love-book
Explanation
The Joke
This comic is a promotional strip for Zach Weinersmith's book "Love: A Discovery in Comics." The comic takes the form of a mock interview or press conference where an interviewer questions Zach about his new book. Zach explains that his previous books were about science and space, and now he has written a book about love. The interviewer asks somewhat incredulous questions -- essentially, "Your NAILS books covered space, cosmology, etc., and now you just did a storybook about love?" Zach responds that he put together a collection of his thoughts on love, relationships, and how people connect, combining poetry with illustrations.
The meta-joke is that the interviewer seems slightly baffled that a cartoonist known for nerdy, science-heavy humor would write something so earnest and sentimental. Zach acknowledges this tension directly, noting that for the last 15 months he has written about science or education, and suggests that there is probably room in life for a sincere book about love too. The final panel leans into the self-aware humor, with Zach thinking "this thought got away from me" after his pitch starts sounding like a rambling, heartfelt monologue.
The Humor
The comedy here is gentler than a typical SMBC strip because the comic is essentially a book advertisement presented in comic form. The humor comes from the contrast between Zach's usual brand (jokes about math, physics, philosophy, and existential dread) and the nakedly sincere topic of love. The interviewer's skepticism mirrors what the reader might feel: "Wait, the guy who draws jokes about the heat death of the universe wrote a love book?" It is a knowing, self-deprecating way to promote a personal project while acknowledging that it is a departure from the norm.