#431 – How Deep The Rabbit Hole?
October 20th, 2012 |
If you’re just joining us, welcome along! Here are some of Lothar’s other hypotheses, so you can understand why Eastwood would be reluctant.
Discussion (128) ¬
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I knew it! Those ponies are too cute and too happy. Burn them!
I see what happened.
Harry’s one of those bronies that’s absolutely nuts about it all, a completely serious fanatic that… works for a government agency. You know how it is.
‘Code Trojan’ and his accusatory expression indicates that he is panicking that Lothar has turned out not to be serious and that he has exposed his workings to a fraud and a troll. ‘Close the Stable Door’ means blow up the evidence and seal off all implicating evidence.
And on top of that, ‘Code Trojan’. As in Trojan Horse. ‘Close the Stable Door’. Get it? No? Ah well.
Alternatively, he’s the opposite that thinks that bronies are a cult and the horse puns indicate that Lothar is a brony, sending Harry’s panic into overdrive.
So he’s a freak either way. Kinda wanna know what Lothar’s theory was, now. It’s probably horrid, but still.
Yeah, Harry thinks they’re a cult, and hates them- he’s collecting evidence of their supposedly evil activities.
Either way, the idea is “Keep the evidence out of enemy hands.”
…Huh.
Well, I suppose it could be justified depending on what kinds of bronies are present in the EN universe.
*coughclopperscough*
Hey, don’t judge us, sexual urges are one of the most driven things humans have. Even if we can’t decide what it drives us towards…
It could be worse. We could’ve been stuck with GORN.
Some are.
O.O
Gets kinda weird when you realize some of the EN Bronies would be literal horses…
Aaaaand now I have trouble thinking about this without my brain burning out. Thank you very much.
Have we seen a horse on EN yet?
Im pretty sure weve seen one of the Characters from MLP, namely Applejack in the cespool club.
http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2011-08-09/comic/the-cesspool/clobberin-time/
first pannel.
Hang on… we’ve seen an Applejack in universe. With Twilight next to her.
And yet the show exists. Wat.
Oh jeez, Harry might be onto something…
Oh poor you East. The entire world symathises with you, your horror at the forefront of our minds.
Actually, yes, that was hilarious and I will remember it.
…Actually, I can see a storyline where it turns out bronyism is a cult…
Oddly enough, that’s where this came from. Me and Lothar had some plans for such a storyline, but in the end we found they were going nowhere. So we just boiled the concept down and got this.
A fitting death to a possible storyline.
Every time I see pointing Harry I can’t help but think Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Virus, have you been sneaking in movie references behind our backs?
Guilty, but I was only following orders; East’s idea.
Every time you say those two words, I shudder.
close the stable door, reminds me of closeing the stable door after the horse has already left
.
THE HORSE HAS BOLTED! REPEAT THE HORSE HAS BOLTED!
…Huh..
Am I the only one who thinks this could all be an elaborate practical joke? After all, is Lothar likely to share any more of his theories after this? Or am I giving Eastwood too much credit?
(Fun fact: My spell checker suggests ‘Harlot’ as a possible replacement for ‘Lothar’)
My guess- only my guess- is that that’s intentional.All’s ya got to do is switch the halves.
Um, this may be a trick of the eye, and i dont want ti be a troll, but a bit of east’s hair goes to the second paneling the top right corner of the comic.
Fix’d, thanks for the catch
I always thought that the ponies were an OK show, given bonus points for surprise. Probably the most interesting thing about them is that just about anyone can make their own characters quite easily. I have to laugh at all the “Ponified” characters from other shows. They’re hilarious. Anyone can make their own versions… kind of like…Sonic…
*Glares at you, then devours you and your soul*
If my soul is devoured, perhaps I may learn to ENJOY ponies.
He should have brought the papers to be shredded up there with him. Would have saved time.
10th panel, all I can think of when I see that is “THIS IS MY O FACE!”
u can’t stop us, the conversion has already begun.
we are bronies. living proof that Lauren Faust is a social genius. FEAR US!!!
I do have to admit this much: Faust is a genius. To take a name that appeals only to little girls (and only THEN if you’re lucky) to actually making a decent show with developed characters, plots, and a lack of anviliciousness? Impressive. It still falls a bit short of my taste, but nobody can deny she did justice for that license. Likable? Not for me. Respectable? Absolutely.
(If you don’t know what “Anvilicious” means, go to TVTropes.)
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Anvilicious
Are you mad?! You don’t just hand out links to TVTropes on the internet! It’s a WMD!
Clearly they’re trying to rid themselves of commentary competition.
Exactly. MUAHAHAHAHaaaaaaaa……..
MLP is this generation’s Animaniacs: a kids show with lots of jokes only adults watching will get… but also has some good educational bits, and just plain fun.
Animaniacs had educational bits? Guess I missed them Hellooooooooo NURSE!
United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru.
Republic Dominican, Cuba Carribean, Greenland El Salvador too!
Point taken.
Brain stem. Brain stem!
You will be brought into the herd. Resistance is futile. You will be bronified, become one with the love and tolerance.
*cocks shotgun*
Try it, pony boy. I’ll put you down like a horse with a limp.
Calm down, dear. It’s only a cartoon show.
My Little Pony is a cartoon show?
*Hands ThunderGodSlice an industrial flamethrower*
Shotgun won’t work, lad. You have to kill it with fire.
Wait a moment, Lothar’s cybernetic eye vanishes in the last panel. What’s with that? Probably just an error.
Nice catch.
I think it looks better with both eyes white, rather than one white and one red. Thus making him entirely black-and-white.
So I chalk it up to an artistic decision.
Completely failed to notice I’d done that, how odd. But Aye-non is right, red looked weird. So I compromised with a slight pink tint to the bionic – hit refresh. Avoids looking like I just forgot, but still has the stark, blinky-blink Wile E. Coyote effect to it.
Nice. Now we need an avatar for that.
Now that the formalities are dealt with, it can be properly hilarious. Now if we only knew what Lothar was thinking about…
I know. WE NEED TO KNOW.
It took me a few read-throughs to get it, but this was hilarious.
Wait…HAVE they always had a loft? Or did Eastwood get that installed solely to store his evidence of the Bronies true evil doings? Hm…Curious.
Either way, I wasn’t expecting this, and it gave me a good laugh. Kudos to you guys once again.
LOL XD HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HAHA HAHA HA!
It works because it’s true.
Oh man guys…This is officially my favorite single page comic from your guys.
Just brilliant!
Love the expressions, the scenes, all of it. Down.Right.Awesome! Love it.
And yes, finally! I’m not the only one who feels like he’s gone crazy. I just … can’t understand this bronie thing.
I mean there are always ‘internet fads’ execpt this one is different in the way that it’s actually accepted, a majority is partaking and no one seems to realize how weird it is. I do feel like I’m missing something great – that or me and Harry are the only sane ones left! hahaha
I can UNDERSTAND it, but it’s not really my thing. I rate every TV show twice; Once based on LIKING it, the other based on “It’s a well-made show” . It’s definitely a well-made show, but I just can’t bring myself to LIKE it that much.
I still haven’t met anyone how didn’t think that the whole brony fenomena is wierd the first time he heard about it, Brinies included. Heck, the desire to find out why the hell adoult man are watching MLP is what got me to watch the show and become a brony.
Doesn’t make it any less weird man.
You just said it yourself – adult man … ponies … cartoon.
haha. I’m still taking Harry’s side in this :P
But wierd dosn’t mean wrong, just agains expectations. Stuff like this is tend to change with time.
What you see is just a subversion of what TV Tropes calls “Girl Show Ghetto”.
TVTropes FTW.
The strip is intentionally neutral on the show itself, because the authors’ opinions are mixed. I, for one, am anticipating the third season, and once drew fan art.
I stumbled across that last week when I went to look at the Blasphemy figure.
Considering the general subtext behind all of Lothar’s previous hypotheses about television shows, I really, REALLY don’t want to hear what he has to say about My Little Pony.
Then again, there’s cloppers, so perhaps it may be strangely relevant.
Also, Eastwood’s :O face is fucking priceless.
I want to hear it. He may be deranged, but Lothar’s theories are fucking BRILLIANT.
He is going to have a hard time topping some of the actual fan theories.
I think the thing that weirds me out are the people who assign names and personalities to EVERY.SINGLE.BACKGROUND.PONY.
Don’t forget the creepypastas.
bleeeeeuuurrrrrggh
I find creepypastas funny. For some reason, nobody else does.
Cupcakes always make me laugh…
I first heard about it on TVTropes, and I was actually creeped out. the next day i read it- and burst out laughing.
(…Huh)
V
___M___
(O.O)
I’m going to be using that Eastwood panel for everything from now on.
(…Huh)
V
__M___
.(O.O)
So many good avatar ops! Mainly that Eastwood face and the Charcoal Lothar face.Possibly the “You Do?” face and Lothar rolling his eyes. WANT.
So bronies were involved with the Lunar landings, the pyramids, the JFK assassination something with the pope, and I can’t figure out the last image on the clipboard (bottom right) busy life those bastards
Pony Princess Diana. Mostly a nod to the eternal conspiracy theories surrounding her death.
Loose lips sink ships, Eastwood.
no no no, that’s people in glass houses who sink ships
With stone lips, no less.
Stone Lips, good band name.
MINE!!!!
I call back-up singer!
o.o
I think I just ruptured a kidney that was so fucking funny
I bet Lothar’s glad now that the guys asbestos-ized his hat at the end of the 1st Morth arc.
I’ve only seen MLP fan-stuff so far. I’m mildly tempted to check out the real thing purely to see what all the fuss is about…
Fat lot of good it did him.
LOL! Welcome to the herd, Lothar. Cupcakes are given out on Fridays, and I am 99% sure that they don’t have pony in them.
…
…
…….
Did you REALLY have to go there?
hmm if it comes to meals i like some Pinky Pie myself (which actually may or may not have some Pinky in the Pie)
So the bronies are a rapidly expanding cult that brainwashes everyone into liking them its kinda like reaper indoctrination……… Oh shit the first bronie was Harbringer.
Haters gonna hate. Even as a brony this is still hilarious. I can tell you that for most of us ponies are just some hobby, but there are plenty who take it too seriously. I can see where all that stigma comes from.
Actually, Scrooge McDuck did once earn a small fortune by kicking an african tribe off their land and using it for a rubber plantation. Lothar’s theory on black ducks does hold some water.
“Even as a brony this is still hilarious.” Good. It wasn’t supposed to be hateful. I’m down with the Herd. The comic is plainly absurd, I do hope no one takes it as genuine commentary on the show or the phenomenon.
If anybody took this strip seriously, you guys could fill a swimming pool with lawsuits.
If you ever do get that many lawsuits, by the way, take a picture and share it with the fans of the comic. I’d love to see the pool.
And then we’ll all help out by finding ways to get out of, beat, win, or get around those lawsuits. After having a laugh at everyone’s expense…
Whereas I’m not terribly interested in the property either way. I just get really bored about hearing how it’s the greatest thing since bread was put into bags.
I’ll toast to that.
I personally like the cartoon, sometimes look at funny pony videos that come up on youtube. That’s about it.
It’s like anything, though- there will always be fans who take it way. too. far.
There are also haters that take it equally too far. People liking a thing “too much” is not an excuse to act like a douchebag to them. That sort of pushback to fandom happens a lot, and I can’t help that think passion motivated by joy is FAR preferable to passion motivated by resentment. Fuck haters. If you hate WoW, or Portal memes, or Dr Who, or Big Bang Theory, or any of the things that became cool to hate on when they got popular, exit the fucking “ThingThatIHate” blog and go find something you DO like. You’ll be happier, and the people who DO like those things will be happy to be rid of you.
It’s cool to like Doctor Who now?
Wait, why not?
Hey!! They have a empty loft now…more space XD
love the expression of Eastwood in the fourth last panel..just..just great lol
So what does this make those mercenaries we glimpsed in the background of page 373?
Non-specific, original, unlicensed, completely-unrelated-to-anything-copyrighted characters. And by the way? THE CHIMICHANGAS ARE A LIE.
Tuesday.
East’s expressions never fail to crack me up. I love the O face too, but what really gets me is panel 10.
Jeez, has it really been five years since I was here last? Well, old reader, deciding to come back to the fold. Glad to see its improved since Ive been gone.
In Lothars defence, MLP kinda grows on you, like fungus or some sort of genital rash
Panels 10 & 13….epic win EN crew. Epic. WIN!
I actually have a theory that MLP:FiM wasn’t actually meant just for kids. The fact that they threw in references to Benny Hill, I Love Lucy, and even The Big Lebowski kinda points to that.
That’s kind of SOP for kids shows nowadays, so that any parent (or other caretaker) doesn’t get too bored and …convince the kids to watch something else.
Actually…it might be more than that. When I was with my nephew as he was watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Channel, I actually FELT myself getting stupider. This show probably wanted to avoid that trap as well.
Oldest of five. I watch nothing BUT those shows.
There’s a bit of a difference considering Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a cartoon that is for young kids…like 3 years old, which is designed to help them recognize shapes, colours and the like. So you know, not really a fair comparison.
Seriously, you try showing something like the Nightmare Night episode to a toddler, they’ll go catatonic
Its kind of weird how stupid these types shows treat young children these days. Show them an episode of the magic schoolbus or Play School and they’ll flip their shit.
Thankfully, the cartoons meant for older kids/young teens are usually more entertaining and less insulting than the shows meant for adults these days. Especially CSI: Miami. I just… that show… my brain… ugh.
I just realized Harry’s face in that panel is a reference to the 78′ remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
We need a wallpaper of the bottom left most panel. It’s simply the greatest thing I have seen on this website.
Well, it is part of the Inquisition’s duties to track down and deal with illegal oc-colt activities…
Red alert! We’ve got another one!
YOU KNOW, 1 WOULDN’T B3 SURPR1S3D 1F 3QU1US OR H1S D4NC3STOR H4D 4 SHOW TH3Y W3R3 FOND OF C4LL3D SOM3TH1NG 4LONG TH3 L1N3S OF “MY L1TTL3 HOOFB34ST, MO1R4LL3G13NC3 1S M4G1C”
Wow. I’m so glad I wasn’t in the know on Homestuck before this comment.
Lol. East is a riot. Wish I could find out what Lothars theory was. He should have gone to Virus, there is a possiibility he’s a brony. Are you gonna revis it this in the future? Meh. Prolly not.