Difference between revisions of "15: Just Alerting You"

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(The figure is male according to the transcript.)
(Explanation)
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
Here a figure (arguably [[Megan]] but refuted by the transcript), riding an ''{{w|Apatosaurus}}'' (popular and former scientific name ''Brontosaurus'').  
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Here, a man is seen riding on a {{w|Brontosaurus}}? (This is according to the [https://xkcd.com/15/info.0.json official transcript] on xkcd, including the questionmark.) Later Randall would probably have called it an {{w|Apatosaurus}}, see the [[:Category:Apatosaurus]].
  
Megan later rides an ''Apatosaurus'' in [[650: Nowhere]]. This dinosaur genus is also mentioned in [[460: Paleontology]] and [[636: Brontosaurus]].<br>
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The joke here is that this person feels the need to point out that they are "kind of strange," even though one might think that that would be clear from the fact that they are riding an extinct and potentially dangerous creature.
This was the first comic with {{w|dinosaurs}}, but since then there have been numerous [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaur related comics]] on xkcd, especially there have been many [[:Category:Velociraptors|comics with Velociraptors]], a dinosaur genus which [[Randall]] is particularly concerned about.
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 +
In the title text the man continues by saying ''Just thought you should know''. Just a service notice.
 +
 
 +
In [[650: Nowhere]] [[Megan]] is seen imagining herself riding an Apatosaurus.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[A man is standing on top of a dinosaur and holding reins to the dinosaur's head.]
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:[A man is standing on top of a green dinosaur and holding reins to the dinosaur's head.]
 
:Man: Before you talk to me, I should warn you: I am kind of strange
 
:Man: Before you talk to me, I should warn you: I am kind of strange
  
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**The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
 
**The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
 
*This was the first comic posted to LiveJournal after the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] were released simultaneously.
 
*This was the first comic posted to LiveJournal after the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] were released simultaneously.
**He even mentions in his quote, that he from now on will release the comic MWF for a while. (Monday, Wednesday and Friday).
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**He even mentions in his quote that he from now on will release the comic MWF for a while. (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
**This comic was, ironically enough, the first comic to be [[:Category:Sunday comics|released on a Sunday]].  
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**This comic was, ironically enough, the first comic to be [[:Category:Sunday comics|released on a Sunday]].
 
**But it was really supposed to be a Monday comic, and it was only released 17 minutes before midnight at 11:43 pm.
 
**But it was really supposed to be a Monday comic, and it was only released 17 minutes before midnight at 11:43 pm.
**Randall even made a [http://liveweb.archive.org/web/20070927001941/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=40 mention of this] in the comics original title on LiveJournal:  
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**Randall even made a [http://liveweb.archive.org/web/20070927001941/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=40 mention of this] in the comic's original title on LiveJournal:  
 
***"Just Alerting You (Monday's drawing)".  
 
***"Just Alerting You (Monday's drawing)".  
***Two comics later the original title is simply ''[[17: What If#Trivia|Friday drawing!]]''.
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***Two comics later, the original title is simply ''[[17: What If#Trivia|Friday drawing!]]''.
 
***So from now he did begin to put the date into most, but not all, comic titles on LiveJournal until he also began posting on xkcd.
 
***So from now he did begin to put the date into most, but not all, comic titles on LiveJournal until he also began posting on xkcd.
 +
*[[Megan]] later rides an Apatosaurus in [[650: Nowhere]]. This may have made people think that this was Megan but as stated above Randall says this is a man in the transcript. This is thus not the first comic on xkcd with Megan. That goes to the next comic.
 +
**This dinosaur genus is also mentioned in [[460: Paleontology]] and [[636: Brontosaurus]].
 +
**This was the first comic with {{w|dinosaurs}}, but since then, there have been numerous [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaur related comics]] on xkcd, especially involving [[:Category:Velociraptors|comics with Velociraptors]], a dinosaur genus that [[Randall]] is particularly concerned about.
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 +
 
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 14]]
 
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 14]]
 
[[Category:First day on xkcd]]
 
[[Category:First day on xkcd]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
 
[[Category:Apatosaurus]]
 
[[Category:Apatosaurus]]
 +
[[Category:Social interactions]]
 +
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]

Revision as of 13:47, 17 January 2022

Just Alerting You
Just thought you should know
Title text: Just thought you should know

Explanation

Here, a man is seen riding on a Brontosaurus? (This is according to the official transcript on xkcd, including the questionmark.) Later Randall would probably have called it an Apatosaurus, see the Category:Apatosaurus.

The joke here is that this person feels the need to point out that they are "kind of strange," even though one might think that that would be clear from the fact that they are riding an extinct and potentially dangerous creature.

In the title text the man continues by saying Just thought you should know. Just a service notice.

In 650: Nowhere Megan is seen imagining herself riding an Apatosaurus.

Transcript

[A man is standing on top of a green dinosaur and holding reins to the dinosaur's head.]
Man: Before you talk to me, I should warn you: I am kind of strange

Trivia

"I bet she's cool. I mean, she has a dinosaur!
I'm gonna update this MWF for a while and see how that works. "
  • This comic was posted on xkcd when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006.
    • It was posted along 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.
  • This was the first comic posted to LiveJournal after the thirteen first comics were released simultaneously.
    • He even mentions in his quote that he from now on will release the comic MWF for a while. (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
    • This comic was, ironically enough, the first comic to be released on a Sunday.
    • But it was really supposed to be a Monday comic, and it was only released 17 minutes before midnight at 11:43 pm.
    • Randall even made a mention of this in the comic's original title on LiveJournal:
      • "Just Alerting You (Monday's drawing)".
      • Two comics later, the original title is simply Friday drawing!.
      • So from now he did begin to put the date into most, but not all, comic titles on LiveJournal until he also began posting on xkcd.
  • Megan later rides an Apatosaurus in 650: Nowhere. This may have made people think that this was Megan but as stated above Randall says this is a man in the transcript. This is thus not the first comic on xkcd with Megan. That goes to the next comic.


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Discussion

I think you mean an Apatosaurus. See xkcd 636 for the difference.

The comic is funny because she is telling you she is strange but it should have been very ovious that she is strange because while most people travel by car or walking she rides a dinosaur which is not very common. Unsigned comment added by 72.38.90.50.

She could be telling the dinosaur that she's strange. OTOH, since she seems to be riding it, she probably isn't introducing herself to it. gijobarts (talk) 00:56, 13 January 2013 (UTC)

She must be Eve.22:26, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

As of 2015 it is now generally accepted that Brontosaurus was a valid genus in its own right, separate and distinct from Apatosaurus. Given that Brontosaurus has long been more popular than Apatosaurus, perhaps the explanation should be updated to stated that Megan(?) is riding a Brontosaurus. 108.162.249.183 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Good point, and the official transcript suggests that it is a Brontosaurus, so replacing the comment about it being a former name.

Is the incomplete tag really necessary? "Short" and "incomplete" are two different things. There is not really much to this comic - a single figure riding a dinosaur with some simple caption that does to contain any technical stuff or obscure references that'd need explaining. I think it is neither needed nor desirable to make the explanation longer for sake of being longer. If someone feels like this page is legitimately incomplete, feel free to add the tag back, with a better text pointing out to specific areas that need to be explained, not just "too short". Jaalenja (talk) 10:46, 23 March 2017 (UTC)

Am I the only one who thought Star Wars Christmas Special? Boba Fett? Netherin5 (talk) 13:55, 13 March 2019 (UTC)

From the Trivia: "This may have made people think that this was Megan but as stated above Randall says this is a man in the transcript." Yeah, but he also says, "I bet she's cool. I mean, she has a dinosaur!" So…maybe it is Megan.--Calion (talk) 23:00, 18 February 2023 (UTC)