Okay, so… I was thinking the alligator ate the apple, thereupon the larger apple ate HIM; as apples do. But then why does the larger apple look eaten as well? Or… did the alligator eat the larger apple and it was so big that he blew up? In which case what’s the joke?
Comics I Don't Understand 
Given the size increase between panels 1 and 2, I think it’s the second idea.
The joke is that things that blow up because they eat too much are funny. Even if it’s a carnivorous animal eating an apple.
I wonder if it’s funnier when I imagine that they did this while hanging around on the “A” page waiting for someone to come back and read Apple… Alligator… ….
Not really.
Bill, I don’t know what others are seeing, but the blurb below the comic is in such a light grayscale I couldn’t read it.
Yes, that’s what happened. I think that’s all there is to the joke.
Wow, it’s going to take me a while to get used to the size of these blockquotes.
Yeah, it produces an interesting take on the role of quotation. Makes it the main thing, that your comment then hangs on, rather than a supporting factor in your comment as a whole, which would be the main thing. And some kind of quotation, in essays say, does work more that way.
At any rate, it’s probably better than the red that one of the earlier themes used for blockquotes.
It looks nice and sharp to me.
That’a a problem then: if things look different to different people, I’m working blind.
Don’t fix it just for me – I have a bookmarklet on my toolbar that zaps colors. I hit that and I get nice, black text.
It’s a nice reversal. He thinks he’s getting in like flint, but instead he blows up. Reversal = comic hijinks.
Also, notice the intestines sticking out. visible intestines are always funny.
Monty Python did it better (and a lot grosser) with Mr. Creosote in The Meaning of Life.
The joke is “Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing” or “Know when enough is enough.” Very political stuff.
I agree with chakolate that the Microsoft gray type is hard to see. It’s especially bad on the relatively little phone screen. Why must they make things intentionally obscure?
As for the comic, it looks to me that the ‘gator ate the first apple, liked it, stared at the artist for no known reason, then gnawed on the big apple, causing a sort of avalanche (appleanche?).
Yea, everyone is correct. After he ate the first smaller apple, he got fatter. Once attempting the bigger apple, he got so fat he blew up. Hahahahahahaha!!!
I have a hard time seeing the text under the comic too, for what it’s worth. I’m looking at it on my computer.
The text is hard to read on my tablet also.
An example of the expression “His eyes are bigger than his stomach”. He ate so much he actually exploded.
Also an example of “Be careful what you wish for”.
Boise Ed “appleanch”🤣
The text under the comic is a light grey, a bit harder to read on my laptop but not a problem. And it is fine on my tablet and phone.
With all the explanations, I figure someone needs to reiterate Bill’s original point.
An alligator eating so much apple that it explodes is simply not funny.
Talking of feedback… does anyone else get a file not found for the homepage on their phone? All the links are good but the page itself isn’t.
“An alligator eating so much apple that it explodes is simply not funny.”
Why is the penguin on the telly?
“An alligator eating so much apple that it explodes is simply not funny.”
I guess that’s a matter of taste.
Ba-dum-tish!
Woozy – I get the same thing on my laptop.
Is your browser trying to find the /wordpress page?
Mine still tries to do that by default sometimes.
Regarding “page not found”: On my laptop, I have never changed the bookmark I’ve always used for CIDU. It does come up “page not found” but the links, etc. are there so I simply have to click either “home” or “COMICS I DON’T UNDERSTAND” and it takes me where I need to be. Yes, I’m too lazy to change the bookmark. It works, so don’t mess with it.
The text is very light gray for me, too. Viewing on my PC using Firefox
Ah, I see. On my laptop the autofill for typing the first few letters C-O-M-… is associated with the literal string “comicsidontunderstand.com” as a URL. Whereas my cellphone’s autofill has the letters associated with the literal string “http://comicsidontunderstand.com/wordpress”
Both handle a redirect by redirecting the host name to “godaddyandthesquirrelmustbothdie.wordpress.com” and reappending the directory path (if any). And the directory “/wordpress” no longer exists.
I agree with chakolate and Irene: The light grey text color makes some things barely legible, especially since the background color is not white, either. If Bill could replace that lightest grey color with something darker, it would be a big help. Reducing the point size for the <blockquote> tag would be another big plus.
I’ll get the Font Color Fairy right on that.
Just kidding: these templates offer very little customization, an the font is available in any color so long as it is light gray.
For me, at least, this discussion about the font colour has fixed the issue. It’s light enough that I mentally skip over it, but if I try to look at it I have no problems. So now I will always remember to look at those tags, overcoming problems from the hard-to-notice colour.
Okay, just so we’re on the same page here: we’re specifically discussing the text that’s embedded into the graphic (“Okay, so…”), correct?
(Which by the way presents as blue to me)
If that’s the issue, I just won’t place text there anymore (other than “submitted by” information when applicable). Simple enough.
I might not get a chance to change posts that are already in the queue, though.
To be honest with you Bill, I like those comments you put below the comic. It gives us an idea of where you’re coming from, or what it is that confuses you, if there is any doubt. If there is no other choice but to strain to see it in the light grey font colour, then so be it.
The comments will remain: they’ll just be in text form, as on the old site, rather than embedded into the graphic (which I ASSUME is where the problem is: I could use some clarification on this, because they happen to look fine on both my computer and phone).
I thought embedding the comments would look cleaner — but that’s a moot point if people can’t read them easily.
On my devices, and to my eyes, the color and lightness/darkness of the words below the comic is the same as the date above Apples and the three lines between Apples and the comic. Light grey.
And I, too, enjoy the comments Bill puts below the comic.
Per Mae West – “Too much of a good thing is … wonderful.”
For what it’s worth there is a workaround for reading the faint text. Simply highlight the block of text by dragging the cursor over it, and you will now should have enough contrast to read it.