Why Some Punchlines Don’t Land

Dave Kellett returns from his first-ever college reunion with a full heart — and a renewed appreciation for old friends, running jokes, and the occasional listener washing dishes through the cold open. From there, Brad and Dave dig into one of the trickiest parts of writing comics: how much work should the reader have to do to “get” the punchline?

Using Brad’s motorcycle-jump-over-a-ravine metaphor, they discuss why wider joke “canyons” can create bigger laughs, why shorter jumps can feel merely “technically funny,” and why the best cartoonists learn how to build strong launching ramps while understanding that every reader brings a different landing ramp.

Also in this episode: How to show music in a silent medium, why semi-realistic comics should still embrace comics iconography, a quick San Diego Comic-Con update, Bluesky’s expanded image carousel, and why obsessing over analytics can become a form of creative procrastination.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Writing punchlines that require inference from the reader
• Brad’s “motorcycle jumping a ravine” metaphor for humor
• Why wider joke gaps can produce bigger laughs
• The difference between “funny” and “technically funny”
• Why some jokes land for one reader and miss for another
• How audience literacy, life experience, and context affect comedy
• Why “it took me a second” can be a feature, not a bug
• The danger of making every joke too obvious
• Why memorable comics often take bigger comedic swings
• Why being someone’s “top three cartoonist” matters more than broad mild approval
• The difference between newspaper-era comics and webcomics-era audience building
• Dave’s San Diego Comic-Con booth update
• The free ComicLab pin for listeners at Booth 1228
• Bluesky expanding post image limits from 4 images to 10
• How the new Bluesky carousel can help sequential artists
• How to communicate piano music in comics
• Why floating music notes are not “too cartoony” for semi-realistic comics
• Using established comics iconography instead of reinventing the wheel
• Why comics can suggest music but rarely reproduce the experience of music
• How manga and anime use visual language more freely
• Using musical notation as a visual “spice,” not the whole dish
• Why analytics can become creative avoidance
• Whether it matters how quickly a comic reaches its maximum views
• Why “magic number” thinking can distract from improving the next comic
• Why creators should spend less time dusting bookcases and more time making better comics
• What's better? A simple gag or one that requires the audience to think?
• UPDATE: Comic-Con International booth 1228
• Update: Bluesky update... 10 images per post!
• Indicating music in a realistic comic
• How long does it take to achieve maximum views?

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Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.