2, sky-3

sky-4

[Cueball sits and Megan lies on her back under a starlit sky - identical to that from sky]

• White: clouds-1, clouds-4, mario-entry
• Black: sky, sky-2, sky-3

stars-1

[A starlit sky]

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, quiet-turtle
• Black: atom, launch-planet, moon, saturn, stars-1, stars-2

stars-2

[A starlit sky]

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, quiet-turtle
• Black: atom, launch-planet, saturn, stars-1, stars-2, sun

stockholm

[Megan and Cueball are walking together.]

Megan: How do we know anyone really wants to live in Stockholm?

• White: e1, mu
• Black: moon, mu-b, saturn, sun

string

[A vibrating string]

• White: clouds-2, clouds-3, particles
• Black: rope

sun

[The sun on a black sky]

• White: holism, mario-entry, reductionism
• Black: launch-planet, moon, saturn, stars-1, stars-2, sun

time-turner

[Megan and Cueball are walking together.]

Megan: But if time-turners worked after book 3, Rowling would have used one to go back and remove the time turner from book 3.

• White: blank-figure, chess-w, clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, du, e1, evolution, server-1, time-turner, what-if-trade, whatif-king
• Black: sky-4

turtles

[Cueball is stacking turtles, and is about to put the fourth turtle on his pile. At the bottom right there is a small panel. Inside this is written:]

Scroll to zoom

• White: book-launch, whatif-trade
• Black: launch-planet, stars-1, stars-2

upgoer

[The finished strutted rocket (upgoer) with Randall's What If? book at the top is launched, and there is fire out of three rockets at the bottom]

• White: upgoer-2
• Black: upgoer-planet

upgoer-2

[The finished rocket (upgoer) with Randall's What If? book at the top has been launched, and there is only lots of smoke in the picture]

• White: upgoer-3, upgoer-4
• Black: upgoer-planet

upgoer-3

[The finished rocket (upgoer) with Randall's What If? book at the top has been launched, and there is now only small puffs of smoke in the picture]

• White: upgoer-4, upgoer-5
• Black: upgoer-planet

upgoer-4

[The finished rocket (upgoer) with Randall's What If? book at the top has been launched, and there is now only the launch pad left to see]

• White: upgoer-4, upgoer-5
• Black: upgoer-planet, upgoer-planet-2

upgoer-5

[The finished rocket (upgoer) with Randall's What If? book at the top has been launched, and Cueball and Megan are standing next to the launch pad looking up after the rocket]

• White: upgoer-5, upgoer-6
• Black: upgoer-planet-4

upgoer-6

[The finished rocket (upgoer) with Randall's What If? book at the top has just been launched. Cueball and Megan are standing next to the launch pad when she turns to him and says:]

Megan: I think that was the only copy.

• White: walking
• Black: mu-b, stars-1, stars-2

upgoer-planet

[The Earth seen from space]

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5
• Black: upgoer-planet-2

upgoer-planet-2

[The Earth seen from space. The upgoer rocket can be seen flying into orbit]

• White: upgoer-5
• Black: upgoer-planet-3

upgoer-planet-3

[The Earth seen from space. The upgoer rocket can be seen flying in orbit]

• White: upgoer-5
• Black: upgoer-planet-4

upgoer-planet-4

[The Earth seen from space. The upgoer rocket can be seen flying away from the Earth]

• White: upgoer-6
• Black: upgoer-space

upgoer-space

[The upgoer rocket can be seen flying through space with stars behind]

• White: upgoer-6
• Black: moon, saturn, sun

walking

[Cueball and Megan are walking]

• White: clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, stockholm, walking
• Black: walking-b

walking-b

[Cueball and Megan are walking at night seen from a distance]

• White: walking
• Black: walking-b

whatif-king

[A drawing of Randall's What If? book with all the text on the front page visible as well as the T-rex that is being lowered, using a rope, into the Sarlacc, from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, while Cueball is waving from the side of the hole in the ground, to guide the descend. However someone has added words and crossed out other words.]

Serious Scientific Answers

to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

[Added in next to the T-rex:]

Spooky

what if?

[Added in top of the crossed out word below:]

Stephen King

Randall Munroe

creator of xkcd

[Added below the crossed out word above:]

being afraid

[The g in being is drawn so it resembles an s.]

[Below the book is written:]

Book

• White: book-launch, clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, holism, reductionism
• Black: chess-b, launch-planet

whatif-trade

[A drawing of Randall's What If? book with all the text on the front page visible as well as the T-rex that is being lowered, using a rope, into the Sarlacc, from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, while Cueball is waving from the side of the hole in the ground, to guide the descend.]

Serious Scientific Answers

to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

what if?

Randall Munroe

creator of xkcd

[Below the book is written:]

Book

• White: book-launch, clouds-1, clouds-2, clouds-3, clouds-4, clouds-5, turtles, whatif-king, whatif-trade
• Black: chess-b, launch-planet