2014-04-12
Explanation
The Joke
The comic opens with a narrator announcing "Zornak Returns! Zornak will conquer Zornak's ancient homeland and reestablish all praise to Zornak!" When his companions ask about his latest campaign, Zornak proudly says he was gone "conquering" but is surprised to learn that while he was away, his people were busy having "adventures with neighboring peoples." It turns out Zornak's culture has evolved: they learned about other cultures, established cultural norms, and developed ideas about conflict resolution. When Zornak asks if fighting is still allowed, he is told that you have to ask for a vote first, and only fight for the right reasons. The comic ends with Zornak reluctantly shouting "Zornak come bearing democracy!"
The Humor
The comedy comes from the classic barbarian warrior returning from a conquest only to find that civilization has moved on without him. While Zornak was off doing stereotypical barbarian things (conquering, pillaging), his people evolved socially and politically -- they developed cultural exchange, norms of behavior, and democratic governance. The punchline -- "Zornak come bearing democracy!" -- is funny because Zornak, still speaking in his primitive third-person style, is forced to adopt the very concept (democracy) that undermines his entire warrior identity. It parodies both the trope of the returning conqueror and the real historical pattern of societies evolving past the need for strongman rulers. Zornak's bewildered "ooh" when told he needs to hold a vote before fighting is the perfect encapsulation of a barbarian trying to process bureaucracy.
References
The comic plays on the archetypal barbarian warrior trope common in fantasy literature and films (similar to Conan the Barbarian). The punchline about "bearing democracy" is also an ironic nod to the modern political concept of "bringing democracy" to other nations through military force.