2013-06-23
Explanation
This comic shows Jesus on the cross, wearing his crown of thorns, with birds nesting in it. The caption reads: "Jesus''' day just went from bad to worse." The birds have made a nest in the thorny crown and appear to be settling in comfortably, adding an absurd insult to an already terrible situation. The humor is purely situational -- on top of the suffering of crucifixion, Jesus now has to deal with birds treating his crown of thorns as prime real estate for a nest.
The joke works on multiple levels. The crown of thorns, a symbol of mockery and suffering in Christian theology, is being repurposed by the birds for a completely mundane and natural function. It is a darkly comedic take on the idea that things can always get worse, no matter how bad they already are. The birds are oblivious to the gravity of the situation, treating a moment of profound religious significance as nothing more than a convenient place to roost.
In the votey, someone says, "You'''ve never seen a bird, have you?" and the artist responds, "So?" This is a self-deprecating meta-joke from Zach Weinersmith about his drawing abilities -- the birds in the main comic are drawn in a somewhat crude or unrealistic style, and the votey acknowledges this with good humor.