Another true story
August 25, 2016
6:35 am
I know that if you have to explain a joke it’s aleady a failure, but this weekend my friend Tina was playing Junkrat while I was working to win me some lootboxes. At the start of one round she casually approached a wall, stuck a mine to it at eye-level, and as she went to detonate it in her own face realized what she was doing and yelled out “Wait! That’s not my spray!”
The group decided it was the single most Junkrat thing any of us had ever seen.
That is the major issue with inside jokes.. even if this is a very Junkrat thing that could happen.
At least Junkrat didn’t expect anyone else to jumping in there with him…Like Leeroy Jenkins does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKSbawtrnhE
Frankly, I have always felt that having an inside joke explained to me makes it funny and memorable, when I haven’t been there to witness it firsthand. It may not qualify as a “joke” anymore, but it does qualify as an experience more-or-less shared with others, which can lead to it becoming an inside joke again.
It is indeed funny since we understand it now.
It was already funny standalone, because it is a very Junkrat thing to do. To have it explained and confirmed makes it funnier.
kinda like how translator’s notes in an anime/manga explaining how something in Japanese is a pun or other kind of joke that doesn’t translate properly into English, explaining it helps you understand why it’s funny
Yeah, this. When it’s an inside joke, explaining it can make it so much better.
Just because a joke goes “outside” doesn’t automatically make it unfunny…It just means more people are sharing in with the humor.
Seems pretty self-explanatory, really. The story behind it just makes it even funnier; it’s great when a character’s personality/behavior sort of bleeds over to their controller.
Not that inside of one. Lots of games out there that do sprays allow for some hilarious fumbles when trying to do a spray. That just adds to the fun of sprays.
I don’t even play Overwatch, but the characters are *so good*, and I love hearing about people’s antics while playing them. :)
That really is a thing with Overwatch. I don’t play, possible I never will, but just having familiarity with the characters and gameplay is fun in it’s own right. I know a lot of non-players that feel the same. Few modern games successfully pulling that off in the fashion which Overwatch does …
I don’t play either, just because I’m really bad at pvp type games (especially ones that require me to team up with people, because I ALWAYS feel like I’m letting my teammates down lol) But MAN do I love all of the characters in this game, and the backstory, and all the animated shorts they’ve made so far.
I’d love to see some more story-centric medium released for this game. :3
A story-centric medium would be great, yeah. I love all the lore and worldbuilding they’ve put into this, not to mention how they managed to give every single character a heartwrenching backstory and keep cranking out animated shorts fit to make Pixar blush, but while I had my fun in the beta, gameplay with no story doesn’t really appeal to me. Pre-battle conversations between characters are nice, but they don’t quite cut it, and forging a narrative for ourselves is trickier with a multiplayer FPS than with good ol’ tabletop wargaming.
We all really need to start non stop bothering Blizzard until they make an Overwatch theme’d show or a small series of movies. They’ve built so much already that it really wouldn’t be hard to do it….*yells ‘Take my money!’ and throws cartoon bags of money at Blizzard* I’m very certain I’m not the only one that would be doing that if they did make a show.
I’ve seen it said that Overwatch’s purpose is to fund said movie.
With the success of Warcraft, I wouldn’t be surprised if Blizzard starts up their own film studio or publishing house. They’ve always been known for their high quality cinematics and fantastic storytelling. Overwatch is a shoe-in, but tell me you wouldn’t love to see a Diablo film.
From what I can tell, Watercraft was not as successful in the US as it was elsewhere, and was panned at the best. Then again, Watercraft is fantasy and involves orcs. Which meant that everyone was subconsciously (or completely consciously) comparing it to the fantasy film juggernaut that is the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy, which has set a very, very high bar of entry into the fantasy film field. Of course I am most likely highly biased in this statement, myself being both American and very hateful of Warcraft’s orc designs. They look like the Hulk’s fanged bastard children.
That was how I got into TF2, years ago.
Sometimes… the story makes it BETTER
This is one of those times.
if you’re playing junkrat and scorch marks aren’t how you leave your mark on the world what are you EVEN DOING
Getting more explosives?
I think some inside jokes are funny enough that explaining them is worth it. The tricky bit is getting the right ‘explanation length’ : ‘rib velocity’ ratio.
This comic smells like Teen Spirit.
I HAVE DONE LITERALLY THIS
I THINK EVERY JUNKRAT MAIN HAS DONE LITERALLY THIS
Oh, yes… I polled my circle of friends, and we’ve ALL done this…
Even the ones who don’t main Junkrat.
(I don’t know what’s wrong with them)
No, no, “explaining the joke” would be if you tried to elaborate on why the level of absentmindedness necessary to confuse spraypaint with remote-detonated mines was funny at all. You’re just explaining the history, where you learned the joke, the personal connection.
Reversing the metaphor of memetics and genetics, if the joke were one of Rock Lobster’s daughter’s pet bugs, you managed to provide the use and care guide instead of the dissection diagram.
Don’t think of it as “explaining a joke”, think of it more like “providing some interesting backstory”.
Let’s be honest, a blackened scorch mark SHOULD be Junkrat’s spray.
Anyone who has ever played a game where you can mount an explosive device to a surface and remotely detonate it has done this at least once in their life.
So the 3rd panel is everything here and the “derp face” is extraordinary. The 4th is just a bonus.
My friend let me play his GTA V, and after running around a bit I found out how to change weapons, so I of course went to the satchel charges, placed one on a ledge and I yelled out “NOW I WILL STICKY JUMP” (as in how the demoman does in TF2). My friend shook his head and said “why does that game -” but the explosion cut him off, and Mr Trevor did three somersaults which segued into a perfect breakdance suicide.
We both lost it and nearly threw up laughing.
I had a moment of that that actually worked out in my favour once…
Playing Borderlands 2 as Gaige, using a Sticky MIRV grenade mod…summon Deathtrap, then attempt to lob a grenade over him to a) clear out some bandits, and b) draw some aggro, so that Deathy would engage.
Unfortunately, I didn’t raise my view quite enough, and the grenade stuck to Deathy’s shoulder.
Now, this grenade was a gift from a higher level friend, and a particularly potent MIRV even for its level. I’d one-shotted myself due to a misaimed grenade more than once. So I immediately start reeling back and swearing…
BUT… Halfway through the ‘OH SHIT’, one of the bandits wandered close enough to us to notice us and go hostile…thus getting Deathy’s attention, and he flew over, reaching the middle of the bandits just as the grenade’s fuse ran down.
I’ve tried to do that deliberately a few times since, but have never managed to pin the grenade on him.
He looks so happy in 3/4 of these.
Junkrat is one of those people who is endlessly amused by stuff blowing up.
Even if it’s him.
Some of the Jedi Academy games has the Trip Mines you can use. You can put them on a wall or on the floor & they’ll project a laser-based “trip line” that will blow them if the beam is blocked, or you can also detonate them remotely. Needless to say, don’t drop one on the floor where you’re standing & don’t stand right in front of the spot where you put them on the wall.
Yeah, I’ve blown myself up a few times, but the only spray I’ve ever thought about when that happened is the kind of spray when the $#|+ hits the fan…
I assumed it was Jared playing overwatch. until I read your backstory but it who hasn’t done something like this.
Your friend does a pretty great looking cosplay.
The only thing that could make that cosplay more metal is if the arm and leg were actual prosthetics . . . That might be a bit too much suffering for ones art.
Um… the leg looks like it is.
You noticed that too, eh? Just makes it double awesome cosplay.
Lovely, a Junkrat joke is perfect for this… But mate, who gave ‘im steroids.
Actually, that pretty much IS Junkrat’s actual in-game build. The dude is seriously ripped and pretty freaking tall to boot. (Except compared to Reinhardt, but everybody is short compared to Reinhardt. BIG BIRD is short compared to Reinhardt.) It’s just you don’t /notice/ how tall and ripped Junkrat is because “good posture” is as alien a concept to him as “personal safety”.
Seems about right (even without explanation)
Everything’s coming up explodey!
I expect that’s basically what Junkrat would do with cans of spray paint, anyway.
I can see Snake managing that in Smash Brothers. Captain Falcon would need a mine, Ganondorf would have to be drunk and grab a mine, Link would just toss a sticky bomb and get it stuck back on him by Ganondorf – the possibilities for restaging the result are endless.
Sigh, why do I find Junkrat so attractive?
Cause under that soot he is a remarkable specimen of masculinity. He’s 6’7″ (meaning he is actually huge) well toned and hard without being bulky, much like a swimmer’s body, with an incrediblebamber color to his eyes and the actual ability to pull off a widow’s peak.
6’7″ when he stands up straight, which he never, ever does.
Oh, no, he totally does… When he’s emoting, anyway.
He’s 6’5″ actually!
And no he’s not toned, he’s definitely lean bordering on skinny. Coelasquid made him significantly bulkier in this comic.
Dude’s built like a six and a half foot Iggy Pop, he’s toned as hell, you can see every muscle on him.
The only thing not junkrat about this comic is how stacked he is with muscle, Junkrat in game looks like he weighs 80lbs wearing all his combat gear and soaking wet.
That being said, I do like the burly muscular look to him. :D
Junkrat in the game is muscular as hell. He’s not super bulky, but he’s like Iggy Pop wirey. They defined every muscle on his body.
Reminds me of a Symmetra/Junkrat fic where Symmetra’s reactions are, in eventual order: 1. (From a distance ) who’s the new wiry guy? 2. (First face to face meeting) Holy shit, Holy shit this guy is a giant. 3. (After some more interactions and an accidental shower walk in scene) He’s actually pretty toned. 4. (Little later) Damnit I think he’s weird but he’s sexy as hell.
Which I honestly think is everyone’s reaction to him onve they find out his in-game height and actually look at his character model closely. If he cared at all Junkrat could probably actually turn himself into the single largest helping of eye candy aside from Hanzo, McCree and young Gengi.
I apologize, didn’t mean to offend. You’re not wrong though, your style of drawing big burly men just makes Junkrat look very beefcake. :3c
Especially the third panel, where his shoulder and left arm are seemingly much larger than in the first panel.
Junkrat gets pumped when things go boom.
This explains everything about Junkrat’s appearance XD
Junkrat’s derp face is best face. Also the hair-candles.
I’ve done this like a thousand times.
Teeny tiny chance I might have done this before.
Stupid sexy Junkrat.
Entirely character appropriate.
… did that in Red Faction… and in Duke Nukem 3D
Very nice one more reason why I feel that I should probably try OverWatch as a game.
I’ve… done that… but when I tried to fix the situation I put down my bear trap…
I’m really glad the only thing that hurts yourself is the nades..
pretty accurate.
have you ever mei icewalled your own teammate and had to use the sorry voiceline and actually mean it?
i know i have
…I may or may not have done this in any (*cough,* every!) game I play with explosives. And it may or may not always be unintentional, too. :D
I’ve surprisingly done this as well, plus killed myself before the match even starts and demanded heals while my corpse laid on the ground, just to annoy my Mercy friend.
How she tolerates my antics is beyond me.
This is easily in my top ten of your comics, just for the fact that I’ve done that atleast three times. The moment i saw this I just couldn’t help but laugh for an embarrassingly long amount of time. Fingers crossed that they add this as one of his phrases in game.
Someone pointed out a very good fact. Have you seen how tall he is? His heavy bomb makes him crouch, but look at him from the side sometime. yesh.
Interesting how it removed his eye*shadow*, but not his eye*brows*. That hair must be kevlar or something.
Oh, no, the shadow is still there, it’s just that it’s just leftover blast residue that didn’t get wiped off last time, so it’s the same shade as the new blast residue.
Plus, you know he’s got enough crap in his hair that it’s too damp/solid to burn any more than it does at the ends, which tend to be thinner and have dried out a bit.
As an Aussie, I thank you for not mocking our culture or our accent, or our proud traditions.
This is a great story, and my day is better for reading it.
This is your funniest comic in months because it’s just so perfectly Junkrat.
For some reason, I always forget Junkrat is actually a really buff guy who slouches all the time.
I don’t play Overwatch (I had to look it up to know this) or know who Junkrat is (Googling “What is junkrat” is how I learned he’s from Overwatch). All I knew was that some guy with an Australian or cockney British accent pushed a wall and his own bomb blew up in his face, and he admits he mistook the bomb for some kind of spray. That’s good enough for me, I laughed.
Seriously this was so Junk Rat in character the inside joke story only made it better.
The best part is, the game itself can be seen as either a) a simulation teaching new overreach agents how to flexibly use different skills and squad cooperation as preparation for spec-ops squads or b) simulated team building exercises for the current roster of heroes in order to get them to actually get along and overcome their own personal prejudices and abrasions. All without officially being canon.
I main Junkrat and I admit I’ve done this once or twice, lol. He is such fun to play as!
Two things. One: That somehow Justin Trudeau appears in one comic. Two: Roadhog, pleeease…
All honesty before I read the description I burst out laughing. After reading the description it made it even better
Discount Demoman. *DING!*