die-kudzu
Explanation
The Joke
A man named Steve is shown hacking at thick kudzu vines with a machete, shouting "Die kudzu, die! Before they kick me out of Japan, I'm gonna make you feel what we feel!" The caption reads: "Tired of fighting invasive species in his back yard, Steve decides to attack them in their homeland."
The comic depicts someone who is so frustrated with kudzu -- a notoriously aggressive invasive vine in the American South -- that he has traveled all the way to Japan (where kudzu originates) to fight it on its home turf, as if engaging in a personal war against the plant species itself.
The Humor
The humor comes from the absurdity of applying military interventionist logic to gardening. Steve treats the kudzu problem the way a frustrated nation might treat a foreign threat: if you cannot stop the invasion at home, go to the source. The line "before they kick me out of Japan" implies he is already in trouble with Japanese authorities for his vigilante botanical crusade, adding another layer of comedy. The idea that one angry man with a machete could meaningfully reduce kudzu at its source is delightfully futile, mirroring the actual futility of fighting kudzu in one's own backyard.
References
Kudzu (Pueraria montana) is a vine native to Japan and Southeast Asia that was introduced to the United States in the late 19th century. It became one of the most infamous invasive species in the American South, capable of growing up to a foot per day and smothering trees, buildings, and power lines. This comic is a companion piece to the comic titled "kudzu" from the previous day.