2013-04-16
Explanation
This comic imagines Dr. Seuss having a terrible domestic life, as stated in the caption at the bottom. A woman (presumably his wife) says "Oh come on. Another book of verse?" Dr. Seuss (depicted with glasses and a beard) responds that his new book is called "The Splootch," and that it is an allegory for how she does not do the dishes as often as he does. The joke is that Dr. Seusss whimsical, fantastical childrens books are reimagined as passive-aggressive complaints about household chores, wrapped in his signature rhyming style and nonsense-word titles.
The humor comes from the contrast between the beloved, innocent nature of Dr. Seusss actual work and the petty domestic grievance being expressed through the same format. Instead of teaching children life lessons through fun characters, this version of Seuss uses his literary talent to wage marital warfare over dish duty.
The votey panel drives the joke home by providing an excerpt from the fictional book: "The Splootch did no dishes / Did no dishes, indeed. / And the Splootch, it began / from its pores now to bleed!" This perfectly mimics Dr. Seusss distinctive meter and rhyme scheme (reminiscent of works like "Green Eggs and Ham" or "The Grinch") while delivering a darkly absurd escalation typical of SMBCs humor.