Carl Fink: OK, yes, there would be collateral damage if someone shot himself with a bazooka. And since there are no empty chambers in a single rocket, Russian roulette with one is stupid even aside from the explosion. And yes, “bazooka” is a funny word (even if they haven’t been made since the 1940s or used since the Korean War).
But why is any of that funny?
Comics I Don't Understand 
Oh, you wanted funny? You should have specified that up front. For me it’s just a nonsensical situation. Not really funny, but I appreciated it.
It’s funny (ish) because all the people gambling and watching will be blown up too, so what’s the point of them gambling and watching. I guess.
Jake Likes Onions is more of an absurdist comic than a funny one, if that distinction makes sense. It’s vaguely amusing in that it’s a terrible idea, and that Darwin awards are kind of funny.
I thought it was reasonably funny. I’m not sure what to explain though, because Carl already listed all the reasons I thought it was funny, and then followed up with “why is any of that funny?”
Ah, the mystery that is humor. . .
Boy that’s a dark comic.
Why is The Deer Hunter funny?
In 1996, I played Quake on the Internet with friends and I always picked the bazooka for close combat, with the same result as in this comic. “This is silly”, they would say and I would answer :”This game is silly”. Lol. I miss the good ol’ days at Alfred University.
The people cheering (and apparently gambling) on the event are funny.
Ish.
PS:
I think it’s a comment on modern politics.
I have never found a single Jake Likes Onions strip amusing in the slightest.
Olivier – and the good ol’ nights at Alex’s?
I haven’t seen many Jake Likes Onions comics, but I liked this
one: https://i.redd.it/okjl5nynj7dx.png
Bob : the beer was lost on me (to everybody’s horror: “you’re over 21 and you don’t drink ? Well, I don’t like the taste of alcohol”). Still had to show proof of age. But I laughed at the permanent Cranberries soundtrack (that was in 1996) and had fun playing pool and foosball.
Reminds me of the scenes in “Deer Hunter”.
I thought Bazooka bubble gum still exists at least.
A week too late for some nice synchronicity: http://nowiknow.com/how-bazooka-joe-lost-a-baseball-glove/