2012-12-23
Explanation
This comic features two people lying under the stars, having a late-night philosophical conversation. One asks "If the whole universe is just energy wobbles, what's the point of it all?" The other compares life to watching a lava lamp -- the lamp makes random wax bubbles, but occasionally you get an interesting one, and you watch to see if they connect or stay apart. She extends the metaphor: a few times in your life, the "wobbles" produce adventure, love, or something wonderful, and it's mostly out of your control. She then gets vulnerable, saying she hopes to be one of the "good wobbles." The conversation is abruptly punctured when the boy asks if Sally from homeroom likes him, and the girl pragmatically advises against it because Sally "expresses affection by pulling hair." She concludes sweetly: "I think you're one of the good wobbles."
The comic is a touching blend of childhood innocence and genuine philosophical depth. The lava lamp metaphor is a surprisingly elegant way to address the question of meaning in a materialist universe -- life may be random, but the randomness occasionally produces beauty worth appreciating. The humor comes from the whiplash between the cosmic philosophical register and the mundane reality of childhood crushes, reminding us that even profound thinkers are still embedded in their everyday lives. The final line brings it back to warmth, suggesting that finding meaning in the random wobbles of existence might be as simple as appreciating the people next to you.