To Meme or Not To Meme in Comics

[joannekwan]

Do you guys like seeing memes in comics? Do you like putting them in your own? A character dabbing for example, or a character going "What are thoooose?"

I think it's only appropriate if you're making a very contemporary story, meant to really reflect the current times. Otherwise it takes me right out of the story. As for my own stories, I like to keep the timeline relatively vague, only dated by the technology, so you'll never catch me depicting a meme in canon. xD

[gh0stcr33p]

I honestly think they're just too try-hard, and sometimes people won't understand the joke

[joannekwan]

Haha I thought it'd be the opposite!
Like a creator might go "Oh, I don't know how to write a great punchline. I guess I could insert this meme, enough people find it funny so here it goes!"

[gh0stcr33p]

I meant that they'd be trying too hard to relate to this generation

[TheBryceKrispy]

Wouldn't putting memes in comics date the comic?

[feardeer]

In general I think you're better off making your own jokes. Characters/events can still be silly without relying on memes. That said, if I were to include memes, it would be in the gag comic strips I do at the end of chapters, not on actual pages. But I'm usually very out of the loop with memes, so it's probably better if I don't, lol.

[phen]

Yes, this is such a crucial aspect of immersion. Context is an important factor and taking into account your comic world's timeframe can really make or break the suspension of (dis)belief for your audience. Comics that are direct references of a specific era (ie, dated "LA County, CA, 2015"), I believe inserting applicable memes is totally cool and something that helps to heighten the overall environment.

However, stories situated in "present day" should be more cautious about throwing memes around. Not all of them age well and it's a bit cheesy to come across one in a comic that otherwise feels set in the now.

[joannekwan]

That's what I think. Like Family Guy jokes with their references.

[dawgofdawgness]

Mmmm not really. It's kind of a turn off if one of the characters start quoting vines, even if it's in the middle of a serious scene or not. just personal taste I guess

[Kann]

Internet overuses memes all the time so most of the time I'm not impressed by them, when I see them in comics. Also some memes die pretty fast, so I'd be careful with putting them in.

[TheBryceKrispy]

Most of the time references aren't funny. References aren't jokes. References can be funny but only if its done right.

For me, most memes aren't funny and quickly become dead and tired out. I especially dislike vine memes because most of the time they don't make sense on their own. Example: What are those doesn't make sense but bad luck Brain does.Theirs a difference between parody and references.

[Raven_C]

While I appreciate some memes here and there, I do not like them in comics lol.

[Pandastrophic]

I kinda hate it, like it makes me roll my eyes as soon as I see a meme joke.
I don't mind references though to things that are a bit more timeless, the problem with memes now is that they come and go really quickly, if you write it a meme joke in your comic it might seem okay at that specific time but anyone reading your comic a month or even a week from now is gonna cringe.

Comics that are direct references of a specific era (ie, dated "LA County, CA, 2015")

I think this is kinda okay, even then they have to be really good meme jokes and not just referencing the meme. Also it has to be really clear that the comic is set it 2015 otherwise it would make me think 'Why are the authors jokes really out-dated?'

idk I'd avoid this type of humor all together mainly bc I don't want my comic to feel out dated because of them, you can create a sense of the time/year your comic is set in, in a much better way than using memes.

[joannekwan]

Yes! I think a story should be as timeless as possible, because one's biggest fans might not even see your story until next year or even later, way past the reference's expiration date.

I think if a creator must include references to the times it really ought to be in passing, rather than be the punchline of a joke.

[punkarsenic]

i feel like pop cultural stuff like that really dates a story, giving it a pretty short shelf life before that joke makes no sense to your audience. which can be fine - webcomics are a pretty transient medium i guess - but i personally wouldnt like to do it.

i also think its kind of boring reference humour, it doesnt make me laugh particularly bc theyre very well known references and pretty shallow jokes.

on the flipside if someone was tryna do like a Super Realistic Take on Teens Today id expect memes, fortnite dances, current slang - otherwise it jus wouldnt be quite accurate, would it? create the period piece for the 2010s in the 2010s and dont release it for ten years when itll be praised for its accuracy

[DiegoPalacios]

[OliviaMerteli]

Thoses kind of things ages pretty badly. How it'll be read in 1 year, 2 years, when the meme is completely over-used or forgotten? At best it falls flat, at worth it's cringeworthy.
Unless the current moment is really a big part of the story, like when the storiy is tied to real life events and the author really want to fix THAT year/moment.

[fleohr]

I only use them in my extra section, where I featured a comment and try to make a 4-koma or a single image, but I mix with other stuff to make a new joke

Not sure if I already used any in my comic itself

[silverraven0]

Some of my works are dated (kind of, the year it happened in the story), so I'll gladly put one if it's fitting in there.

[keii4ii]

I've never encountered the "what are thooooose" meme (I pretty much live under a rock) and that seems like something I might put in my writing without ever being aware. Now I'm paranoid that I might have done this, or will do this in the future...