2010-07-05
Explanation
This comic features a man dressed in Victorian-era clothing with a bow tie, speaking in a formal manner: "Do not be alarmed! I am a time traveler from the future! From the strange world of 1892!" The caption below reads: "I am no longer allowed at the Renaissance Faire."
The humor comes from the absurd inversion of what we expect from a time traveler. In science fiction, time travelers typically come from the far future with advanced technology and knowledge. This man, however, claims to be from the "future" of 1892, which from our perspective is over a century in the past. The joke is that he is at a Renaissance Faire, where people dress up in medieval and early-modern costumes (roughly 14th-17th century), and his late-19th-century attire makes him the most "futuristic" person there. His dramatic announcement that 1892 is "the future" would be technically correct relative to the Renaissance period but absurd to any modern onlooker.
The caption about being banned from the Renaissance Faire suggests that this stunt was not appreciated by the other attendees, who take their historical role-playing seriously. It also plays on the common joke format of "I am no longer allowed at [place]" which implies someone did something so disruptive they were permanently removed.
The votey panel continues the joke with the same character politely asking "Might I partake of your funnel cake and corn dogs?" -- modern fair food items that would be completely anachronistic at a real Renaissance setting, further highlighting the comedic collision between different time periods at a Renaissance Faire.