Can you explain this cartoon?

[gordo]

They say it's not funny if you have to explain it.

Where is the humour in this cartoon?

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

Caveman 'discovers' shadow?

 

[Macandy]

God mocks him for the size of his nose

 

[gordo]

Caveman 'discovers' shadow?

And because he looked up, maybe thinking it fell from the sky?

 

[gordo]

God mocks him for the size of his nose

Quite possible. The cartoonist was a devout fundamentalist Christian.
Maybe, since mirrors had not yet been invented, BC had never noticed the size of his honker before and is questioning why he got such a big one.

 

[DvilleDevil]

Yet the shadow stays the same, when he looks upwards...

 

[OffsetStorefront]

In the first panel there is a rock that is the exact shape of his nose sticking up out of the ground. His shadow falls on the rock and when he looks at it, it appears as if his shadow has become 3D.

 

[ID13]

He discovers his shadow and the angle the shadow is at is looking up, so he looks up to see what it's looking at?

 

[AC Prepress]

In the first panel there is a rock that is the exact shape of his nose sticking up out of the ground. His shadow falls on the rock and when he looks at it, it appears as if his shadow has become 3D.

I vote for this explanation.

 

[gordo]

He discovers his shadow and the angle the shadow is at is looking up, so he looks up to see what it's looking at?

Very plausible explanation.

 

[curiosity]

yet....from caveman's perspective (as opposed from ours, the readers) his shadow would cover the stone, thus he would not see the protuberance as we do...so my verdict is...Johnny Hart didn't yet get his first cup of coffee this morning. Happens to me all the time!

 

[MailGuru]

Nothing to do with the shadow.

In first panel he is walking along, feeling good about himself and the world in general.

Panel 2, he stops as a thought comes to his mind that thwarts his otherwise pleasant day.

In panel 3, he looks up to God and asks: "Why, oh why to Floridians have such a hard time counting votes?"

 

[gordo]

Nothing to do with the shadow.

In first panel he is walking along, feeling good about himself and the world in general.

Panel 2, he stops as a thought comes to his mind that thwarts his otherwise pleasant day.

In panel 3, he looks up to God and asks: "Why, oh why to Floridians have such a hard time counting votes?"

Counting is very difficult when you’ve only got ten fingers and toes to work with.

 

[Ulrich]

Great cartoon, because: you do not understand it, but you are irritated sustainable enough to ask yourself ( and others) for sense or „meaning“.

i vote for this two options: Just a very funny idea without a meaning or „all miracles must come from heaven“

Ulrich

 

[gordo]

Great cartoon, because: you do not understand it, but you are irritated sustainable enough to ask yourself ( and others) for sense or „meaning“.

i vote for this two options: Just a very funny idea without a meaning or „all miracles must come from heaven“

Ulrich

I bought the original art for that cartoon at auction and while sorting out the framing I would use I realized that I didn't understand it. I did some DuckDuck* research and discovered that the artist has done a number of shadow themed strips. I understood those but not this one. So I turned to the experts here for help...and was rewarded.

*I've abandoned Google search for privacy reasons.

 

[WiseGuy]

He discovers his shadow and the angle the shadow is at is looking up, so he looks up to see what it's looking at?

This is how I saw it too. B.C. tends to have subtle humor from time to time.

 

[michaelejahn]

He did a LOT of shadow humor.

http://www.physics.umd.edu/deptinfo/facilities/lecdem/services/avmats/slides/thumbs.php?title=O4

Scroll down, there are about 5 of them there...

 

[jerrythemacguy]

There is a website dedicated to "Comics I Don't Understand" that has been up and running for over 20 years. People are invited to send in "CIDU" cartoons and others can try to explain them.

https://godaddyandthesquirrelmustbothdie.wordpress.com