Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Even I'm Confused

Bizarro is brought to you today by Unclear Signage.

I got a lot of questions about the beer cartoon, primarily because it is rather opaque and not particularly well done. Some people tried to make it a complete sentence – "I bean my mug" – others were unsure what it was in the first place – "I (rock? bean?) my coffee."

It doesn't make a sentence, it's just that I replaced the usual heart with a kidney to refer to how quickly beer goes through you. I know, it doesn't really make much sense. I may have been drunk when I drew this one.

The next cartoon was one I wondered if people would understand but I didn't get any mail from confused readers after all. I'm still guessing some people just thought the guy was exasperated because the printer was out of ink. But I intended to show that he was "low" on ink, the way a person might get "high" on something. The way I originally drew this was rejected because it was felt that if I showed someone drinking, eating, or inhaling an ink cartridge, some kid would try it and die and I'd be accused of corrupting the public. If you promise not to try this because I'm telling you right now it might kill you, I'll show you the original image.

That's all for today, have to walk the dog now.

17 comments:

Wayno said...

I quite like the loopy, not-exactly-a-sentence aspect of the kidney t-shirt!

Steve Williams said...

Yeah, these two were kinda not...

For the first one, I thought you were trying to draw a real heart rather than a symbolic heart (right over the real heart area). The second one was completely nonsensical for me. Sorry. - Steve

rob said...

I'd say you missed the first one by about 8 inches- "I liver my beer", because you do (use your) liver (to process) your beer.

Brent said...

I got a chuckle from the first one when I thought it was depicting a liver -- something more directly connected to the consumption of alcohol than one's heart.

That could also be funny if it were the other way around: I beer my liver.

(If you say the body's a temple, I say the temple must burn)

Amy said...

I got the toner one right off the bat! (But I like the first drawing better.)

Thank you for clarifying the beer one. Seeing it reminded me there's a shirt in shop downtown that reads "I [heart] worms!" (guess it's a fishing thing). I want to buy it and add "have" to it...

MarkS said...

I can see you've discovered www.engrish.com. There's an adult section too (not horribly disgusting) which has convinced me to never ever wear tee-shirts with sayings in a language that I can't read.

MarkS said...

I can see you've discovered www.engrish.com. There's an adult section too (not horribly disgusting) which has convinced me to never ever wear tee-shirts with sayings in a language that I can't read.

Joejay said...

I got the beer one right away--very funny! Kind of a rebus, but not quite--(I kidney my beer), though you could stretch it a bit further and say I liver (live for) my beer!

ojeano said...

I thought you, the artist, were getting low on ink so you had to draw the guy depleted. It worked for me.

Seth Alexander said...

I know I promised I wouldn't, but after looking at that cartoon you drew glamorizing the ink-drinking lifestyle, I had to try it. Needless to say, I died, and it's all your fault.

Anonymous said...

@Steve Williams: if Dan Piraro means to draw a real heart, by gum that's exactly what it'll look like!

-Anonymous Sister of the Bleeding Heart

Anonymous said...

Hilariously lame. Thanks for clarification.

innerlighter said...

So how much is engrish.com paying you?

Waldo said...

Actually I like the getting low print version. I felt the emotion of regret after coming down from all the toner. "dude... here I am again."

PS: Got the first... what is it with people? kidney... beer... they go together... like Palin and go-go boots... (hummmmm Palin in go-go boots...) oh sorry where was I... oh damn here I am again.

Carolain said...

It's not your fault if people don't know what a kidney is shaped like :/ It doesn't make the comic any "less good". It does make some people a bit sad, though.

Piraro said...

Yes, Engrish.com is one of my favorite websites EVER. I've been cruising it for years and it never gets old.

Anonymous said...

I pacman my beer ;)