Writing Funny

Writing Funny

Today I will teach you how to write funny. I will be referring to my earlier post about the world’s tallest man. Read that one first, two posts below, if you haven’t already.

Picking a Topic
-------------------

The topic does half of your work. I look for topics that have at least one of the essential elements of humor:

Clever
Cute
Bizarre
Cruel
Naughty
Recognizable

In order for something to be funny, it has to have at least two of the six elements of humor. A story about a 7-foot 9-inch Mongolian herdsman marrying a smallish woman is bizarre all by itself. In the humor context, bizarre simply means two things you wouldn’t normally find together.

Notice how many of the humor elements I worked into my post about the tall herdsman:

Clever: Retrieving an iPod in a clever way, and the salmon in a canoe analogy

Cruel: Shish Kabob accident with his wife

Bizarre: Conjoined twins with two heads and one vagina, huge man with smallish wife, and a Mongolian herdsman with an iPod.

Naughty: The entire post

The story of the world’s tallest man wasn’t “recognizable” in any meaningful way, so it lacked that element. For many people, that element is the only important one, and the other dimensions are just flavor. If you leave out the “recognizable” element, many people won’t relate to the situation. I took that chance because the other elements were so strong.

I also left out the “cute” element, but that one is never essential. It mixes best with the “cruel” and “bizarre” elements, e.g. a bunny with a bazooka.

Simple Sentences
---------------------

Keep your writing simple, as if you were sending a witty e-mail to a friend. Be smart, but not academic. Prune words that don’t make a difference.

Write About People
------------------------

It’s impossible to find humor in inanimate things. If you must write about an object or a concept, focus on how someone (usually you) thinks or feels or experiences those things. Humor is about people, period.

Write Visually
-----------------

Paint a funny picture with your words, but leave out any details that don’t serve the humor. Notice how many images I packed into my post about the tall guy. It’s hugely visual, and yet I never describe what he looks like, other than being tall.

Leave Room for Imagination
-----------------------------------

When I described how the tall guy could retrieve an iPod from a storm drain, I only mentioned the gum, his “python,” and a Victoria Secrets catalog. Every reader formed a slightly different mental picture of the specifics. Leaving out details allows readers to fill them in with whatever image strikes them as funniest. In effect, you let readers direct their own funny movie.

Funny Words
-----------------

Use “funny” words when you can. Here are some I used:

Mongolian
Herdsman
Vagina
Trouser
Shish Kabob
Storm drain
Johnson
Slap
Canoe

You can read that list of funny words totally out of context and it almost makes you laugh. Funny words are the ones that are familiar yet rarely used in conversation. It’s a bonus when those words have funny sounds to them, as do most of the ones in my list.

Pop Culture References
-----------------------------

References to popular culture often add humor. It’s funny that the world’s tallest man is retrieving a lost iPod, and not something generic such as a wallet. And it’s funny that his manhood is compared to Ryan Seacrest as opposed to something generic, such as an oak tree. Someone could write a thesis on why pop culture references are funny, but just accept it.

Animal analogies
---------------------

Animal references are funny. If you can’t think of anything funny, make some sort of animal/creature analogy. It’s easy, and it almost always works. I made these creature analogies in my post…

King salmon
Python

Exaggerate, then Exaggerate Some More
-------------------------------------------------

Figure out what’s the worst that could happen with your topic, then multiple it by ten or more. Don’t say a mole is as big as a grapefruit. Say that mole is opening its own Starbucks. (Notice the pop culture reference of Starbucks.) The bigger the exaggeration, the funnier it is.

Near Logic
-------------

Humor is about creating logic that a-a-a-lmost makes sense but doesn’t. No one in the real world could put gum on his penis and retrieve an iPod from a storm drain. But your brain allows you to imagine that working, while simultaneously knowing it can’t. That incongruity launches the laugh reflex.

Callback
-----------

A callback is when you end with a funny reference that already got a laugh. In my post, I knew the Ganbaatar gag would get a laugh, so I used it again in a different sense for the closing line. It puts a nice period on your humor writing.

Genetic Abnormality
-------------------------

Humor is like any other human capacity; some people are born with more of it than others. No amount of advice will help if you don’t have the humor gene.

Here’s a link to a newish comic called F Minus, by Tony Carrillo. He has the humor gene. I’m picking him to be the next big comic. (Read a few weeks of his archive before forming an opinion.)

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/index.html

Comments

[Neetz]

good one

[dl]

pretty wierd and slight funny

[Funny Guy]

Nice article, I really appreciate your sharing!

[Dan Walter]

Hey Scott: Great comic! One of the best. I think comics are the BEST part of any newspaper today. I wish editors would give 'em more space as they deserve. I would actually BUY the paper more if there were more comics in it. No other part of the paper is more creative, or colorful or in many cases, more thought provoking! Keep up the great work.

[jay]

listen yeah i didnt get any of this and how is Johnson a funny word its my second name

[Mike Hawkins]

I must confess, I actually didn't "get" the Dilbert comic for quite some time...

This blog post was a very interesting read though. It sort of makes me think of the great actor Rowan Atkinson - he is very serious and methodical about his work. Something you wouldn't perhaps believe when you watc the latest Mr. Bean movie.

[jimmy]

nice articel in,

full of information. Hope will see more interesting article by you in future. anyway you also can submit your article into www.timestreets.com for free or any article directory to promote your article.
nice experience here. wish your luck

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[manic]

Conjoined twins with two heads and one vagina, huge man with smallish wife, and a Mongolian herdsman with an iPod and the salmon in a canoe.

:)

[LeoCain]

Just wanted to say thank you for telling me about F Minus. It's made its way into my list of only 4 comics I check daily now to start my work day off with a laugh.

[TasTigger]

I first saw the story about the tallest man a couple of months ago and thought it was hilarious - specifically the part where he saved dolphins by retrieving plastic from their stomach with his long arms. Now I know why.

The story definitely scores a 10 on the scale of bizarre images (with bonus points for the animal reference). But, it also vaguely brought to mind some kind of superhero (was there a Rubberman with the superhuman attribute of having unnaturally long flexible limbs?).

On that subject, I think you may have made an omission leaving superheros out of your list of funny references. You just need to watch a few old Seinfeld episodes to see how funny they can be!

[Marcus Jones]

I like F Minus, but I don't know about next big comic. I think a common theme or character is needed for that. I like the one frame format. I wish you would do one or two frame comics once in a while. Some of my all time favorite Dilbert strips are funniest without the last frame.

[Asd]

Perry Bible Fellowship +1

Though the last few haven't been great.

[steveM]

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070630.html

I swear that first zombie looks like you, Scott.

[K8 the Gr8]

This is some great advice!!
Thank you, Guru Scott.

:)

[charlie]

To each his own, Scott. I read an entire month of F-Minus. The only thing funny about this strip is that the guy gets paid for doing it.

[jeremy]

Aptly named comic. Had to use jumper cables to restart my sense of Humor after reading a month of F-minus.

The guy has the comedic depth of a tax accountant.

[Rick]

I like Argle Sweater and Half Baked over F-Minus when it comes to single panel humor.

http://www.theargylesweater.com/
http://www.humorousmaximus.com/halfbaked/halfbaked.php

[DAB]

Do you remember VHS tape rewinding machines? Given the number of induhviduals in this world, I told some friends that I had a new invention idea that would make tons of money - a DVD rewinder. A can't miss idea, right?

cute
clever
recognizable
??

[Rob]

F-Minus is just mediocre. Pick something better Scott.

[Matt]

Scott, F-Minus is good, but I think "The Argyle Sweater" is more my level:

http://www.gocomics.com/theargylesweater/

Give it a chance etc. Chickens are just funny. If there is a chicken involved, I'm already laughing.

Also - what has happened to the Dilbert portfolio? Not being cheeky, I just noticed that one of the shares is up from where I "tipped" it.

Cheers!

[Joel Odom]

You're a champion of humor, Scott. I really enjoy your writing.

For many of us, myself included, the naughty portion, when overdone, can turn us off if it gets too crass. Dilbert and your blog are about equally clever, yet I usually like the comic better because it's not as crass as the blog.

Just an honest thought for you to consider. You're a genius. Keep up the great work.

[Brian Rittenhouse]

I promise this is TRUE!!!

Bizarre...A mongolian herdsman with an iPod

I read this and died because the day before I was working in the Apple Store and a mongolian herdsman (and family) came IN THE STORE complaining that his iPod was not working!

this leads to many other questions;
did he bring any pak animals into the store with him? any yaks for example?
no yaks

Was the ipod not working because it was broken or because he had no electrical outlet?
or computer? I believe they had a hand cranking generator...

How & Why did he end up in Chicago to get tech support?

I believe he also mentioned he reached the end of the internet...he had surfed the whole thing...but I could be wrong, he had a heavy accent.

What are the chances?????

BIZARO!

[Erika]

If you didn't find this month's F Minus funny, here's some older ones from a few years ago:
http://fminus.net/oldfminus1.htm

[Tim]

I've been a fan of F-Minus for a while. Actually, it first reminded me of my all-time favorite strip (even over Dilbert, Scott; sorry), "The Parking Lot is Full". Probably the most bizarre comic strip ever written. The authors, Jack McLaren and Pat Spacek, killed it off a few years ago, but when it was alive, I loved it.

[Hugh]

I remember there was once a Dilbert cartoon where Dilbert himself came up with the basic elements of humour. If you made a joke involving prunes, weasels, chainsaws and a reference to Gilligan's Island, it was guaranteed to get a laugh.

[Sando]

Brilliant! Worked everytime I saw so far.

Speaking of, do you have any such tips on other areas? By areas I mean music, action (as in movies), mystery, etc. (I'm trying siphon the rest of you brilliant ideas here.)

[Real Live Girl]

I checked out F Minus and Half Baked. Sorry, but I thought Half Baked was funnier -- and was already a fan of Wulffmorgenthaler. But there's probably an unfair advantage to being a web only comic like Wulffmorgenthaler - no censoring for one. But Dilbert is one of the few I read every day, so you must be onto something with your funny writing.

[Joshua Jacobsen]

Neat post! Bad plug, though. I read a bunch of F Minus, and it's just a string of floundering random gags. They're almost funny, but apparently it's hard to tell a joke in one frame. Gary Larsen was the only guy that really pulled that format off. But to be honest, he had about three stupid comics for every funny one. His "crap factor" was still pretty high.

Dilbert is one of very few comics that I've found to be consistently funny. Out of five strips, you probably have one that's frame-able, another that is really funny, another two that are okay, and one that is feeble. You basically have one stupid comic for every four good ones. Calvin & Hobbes is probably the only comic I've ever read that had a better ratio. You're easily the best cartoonist in the world, right now, imo.

[Rick]

I prefer this

http://www.humorousmaximus.com/halfbaked/halfbaked.php

[Mikey Benny]

I must concur with your F-Minus recommendation; I literally just discovered the strip last week, and I think it's almost as good as Dilbert ;) Good stuff on the humorous writing lesson.

[Rick]

I prefer this

http://www.humorousmaximus.com/halfbaked/halfbaked.php

[Kilgore J. Trout]

so when i hit yahoo home page the cartoons i can expect are from you and a dead guy who's best work was in the 50s and 60s.

[FatherJack]

F-Minus
how apt, although i dont think i would be that generous if i graded it.

trying to be like Greg Larson (Far Side) only it isnt funny (or wierd or anything really). They need to check out your 6 components and other rules. If it gets syndicated then i'll eat chips for a week. even your 80% rule doesnt work. I read 30+ posts and didnt grin or laugh out loud once. Dilbert rarely fails to make me grin/smirk and usually three times a week i get looks from across the office when i laugh. he isnt 80% right - not good enough yet.

unless the whole of June and July were not up to normal form, how can you be so far off Scott? Or are you just building to a sure fire topic for tomorrows blog.

[ipsissimusclay]

Might have been said, and if so sorry, but I think you did get the 'recognisable' element. That's why pop culture references are funny; they're recognisable, something you can relate not just to life in general [like a wallet] but your own, personal, modern life at that moment [like a fundamental obsession with having the shiniest tech].

Bit short for a thesis, but there you go.

[Richard Gosling]

Pop Culture references only work if the reader has heard of the reference. In common with (probably) the entire population of the world outside the US, I've never heard of Ryan Seacrest, so that joke fell flat. I wikipedia'd him, and apparently he is quite short, so I guess the joke has something to do with that.

So another hint on writing funny - Know Your Audience. If the majority of them have heard of Ryan Seacrest, and you don't care about the rest, feel free to go with that joke...

[spike17]

You left out an element......truth. Maybe you've rolled that into the "recognizable" category, but for something to be funny, there has to be a smidgeon of truth to it (which explains why so many politicians aren't very funny...they couldn't recognize the truth if it hit them in the head)

[Shawn]

Vegetarian Zombies, greatly funny:
http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070630.html

I think the "F-" cartoonist is very original and has a great natural sense of humor, sometimes needs a little work on his execution, but will get past that on his own with more experience.

I feel qualified to judge his work like this because I have extensive experience at being amused.

[T.G.]

Maybe that's what is wrong.

[Nomi]

"You don't have the heart of a true great cartoonist."

Huh? Phooey.

F Minus is funny.

[Cameron at Laugh It Off]

I'm blowing my own trumpet. The best jokes have very few words like this comic.

http://laughitoff.info/archive.php?Comic=LiveAlone

[KD]

F-Minus seems vaguely reminescent of Far Side, but it lacks the humor. I went through a few weeks worth but only a small handful of things even came close to being funny. It's not that his ideas for most of his comics are bad, it's more like he just can't deliver it in a funny or humorous manner most of the time.

[Tigerh8r]

F - didn't do it for me. Not only was it clearly an attempt to emulate Larson's The Far Side, a couple of the ones that I saw were pretty much twists on actual Larson comics. I felt dirty reading it, so I guess that might satisfy the "naughty" element, but I felt like it was a lame attempt to rip-off Larson, but with better art. Strangely, the fact that it had better art somehow made it less funny.

[Oink]

THIS wasnt funny . And F Minus has nothing that remotely qualifies as funny. Nothing is less funnnier than analysing WHY something should be or is funny.

[passerby]

Those aren't peacocks, they're flamingos. Sheesh. Pay more attention next time you're at the zoo.

[None of the above]

There's nothing funny about Mongolian Vaginas. Wait. Maybe there is.

I also found F-minus reminiscent of the Far Side. Any way back when in England there was a series of T-shirts with "Fred" in them, that was somewhat similar (ex, Fred is looking through what looks to be a stamp-album. Caption "Fred was horrified to find a rice-crispy in his cornflake collection". ok, perhaps it loses something in translation).

[Penethra]

hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahah

[LeComte]

Actually, I didn't find that comment terribly funny. It wasn't offensive, as some comments say, or at least I didn't find it so, but I think you tried a little too hard. Stick to your own rule. Two elements are generally enough. You write about the simplicity of humor, so stick with it! Brevity is the soulf of wit. That post went on longer than I would have liked.

[Cally]

F Minus is great most of the time, you should also check out the online comic "Boy on a Stick and Slither" it's very good. If you like F Minus, you might want to give the series "Discword" by Terry Pratchett a try. I will now use a magical spell to stop my endless list of recomendations. *POOF*

[rd]

i re-read your post today and it strikes me, how it's skipped my attention yesterday that you deliberately tried to offend
is it worth to trade someone's hurt feelings for a few laughs
sure my dislike of chinese may be not much sympathetic too, but that's a long talk
'funny' mongolian? how funny?
ipod incompatible herdsman ?
you may think it's pathetic, i don't care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA0XN8VDh6k
posting this just in hope that may be you and your readers will change a little your perception of us
though not sure, may be the racist gene is also inherent
and does not evolve

today is the last day of our Independence day festivities
thanks a lot for your attention
very much honored by series of your funny posts

[D. Mented]

...So there I was at the damn party, and after all the trouble it took to get there, the only one worth talking to was the babboon, and SHE was a Republican!
D. Mented

[Egonitron]

Humor is so subjective, it's impossible to please everyone. Personally, I like your blog and comic (although I'm not a fan of F Minus.) These tips were great, and you're right for the most part, at least for modern humor. I don't have much of a funny bone in writing, but I'll see if this post helps. Thanks, Scott!

[Jon]

Brevity rocks.

[jerry w.]

F-Minus?

Funny!

It's funny in that that's the same grade I'd give it on a day to day basis.

Lost in the shadow of "Pearls before swine" and so many others, and not going to see the sun soon.

Cathy was funny once, years ago......

http://boskolives.wordpress.com/

[Hidius]

My favorite F Minus strip was the one where the warriors were shooting arrows with suction cups, and then the suction cups came off, changing warfare forever...

[Billy B]

It's too bad that you can't fix the world with humor, but you can't. It's only a band aid for dealing with it.
Billy B

[Sir Mike Tallon]

He's great. Here was my favorite:

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070626.html

[Brett]

As a Zombie fan, I found June 30th to be particularly funny. July 7th was also quite good. Some of them just totally missed though, not even a chuckle, because they were to corny, wordy, or subtle.

[Shishio]

I didn't find F Minus all that funny. Here's a few better comics:

http://www.thepbf.com (I know this was linked earlier, but it deserves all the recognition it can get.)

http://www.lucid-tv.com

http://www.youdamnkid.com

[Phil]

"Steelhead Salmon" is funnier than "King Salmon". (But perhaps only to those of us who live under the space needle.)

[Whatever]

So I guess F Minus is also syndicated by United Media.
Very bad Adams...

[Joe Cooper]

I loved F Minus, especially the one where they're in the desert with the slot machine and the water vending machine. Brilliant!

I also wanted to point you toward this: http://www.kreepykat.com/ Cruel humor mostly!

[Michael Casey]

Your 2-of-6 rule is interesting, Scott, but I was never convinced that it implies causation rather than simply correlation. I feel like it's missing something key; I'm reminded of your dismissal of the popular humor formula [bad stuff + surprise + someone else]: "If that were true, serial killers would be winning all humor competitions." Naughty + cruel could be a rape, cute + familiar could be a baby, etc.

You cleverly weasel out of this problem by employing your one-size-fits-all 80/20 rule. This is clever because YOU DON'T SAY WHAT THE OTHER 20% COULD BE. It could be *anything*. At first whiff, getting to 80% on two of the six sounds reasonable, given the broad range of those essentials (and, of course, the 80/20 rule), but on close inspection it becomes clear that there are waaaaay more not-remotely-funny things than even almost-funny things that can emerge from that formula. My weasel sense was tingling something fierce.

Now I've realized the genius behind your formula. The formula is indeed a formula, but it doesn't work the way you advertised it. You ingeniously designed it to *provoke* funny thoughts in the minds of us readers; you were gambling on our own ability to draw up comedy given a few bare-bones contexts. Once we start thinking about cuteness and cruelness and bizarreness, our brains will sooner or later stumble upon something funny, like bazooka bunnies (get Rayman Raving Rabbids for your kids, btw). Our brains automatically filter out the non-funny stuff, like "just a baby". You encourage the mindset of experimentation, which is what all humor needs, and we take over from there.

So what's the remaining 20%? Why, the very same thing you were using to share your formula: hypnotism.

[David]

I read them all. They're alright.

[Nimrod]

I only read a couple weeks of F-. I like it. I really like his imagination. But there's a LOT of range as to whether any given comic may or may not be funny. That's probably why you told us to read through his archive.

His Ben Franklin comic put me in stitches. So great. The 1/2 guy on the airplane, also good. But the guy fishing at marine world? Incredibly bad. Beyond lame. So, lots of range.

On average, it's as funny as any other comic.

I might buy his book. If there are at least a handful of Ben Franklin-quality comics in there, it would be worth wading through the stinkers to find them.

[J Jetzen]

I think that "kumquat" may be the funniest word of all time.

You can say that word in any group, in any situation, and at least one person will laugh.

Thanks for the humor tips. I knew there was a formula for this, but never quite knew what it was.

[concatenator]

Oh, and another thing, its not funny when its a-a-almost funny, like F Minus.

[concatenator]

Nope - F Minus was not the slightest bit funny, even if you say so. I did not laugh, snicker, or smile on the inside. It's torture when the guy is obviously trying to be funny, and not succeeding. Like a nurse trying to give you an injection with a blunt needle.

I assumed this is just a way of checking out the competition, or another free will experiment.

[CLB]

I agree with poster Enough Wealth. F Minus is reminiscent of the Far Side and looks promising.

Another relatively new strip that is good is The Pajama Diaries by Terri Libenson. Yes, it covers the same ground as Baby Blues, but there’s enough humor in family situations to go around!

www.pajamadiaries.com

[canajian]

You did use the recognizable part in your post. The Shish Kabob situation and the scene in the bath room. No one has ever experience a full Shish Kabob, but had tried. And everyone knows what goes on in the bathroom.

[Ward Newcomb]

Thanks for the advice. I must say though, that I am disturbed that you think canoe is a funny word. Some of my best canoes are friends.

But in keeping with your previous Mongolian post, there was a segment on the evening news last night showing the world's tallest man meeting the worlds smallest. Have to wonder how big his ganbaatar is. Can't say, however, that I have same level of curiosity.

[me]

Your Mongolian post was terrible, Scott. I cringed just reading it . . . Silly penis euphemisms are on par with fart jokes in the bottom of the low-brow humor barrel. The humor felt forced and obvious, and now I know why: it was constructed according to this set of rules. Your best posts have a spontaneous, unpredicatable quality to them that makes them special.

[JoNa]

Thank you.

When I get laughs from my writing, it is always by accident. I seldom understand what it is that people find funny about my minor or major tragedies. They probably think I'm exaggerating.

I've bought books on how to write humor. The publishers probably laughed a lot as they counted their money.

I tend to kill humor by drowning it in words.

Now if my novel is published and becomes famous, I'll owe you. Damn! Where do I send the check?

[Penethra]

Poor Natalie!!

[jerry w.]

Great description on how to be funny.

Sadly, it was in the least funny post you've done in a long time.

http://boskolives.wordpress.com/

[single jane]

Scott,

look at what I found through using the stumble tool in my firefox thingy- http://www.biggercheese.com/comics/0360.png

[cubicle refugee]

I don't know... You also picked that strip about the personal trainer, and that was lame.

[Jayabrata Bose]

The 3 elements of comic writing as 'I' see it:

-Imagination
-Innuendo
-Individualism

Great post, Scott!

[JBP]

Sounds like a list out of "How to be Funny" by John Macks. Your main points pretty much overlap, both with strong emphasis on funny words, having a target (or "writing about people"), having a call back (what he calls tagging the joke), and even the disclaimer of the funny gene. Humor is pretty much universal, I guess. But nice job simplifying it all down to one post.

[Avi]

Some people have said F Minus is not funny...must every slightly-bizarre one panel comic be compared to The Far Side? The Far Side is too unique and WEIRD to be compared to. It's just WEIRD.

Also, webcomics ARE pretty darn hilarious.

[Andrew Shaw]

Please explain one thing to me. Why do I find your writing incredibly amusing yet your cartoons lame?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Kent]

This is by far the funniest comic I've ever read. In Tony Carrillo's F minus archive-- http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070626.html I was laughing for literally days afterwards.

[rc sugrue]

Prune. There's a word you don't get to use too often. I'll bet this whole post is just a vehicle for "prune."

[Brad]

The F-minus on July 4 was hilarious:
http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070704.html

So what is it that makes the "crank" on the One Laptop Per Child so totally hilarious? Among anyone who knows about the thing, I can bring them to tears by bringing up the crank. I don't even have to mention the little Elbonian furiously grinding the crank to get another 20 minutes of web browsing out of the little guy. And if I'm lucky enough to have someone who thinks OLPC is a fine, serious idea that we all should support in my little audience, it's even funnier.

[miriam]

thanks for the post and I think Tony is hysterical

[Me]

Our newspaper (The Patriot News, Harrisburg, PA) recently started carrying F Minus (in place of Fox Trot during the week). My parents look at it and say "I don't get it." I look at it and CRACK UP LAUGHING. I think it mostly employs the "bizarre" method - but not in that endearing British way.

[squigs]

Clever - Nope. Not really.
Cute - Certainly not unless you think snakes are cute.
Bizarre - Slightly. Been done too many times to really be odd.
Cruel - Not in the slightest.
Naughty - Yup. Got that right.
Recognizable - Not at all.

So that will be why I didn't laugh. 1 out of six deosn;t work.

I mean, what if it was as long as you suggest, but he was a midget? Where would he keep it? The thing would be coming out the bottom of his trousers. Could you imagine the indignity of tripping over your schlong? And then every time he got arounsed, he'd do the Hulk thing - only in reverse - His shirt would still fit but his underwear would rip.

[Maaik]

Dear Mr. Adams,

I think it's very sad that you treat humor as a science, a simple mixture of standard ingredients. you have no respect for your own work. You have no clue what cartooning is all about and with this kind of attitude you will never learn.
You think of yourself as a very intelligent person. This bothers me immensely. You are the contrast of Charles Shultz, a very warm, tender and modest man. You may have the rational braintools, but you don't have the heart of a true great cartoonist.

[Geoffrey]

Nothing is less funny than talking about why something is funny. Wodehouse is funnier than you, BTW.

[ShirtBloke]

Tony Carrillo also has one other aspect of funny - Discovery - you often have to search for a small detail in the drawing to see the point of the joke.

This compliments the observer and makes them feel smart for having found it. Clever when you can pull it off.

[niCk(MemBeth)]

I'm sorry. I don't find "F Minus" funny. TOO deliberate.

I think when you take true quirks about people and situations, and exaggerate them or present them in new and unusual way, is what makes me laugh out loud. That and slapstick comedy. Seeing people get hurt, but not traumatically, never stops being funny. But it has to be new, seeing the same old pratfalls, and hearing the same humorous situations repeated gets old.

Of course nothing is funnier than two vaginas arguing whether to have a python shish-ka-bob or a wiener roast.

[adora]

Tony Carrillo is very funny. I didn't know he's new. I've been reading his comics everyday for over a year. I love the ones with historic references and bizarre puns. The "Caveman painting" was one of my favorites.

[Matt]

Interesting post Scott

BTW that Tony Carillo is pretty good...

but obviously not as good as you.

[Noah Vaile]

Next big thing. eh?

[Bob]

Other useful information here:
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/How_to_be_funny_and_not_just_stupid

Admit your Python influence, and it will be well with your soul.

Or kill me.

[Nestor]

Here’s a link to a newish comic called F Minus, by Tony Carrillo. He has the humor gene. I’m picking him to be the next big comic. (Read a few weeks of his archive before forming an opinion.)

Good lord that was tragically unfunny, and it gets worse the more you read. Are you serious or are you trying some sort of gullibility experiment?

[Wolfger]

Thanks for sharing your insights (again), Scott. But isn't this like a magician showing folks how the trick is done? Won't the other comedians run you out of town, complete with tar, feathers, torches, and pitchforks? I mean, you've just exposed the system that shows comedy as something anybody can do if they just work at it.

For that matter, I imagine a lot of unfunny people will also be upset by this, because it just shows that they're too lazy to be funny. Like me. I just take whatever small amount of funny I stub my toe on... I'm not going to sit down before publishing each blog post and say, "OK, did I get at least 2 of the 6 elements in? Do I have my pop culture references?" I already have a day job. Being funny is just something I do (or fail to do) for fun.

[Fred Ipsum]

F-Minus is quite a bit like Wulffmorgenthaler, except they make jokes that would never make it into print. http://www.wulffmorgenthaler.com/

[andrew harrison]

I don't find the F minus comics funny in the slightest. They seem like good ideas but aren't very well executed. His dialogue explains too much of the scenario, so there isn't that "oh yeah" moment - you just get the joke, which isn't particularly funny, and move on. It's more of an "alright" moment.

[Some Bloke]

This is the next big thing in comics? All the one-panel simplicity of Larson with none of the charm, intelligence, bizarreness, or humour?
Well, more proof that syndication is a dead end for comic humour I suppose.
Why not try www.xkcd.com - a comic that manages to combine geekishness, mathematics, intelligence and insane humour with less effort than Carrillo displays in an entire month of work. A lot of the jokes are mainstream - risky, but at least it's not lazy and safe.

I'm in Penny Arcade's camp on this one I'm afraid.

[Mei]

Useful tips! I especially like the tip on simple sentence, some humor blogs out there have such long and difficult sentences..

[Toby]

Heh,

Some good tips - cheers!

[Enough Wealth]

F- has potential. It's reminiscent of The Far Side. I especially liked the "Chilly Dogs" and "Vegatarian Zombie" strips.

Regards
http://enoughwealth.com

[Milkman Dan]

Your Mongolian story wasn't very funny actually. You forgot in your list of advice the don't's, such as avoid stereotypes and avoid being crude. Making fun of someone for being too tall/short/fat/thin/etc is a cheap and cruel laugh.

However, the story about Bob Allen was funny. His negotiation with Kim Il Sung was very funny, exactly for the reasons that you explain, plus one: poke fun at authority figures (as opposed to poor people or Mongolian heardsmen).

[Oliver]

hmm, while i've read very funny things on this blog, i found that this one was only slightly to not at all funny (and i might be the only one). it seemed very constructed and today's post even explains why it felt that way.

i experience the same thing with songs: there is a similar set of rules for songs and yet, even if i follow all of them, in some cases they don't touch people. they seem too much "according to the rules" than from the heart.

[J]

I'm not seeing it, F-minus just doesn't have the elements to make me laugh, actually, here are the ones that I think are funny (5/32 good ones):

It’s bizarre to see a British soldier with a cat fetish.

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070614.html

And the other peacocks are not even freaked out at all by this!?

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070619.html

It’s just funny to think that opening a business with frozen hot dogs would ever be successful.

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070623.html

The paranoia on the parent’s faces, lol, and the intent look on the kid’s faces!

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070702.html

Buttcracks and ripping pants is hilarious no matter what!

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/archive/fminus-20070711.html

[Amit]

Hey Scott ... A good and helpful post... But i feel it is not always about what quality cloth and other stuff u use ... What matters the most is how u stitch them together. And that really requires a part of Scott Adams in you :D

[Spence]

ha ha I love f minus, it is my favorite comic, I have been reading it for a couple years now and it rocks

[Annie]

Scott, do you ever sleep?

[Dio]

Open a window Scott. ;)

[bApHoMEt]

Aah, the wise man reveals the secret of his art. Thanks for that.

[Avi]

The might Scott Adams stirs from his slumber! He lifts his jewelled scepter, and bestows knighthood upon the meek squire.

[Avi]

A great post!

I've been following F Minus for several awesome months now! And Pearls Before Swine.

Thanks for the humor advice. Interesting that you point out that humor is not about inanimate objects - they are almost always anthropromophized. Animals too. (The Far Side comes to mind...at least the little of it that I've seen)

Also, the funny words thing. You do that alot, and it's great. Phrases like 'drunken lemurs,' 'inebriated simians,' and 'vast herds of dolts.' They make me smile.

Also, the six elements of humor thing. You don't usually go for the cute. Catbert comes close, but he wears glasses and is evil. Stephan Pastis, though, has the cute thing down pat.

I think the thing I need to work on is wordiness. I try to cram too much into a sentence sometimes. Maybe that's why no one read our high-school newspaper. Those jerks.

[T Simic]

Dear Scott,

A piece of humor written according to these rules can go SO wrong it hurts.

Scary Movie, anyone?

[KarlW]

Scott,

When you make up a nonsense word (and you know you do) do you ever look it up later on to see if it actually IS nonsense? Google Ganbaatar just for kicks.

Thanks for making my mornings just a bit better.

Karl

[rob kay]

I love it when Scott picks a new comic, largely because I almost always disagree and get to argue as to why. Taking F minus in Scott's context, he's missing funny words. He mixes the elements of humor well, but without funny words, well, it just isn't funny.

Just my two cents, coming from a guy who can't break a nickel.

[Priest]

I have two comments here. First, the "callback" is always something that drives me crazy. I love watching stand-up comedians, and I always hate it when they finish with a callback. Second, one problem with pop culture references is that some people (me) have no idea who Ryan Seacrest is.

[VJ]

Have you attained Nirvana?

[William of Urbana]

Another good rule, related to Leave Room for Imagination - Let Them Construct the Punchline. An example is Carrillo's cartoon "This doesn't have to be a fight."

[Chris Gregg]

I gave "F-" a few weeks (in the last five minutes), and I think he would be much funnier if his dialog was tighter. Examples: July 2 ("Morse Code"); too wordy. What about, simply, "You know, Angela, one of us needs to learn morse code." Or, July 10th ("Raccoon Guests"): it would be funnier if they were the hosts! "Honey, I'll take care of the hors d'oeuvres, you get the drinks." That said, July 9th was _very_ funny ("The Bedwetter"), and many of the others were pretty good.

[Tristan]

"And it’s funny that his manhood is compared to Ryan Seacrest as opposed to something generic, such as an oak tree."

Unless, of course, someone - say me - doesn't know who Ryan Seacrest is.

[Mukund Mohan]

Scott
Its amazing that you are sharing so much information in such a simple way. Great blogging. Thanks.

[megalodon]

I hope I don't screw the first comment standard, in case this one is the first.

Thank you for sharing your insights and some of your trade secrets Scott....I might just take it and start my own, Indian version of the blog and call it 'Dilpreeth Singh' blog...maybe :). Maybe I shall make Asok the new PHB though I will give him Jon Edwards $300 haircut (not PH) :).

Anyway, thanks for the analysis. I'm sure after 3-4 reads I will get some of the points u state. I too feel that analyzing the mechanisms of humor (or any human emotion) for that matter is important.

Please post your opinions on science stuff too, if you are interested.

[Tyler]

you're taking all of the magic out of it.

[George Frost]

Nice post!
Tony Carrillo seems pretty good.
I think Chad Carpenter is funny: www.tundracomics.com

[jesse]

Agreed on F minus, it is stunning.

[Penethra]

How did he come up with the name, Scott?

[Gabe]

F Minus is safe, formulaic, and unfunny.
People like Jeff Rowland (www.wigu.com and overcompensating.com) and Ryan North (qwantz.com) are the future of comics.

[SandyShoes]

5'6" isn't smallish. It's taller than average actually, and possibly quite tall for that part of the world.

I missed the point, didn't I.

[rd]

wow, two days in a row mongolian theme
i am so proud
just would you stop referring him as mongolian, please
the man is chinese, CHINESE occupants to that matter
or even if they are ethnic mongols around there then descendants of traitors who willingly submitted to manchus, forgot their roots and language and culture
so no my sympathy for them
the XXth century's tallest man was a mongolian around 1920-30 ies, that's true i admit

it reads a bit sad when humor is dissected

[Karl N]

Scott- I just checked out the past month of the comic you linked. It was amusing. I was reminded of a really, really funny strip called Perry Bible Fellowship - though it is a bit less family oriented. Here's the link if you haven't checked it out.

http://pbfcomics.com/

[The Tree]

Great tips on being funny. Now I will knock people out with jokes instead of my fists. If only Chuck Norris could do the same...

F Minus.
This was probably one of the top three in weird experiences I've... experienced. I read the comic, and I knew it was funny, and just as I was going to laugh inside, my brain stoped and I became paralyzed for a second. I thought it was quite weird, but went to the next comic. Same thing. It was like I was about to suffer a black out, but popped out of it almost instantly. I tested this a few times, then I figured it could be dangerous to shut down my brain, or what the heck I was doing. Is it possible those comic strips has the exact amount of fun to make my brain pause?

Or is there such a thing as too much carbon dioxide? If there is, I don't what to know.

[Karl N]

Scott, you must be hypnotizing us, because just today I was attempting a humorous response to someone online and wishing I had more of your writing tips.

It was in reference to a Water Bar in NY that sells expensive bottled water, with one brand costing $55.

http://wcbstv.com/seenon/local_story_193212517.html

Since we're on the topic, I'll share the response I wrote, attempting to incorporate elements I had learned from you prior to this post.
[[
I think the fact that we spend so much money on a common resource packaged in fancy bottles says something about America.

I'd better get the jump on the bottled air business before the iron cools. I can imagine it now:

"Are you still inhaling *regular* air? Regular air contains harmful contaminants like germs, pollen, and car exhaust. Buy a bottle of refreshing Norom Air, imported from Greenland. It's the only civilized way to breathe."

I'll begin taking orders now.
]]

I think I nailed one part of it at least (you probably know which). I could tell I would have to spend a lot of time on it to make it really good (violating the 80% Rule), but I guess that's what practice is for. Anyway, thanks for the advice!

[Robby]

I've been reading F-Minus in my newspaper for several months. How can you say that dork Carrillo is funny? They're just faulty logic. Occasionally it's bizarre faulty logic, but not enough to make it funny.

[Penethra]

I have a sudden, inexplicable craving for cottage cheese.

[Luke]

I don't know whether you think this stuff through yourself but it's amazing how much thought you put into things that seem so simple.

You're obviously a funny person in real life - not just in comics and your blog. You have a method for writing funny blogs and funny comics, so do you have a method for being funny in general? Or do you just fly by the seat of your pants?