[ID of 23 related four-panel comics:
1. first panel: the background is blank white and two colored boxes (red and blue) are talking. the red box says, โWe exist now!โ and the blue box says in response, โWeโre stuck in one box and one line of dialogue. Is this all there is?โ. second panel: red says, โLook! Weโre experiencing linear time!โ and blue responds, โOr we were unmade and recreated a little to the right.โ third panel: red says โWhy are we just squares?โ and blue answers, โOur creator canโt draw peopleโ. fourth panel: red says, โIf I was a person Iโd have a massive assโ with the word massive bolded. blue says, โYou would.โ
2. first panel: red says, โAnd weโre back!โ and blue says, โOr weโre totally different characters represented by the same symbols. Learn to draw a face maybe.โ second panel: red says, โThat was rude. Heโs trying his best.โ blue responds, โHeโs not. Weโre fucking squares.โ third panel: red says, โWell, are we the same people?โ and blue answers, โI feel the same, so I guess so.โ fourth panel: red says, โWe really wasted this whole comic with that discussion.โ blue says, โAnd thereโs no time for a punchline. Sequels are always worse.โ
3. first panel: red asks, โWhy do I always talk first?โ blue answers โYouโre curious, and I seem to know more than you. You ask questions, and I respond.โ second panel: red says, โThatโs bullshit. You should talk first some time.โ blue says, โIโm not sure if I can. That would be a massive departure from the formula, which sounds like more work for our creator.โ third panel: red says, โGo on. Give it a try.โ blueโs speech is bursting out of the dialogue bubble and is the capital letter A repeated over and over. fourth panel: blue says, finally, โAssโ in all capital letters to signify yelling. red says, โThis feels wrong. Letโs never do it again.โ
4: first panel: red asks, โDoes this comic have a plot?โ and blue answers, โHonestly, I couldnโt tell you.โ second panel: red says, โWeโve referenced previous strips before, so there must be some continuity.โ blue says, โI wonder if our creator knows. Does this comic have a plot?โ third panel: red says โyes.โ in all-capital letters. redโs dialogue bubble is different โ although it is usually just a transparent shape outlined in black, this bubble is colored in black; the font and outline are gold. blue says, in bold letters and all-capital letters, โWhat the fuck!?โ fourth panel: red asks, its dialogue box now back to normal, โWhat happened back there in panel 3? I donโt remember.โ blue says, โPlot.โ
5. first panel: red asks, โSo our creator talked through me? And this comic has a plot?โ blue answers, โApparently so.โ second panel: red asks in all-capital letters, โWhat the fuck are we going to do for a joke?โ and blue answers, also in all-capital letters, โShit I donโt know!โ third panel: red says, โAss is a classic.โ and blue says, โI feel itโs a little overdone.โ fourth panel: red says, โYouโre right. Out of our strips that were meant to be funny, literally all of them had ass as the punchline.โ blue exclaims, โHa! You said ass!โ
6. first panel: red asks, โWhen this comic finally ends, will we die?โ and blue says, โI think weโll be trapped in an in-between state. Remembered, re-read, but never changing.โ second panel: red says, โSounds like some version of hell to me.โ blue says, โI guess thatโs one way of looking at it.โ third panel: red says, โIโll miss you, Blue.โ and blue responds, โIโll be in stasis right beside you.โ fourth panel: red says, โWow, this strip wasnโt funny at all.โ blue confirms, โIt wasnโt.โ
7. first panel: red asks, โAre we the only things alive?โ and blue answers, โThereโs our Creator, and the Reader. Theyโre alive.โ second panel: red asks, โBut what about in here? Are we alone?โ and blue answers, โItโs impossible to tell. Weโre trapped in a 2-dimensional plane.โ third panel: red says, โLike slides on a microscope,โ and blue confirms, โIn almost every way.โ fourth panel: red says, โI wonder if our reality and that of the Creator are the only ones.โ blue says, โI hope not. It would get lonely.โ the formatting of this panel is different โ numerous copies of both boxes and both dialogue bubbles overlap with one another.
8. first panel: red says, โHey, Creator! This comic bounces randomly between ass jokes and existential meta shit. Whatโs going on?โ and blue asks, โDo you want to try to summon the Creator to ask him?โ second panel: red answers, โWorth a shot, I guess.โ blue asks, โAny idea how?โ third panel: red says, โAnswer me, Creatorโ. redโs words are written in a deliberately arcane-seeming and almost unintelligible format. blue says, โSeems promising, I guess.โ fourth panel: red speaks โ its dialogue bubble is once again filled with black and outlined with gold, which seems to indicate the creator speaking. the creator asks, โWhat up?โ in all capital letters. blue says, โFor the record, I did not think that would work.โ
9. first panel: the creator, still through red, asks, โWhy the need for divine indication?โ. blue answers, โRed was wondering what this was all for.โ second panel: the creator says, โI think life is a chance to enjoy the infinit wonder of the natural universe. Itโs statistically rare, so youโd better treasure it.โ blue responds, โWith all due respect, Creator, the background is just white.โ third panel: the background is now what looks like a stock photo of a galaxy. creator says, โBehold, Reality!โ with the latter word in all-capital letters. blue says, โHoly fuck, thereโs more than three letters!?โ fourth panel: the background has changed again and is now what looks like a stock photo of a forest. the creator says, โWhew, this is a lot of work! The white background is way easier. Iโll be switching back next strip.โ the word way is dragged out with extra letters. blue asks, โBut whatโs the comic about?โ
10. first panel: the background is white again, as promised. the creator says, โOh, you want to know the plot? Sorry, Iโm not going to spoil it for the Reader.โ blue asks, โCan I get a little teaser?โ second panel: the creator says, โThe final punchline isnโt loss. I know the Reader has been asking about that.โ blue asks, โSo Iโm just trapped here, subject to your whims? Iโm a puppet?โ third panel: the creator says, โBlue, honey, youโre a fictional character. Youโve known you were a pupper from the start.โ blue responds, โSupercalifragilisticexpialidocious.โ fourth panel: the creator says, โSee? I made you say that. Iโve made you say everything. This whole comic is a monologue. I took the liberty of removing your speech bubble to accentuate that. Hope you donโt mind. Symbolism and all.โ blue says nothing.
11: first panel: redโs dialogue bubble is normal again, and it says, โIโm back! Whatโd I miss?โ blue doesnโt answer. second panel: red asks, โCreator got your tongue? LMAOโ and, again, blue doesnโt answer. third panel: red asks, โBlue?โ fourth panel: red asks, โBlue, what happened?โ and blueโs dialogue bubble remains absent.
12: first panel: red says, โBlue? Talk to me.โ second panel: red says, โCome on, buddy. What happened?โ third panel: red says, โPlease, Blue. Iโฆโ fourth panel: in all caps, red asks, โWhat the fuck did you do, Creator!?โ
13: first panel: red says, โUntil you fix what you did, Iโm not talking! Canโt have a comic without characters, now can you, you insufferable son of a bitch?โ second panel: the two boxes, red and blue, stay still and silent. third panel: they remain stationary. fourth panel: red remains silent. blue bursts into speech and says, โRed! There are way more than 3 colors and the concept of free will is a lie!โ
14: first panel: red asks, โThereโs more than 3 colors!?โ and blue answers, โI know, right? And the Creator is a slothful tyrant trying to create a comic with as little effort as possible.โ second panel: red says, โIโm still not over that whole โmore than three colors thing.โโ blue says, โHe showed me green and pink and purple and orange and then took my voice to prove a point.โ third panel: red asks, โWhat point was he trying to make?โ and blue responds, โThat weโre nothing but puppets to him. Slaves to his every whim. Toys.โ fourth panel: red asks, โWhatโs green like?โ and blue answers, โItโs nice. Itโs peaceful.โ
15: first panel: red says, โI realized something.โ blue asks, โYeah?โ second panel: red says, โThis comic could just end. Without warning. The Creator could get bored.โ the word end is in italics. blue responds, โNo closure, no catharsis, nothing.โ third panel: red says, โOur recent few strips would make for unsatisfying ends. Maybe we should give every comic a satisfying conlusion.โ blue says, โBut thatโs life. Life doesnโt always have a satisfying ending.โ fourth panel: red says, โThis isnโt life, this is a comic. We can control it. We can make sure thereโs a happy ending.โ blue responds, โWe canโt control jack shit. This comicโs ending is up to the Creator.โ
16: first panel: red says, โBullshit. He canโt control everything.โ blue rebutts, โHe writes the comic. He controls us.โ second panel: red asks, โSo what? We give up, let him use us to tell whatever story he wants told?โ and blue answers, โThatโs what weโre doing right now.โ third panel: red begins, โHe canโt control me! Fuck this shit! Iโm going to dox him! Our Creatorโs full name and address is- โ red is cut off. within the same speech bubble, โSilence!โ is exclaimed in a black highlight and gold font to indicates the creator is speaking. fourth panel: the creator says, โWhew, that was a close one! Did you miss me, Blue?โ and blue says, โNot particularly.โ
17: first panel: the creator says, โWell, Iโm here now. I guess itโs time for another little Q&A. Ask away.โ blue asks, โWas Red really going to dox you? Donโt you control us?โ second panel: the creator answers, โYes, and yes.โ blue asks, โHow could that happen?โ third panel: the creator says, โI control the characters, but thereโs a story being told here. By the definition of your being, you two canโt rebel against me. But I want you to. I believe in free will but I canโt give it to you. Weโre all trapped here.โ fourth panel: the creator asks, โAny other questions?โ. blue asks in return, โSomething Red asked a while ago: are we alone in this comic?โ
18: first panel: the creator says, โYouโre very much alone.โ blue asks, โItโs just us in this empty space?โ second panel: the creator says, โJust the two of you, and a little of me. Itโs impossible to make art without putting a little of yourself into the work.โ blue asks again, โThere really isnโt anything else? Weโre alone?โ third panel: the red boxโs color turns a little darker. the creator says, โNot as alone as youโre about to be.โ fourth panel: the red box has turned entirely black. the creator says, โAh, thatโs better.โ blue exclaims in all-caps, โRed?โ
19: first panel: the creator says, โOh, heโs gone. Itโs just us now. His character arc ran its course. He only existed to ask questions and provide opportunities for me to enter the scene. Plus, killing him off gets some cheap emotional reactions from the Reader.โ blue says, still in all capital letters, โBring him back, you piece of shit!โ second panel: the creator says, โThis comic is coming to a close, and I have things to say. Plus, thereโs the whole doxxing thing. It was a blod move, but I hold all the cards here.โ blue says, โOh, I see. Youโre the antagonist!โ third panel: the creator says, โEvery story needs one.โ blue asks, โDoes this make me the protagonist?โ fourth panel: although the comicโs panelโs are usually outlined in thin black lines, this panelโs outline is noticeable thicker. the creator answers, โIn a sense. Hang on a second, weโre changing up the format just a little more. Thereโs a lot that needs saying. From both of us.โ blue asks, โWhatโs going on?โ
20: first panel: the comicโs background is pure black now, and it is outlined in gold. the creator no longer has a dialogue box โ his words are just gold on the dark background. he says, โItโs the beginning of the end, Blue. Itโs all Creator, all the way down. Technically, it always has been, but itโs a bit more obvious now.โ blue asks, โDid you create us just to torment us?โ second panel: the creator answers, โIn the beginning, no. I wanted to explore the potential of comics. I wanted to say the word ass.โ blue asks, โWhat changed?โ third panel: the creator says, โI have a taste for the existential. For cosmic horror. It was intriguing at first. I had a story idea, and I wanted to see it executed.โ blue asks, โAnd now?โ fourth panel: the creator says, โI donโt know. It feels mean, I guess. It shouldnโt affect me, but it does. Iโm sure it affects the Reader, too. Itโs weird. Youโre not real, but you matter to people.โ blue responds, โNot real? I wouldnโt say that.โ
21: first panel: the creator says, โYou arenโt real. Youโre a fictional character.โ the word arenโt is emphasized by being in italics. blue responds, โIโm making neurons fire in your brain. The Readerโs brain emits chemicals when they read this. That seems pretty real.โ second panel: the creator says, โHm. You might be right. Does impacting the world make you real?โ and blue answers, โI donโt know. I donโt really have feelings on my own. Iโm an extension of you. Are you real?โ the word you is emphasized. third panel: the creator says, โIn a sense. The Creator is a real person. Iโm him, but heโs not me. Heโs more. Not just a tyrant. Not just a colorful square.โ the word more is emphasized. blue says, โOh, about that.โ fourth panel: the creator asks, โYes?โ and blue says, โWe know you canโt draw characters. We know you canโt make a good background. But why not try?โ
22: first panel: the creator asks, โWhat do you mean?โ and blue responds, โYou canโt improve without trying new things. Plus, itโs just a bad look. This has to be one of the lowest-effort comics ever made.โ second panel: the creator says, โI think the story is pretty good, though.โ blue says, โThatโs up to the Reader. But the art is bad. You could at least draw a stick figure. You own several drawing programs. Itโs a cowardly move, to be honest.โ third panel: the creator asks, โHow so?โ and blue answer, โYou know this comic would be better with art. But youโre not willing to try, because you might fail. Thatโs those James insecurities we all know and love at work.โ fourth panel: james says, โOh. Well. Shit. Youโre right.โ blue says, โYouโre the antagonist of this story. And you were right, itโs ending. But it isnโt too late to make this end a happy one. The ball is in your court. What are you going to do?โ
23: first panel: james says, โWell, this is the last strip. Itโs going to end just about how you predicted at the beginning. Remembered, maybe re-read, but never changingโฆ Oh, and Blue, for what itโs worth. Iโm sorry.โ blue asks, โWhy apologize? Iโm just you.โ second panel: james says, โYouโre still your own character. Youโre real enough to deserve an apology.โ blue says, โAlright then, apology accepted, but I have one last request, is that okay?โ third panel: james answers, โYeah, sure.โ blue asks, โCan you show Red the forest? It doesnโt seem fair that I got to see the color green and he didnโt.โ fourth panel: james says, โI think that can be arranged. Tell Red Iโm sorry. Anyways, I guess this is the end. Thank you. All of you.โ the background is now the photo of a forest. red and blue are now both stick figures and are kissing.