2013-07-20
Explanation
This comic depicts what appears to be a creation myth or magical demonstration gone hilariously wrong. A mysterious, alien-like creature (resembling a pale, elongated being) appears in a dark, dramatic setting with lightning crackling around it. Over several panels, the creature writhes and screams -- "GRRRRGHH!", "GARRGH!", "AAAAAH!" -- in apparent agony as it appears to be creating or transforming something through great effort and pain.
The dramatic buildup suggests something cosmic or supernatural is happening: a god creating life, a being undergoing metamorphosis, or some kind of powerful magical act. But in the final panels, it is revealed that this was all happening on a stage in front of an audience. Someone in the crowd exclaims, "Wow! He made a bunny from nothing!" -- revealing that the grand, agonizing cosmic event was actually just a magic show trick. Another audience member dismisses it: "It''s just sleight of hand, son."
The humor lies in the massive deflation of expectations. What looked like a godlike act of creation turns out to be a simple magic trick, and one audience member is not even impressed. The comic may also be read as a commentary on how miracles or extraordinary feats can be dismissed as tricks by skeptics, or conversely, how mundane tricks can look miraculous without context. The votey shows a character thinking, "There''s gotta be a better way...," which adds humor by suggesting the magician knows his act is absurdly overwrought for what amounts to pulling a rabbit out of a hat.