# Please explain today's (8/23/02\*\*) 'Bizarro' cartoon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2002, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215 "2002-08-23T11:06:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/1 "2002-08-23T11:06:06Z")
[http://www.ucomics.com/bizarro/](http://www.ucomics.com/bizarro/) I just don’t get it. \*\* (or 23/8/02 for those of you who write the date that way) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/2 "2002-08-23T11:13:45Z")
Umm…Stephen King’s books scared the crap out of “Chris Thomspon” so to get even “Chris Thompson” scares the crap out of Stephen King. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/3 "2002-08-23T11:22:37Z")
That is, unless I’m missing some sort of relevance of this “Chris Thompson” character. I’m going under the assumption that it denotes any average Joe. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/4 "2002-08-23T11:26:08Z")
That’s wha I was wondering - the relevence of the name? I’ve not read any Stephen King in years (17, at least). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/5 "2002-08-23T11:38:56Z")
Well, according to google, there was a movie called “Trucks” directed by Chris Thompson which was based on a novel by Stephen King. Somehow, I doubt this comic was alluding to this character. I’m sticking with “Chris Thompson” = “Joe Q. Public.” ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/6 "2002-08-23T12:03:43Z")
Chris Thompson as director of “Trucks” is way too obscure for this, I’d have to think. No idea who he is… ---
**Author:** ![Iguana\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/7 "2002-08-23T12:37:07Z")
My opinion is that Chris Thompson is just some average joe, who is finally getting revenge on Stephen King after being frightened by his books. The character (Chris Thompson) has to have a name otherwise the caption would be clumsy, or would give away the sight-gag element. Also naming the guy allows people to identify with the character more and place themselves in his shoes. Besides, “A reader meets Stephen King” just isn’t as funny! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/8 "2002-08-23T12:42:37Z")
Yeah, but if it was really supposed to be an average joe, he’d be more likely to use a name like “Joe Schmoe” or “Alan Smithee” or “John Smith” … and it’s not the artist’s name, so I gotta think it means **something** … ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/9 "2002-08-23T12:47:51Z")
This site [http://www.christhompson-central.com/](http://www.christhompson-central.com/) says he’s a singer-musician formerly of Mangred Mann’s Earth Band. 'Course, don’t know if that’s the guy being referenced in the comic. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/10 "2002-08-23T15:46:08Z")
You’re kidding right? I hope so. If not, c’mon, Chris Thompson is about as generic and white bread an American name you can get without being as bland as “John Smith” or “Dave Jones.” ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/11 "2002-08-23T16:22:46Z")
Hm. New one on me, then. I’ve never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![DougAB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@DougAB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougAB)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/12 "2002-08-23T18:28:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Alan \*Smithee \* Sounds like a generic ice sugar drink sold at the “convenience mart.” ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/13 "2002-08-23T18:44:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DougAB \* > \*\* > > Sounds like a generic ice sugar drink sold at the “convenience mart.” \*\* 🙂 This used to be the pseudonym used in Hollywood movies in place of the director’s name - usually if the director thought his or her own movie was so bad that he or she wanted their own name removed from it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/14 "2002-08-24T01:10:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah, but if it was really supposed to be an average joe, he’d be more likely to use a name like “Joe Schmoe” or “Alan Smithee” or “John Smith” … and it’s not the artist’s name, so I gotta think it means something… Yeah, but those are _too_ common. “Chris Thompson” is a very average name without being one of those cliched “every man” names. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dan Piraro (the cartoonist) knows a Chris Thompson and used his name as a private joke. However, in the context of the cartoon, it doesn’t matter who Chris Thompson is. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/15 "2002-08-24T15:14:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\* > > 🙂 This used to be the pseudonym used in Hollywood movies in place of the director’s name - usually if the director thought his or her own movie was so bad that he or she wanted their own name removed from it. \*\* Ever see _Burn, Hollywood, Burn_? It’s a movie about a guy named Alan Smithee who makes a movie, hates it, wants to take his name off it but can’t because they’ll only let him replace it with “Alan Smithee” Now, the movie _Burn, Hollywood, Burn_ itself is so bad that its actual director had his name pulled and replaced with “Alan Smithee”. Now that’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/16 "2002-08-24T15:45:02Z")
I’ve never seen _Burn, Hollywood, Burn_, but it’s my understanding that because of the movie, no one uses the “Alan Smithee” pseudonym anymore, because it’s too well known. Anyway, that was the joke with the film - that everyone knew it was a fake name and had been for some 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/17 "2002-08-25T05:34:01Z")
What are you talking about? _ **I** _ still use it! (Not too often, though. I waste enough time just reading this board.) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/18 "2002-08-25T07:31:29Z")
Cordwainer Bird! Cordwainer Bird! ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-todays-8-23-02-bizarro-cartoon/125215/19 "2002-08-26T03:01:06Z")
Harlan? Is that you?