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-{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
-{{Use American English|date=December 2012}}
-{{DISPLAYTITLE:''xkcd''}}
-{{infobox comic strip
-| title = xkcd
-| italic title = no
-| image = [[File:xkcd philosophy.png]]
-| caption = Panel from "[http://xkcd.com/220/ Philosophy]" (#220)
-| author = [[Randall Munroe]]
-| url = [http://xkcd.com/ xkcd.com]
-| rss = http://xkcd.com/rss.xml
-| atom = http://xkcd.com/atom.xml
-| status = Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
-| first = September 2005<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6509550/The-10-best-webcomics-from-Achewood-to-XKCD.html |location=London |work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Tom | last=Chivers | title=The 10 best webcomics, from Achewood to XKCD | date=November 6, 2009}}</ref>
-| genre = Geek humor
-}}
-'''''xkcd''''', sometimes stylized as XKCD, is a [[webcomic]] created by [[Randall Munroe]]. The comic's tagline describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language."<ref group="‡" name="aboutxkcd">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=About xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/about/|accessdate=March 25, 2011}}</ref> Munroe mentions on the website that the name of the comic isn't an acronym but in fact "just a word with no phonetic pronunciation." It has received mention from ''[[The Guardian]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/18/internet-websites|title=100 top sites for the year ahead|date=December 18, 2008|accessdate=March 25, 2011|location=London |work=The Guardian |first1=Charles|last1=Arthur|first2=Jack|last2=Schofield|first3=Aleks|last3=Krotoski|first4=Keith|last4=Stuart|first5=Greg|last5=Howson|first6=Mike|last6=Anderiesz|first7=Michael|last7=Cross|first8=Victor|last8=Keegan}}</ref> and ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/business/media/20link.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y|title=When Pixels Find New Life on Real Paper|date=April 19, 2009|accessdate=March 25, 2011|work=The New York Times|first=Noam|last=Cohen}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/business/media/26link.html|title=This Is Funny Only if You Know Unix|work=The New York Times|first=Noam|last=Cohen|date=May 26, 2008|accessdate=May 30, 2008|quote=... Randall Munroe, the 23-year-old creator of ''xkcd'', a hugely popular online comic strip (at least among computer programmers)...}}</ref>
-The subject matter of the comic varies, including statements on life and love (some love strips are simply art with poetry), and [[Mathematical joke|mathematical]] or [[science|scientific]] [[in-joke]]s. Some strips feature simple humor or [[pop-culture]] references. Although it has a cast of [[stick figures]],<ref name="Guzman">
-{{cite web|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/315214_stayonline11.html|title=What's Online|work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]|first=Mónica|last=Guzmán|page=D7|date=May 11, 2007|accessdate=May 30, 2008|quote=Created by math and programming geek Randall Munroe, the ''xkcd'' comic updates every Monday with a new adventure for its cast of oddball stick figures.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Ad Lib, Section: Ticket | work=[[Booth Newspapers|Kalamazoo Gazette]] | date=August 17, 2006}}</ref> the comic occasionally features landscapes, intricate mathematical patterns such as [[fractal]]s (for example, strip No. 17 "What If"<ref group="‡" name="comic17">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/17/ |title=What If|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref> shows an [[Apollonian gasket]]), or imitations of the style of other cartoonists (as during "Parody Week").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohnorobot.com/index.pl?s=%22parody+week%22&Search=Search&comic=56&e=0&n=0&b=0&m=0&d=0&t=0 |title=xkcd.com search: "parody week" |publisher=Ohnorobot.com |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref>
-The comic is available under the [[Creative Commons]] Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.<ref name="xkcdlicense" group="‡">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=License|url=http://xkcd.com/license.html|accessdate=June 25, 2007}}</ref> New comics are added three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays;<ref name="aboutxkcd" group="‡" /><ref name="redhat">{{cite web|url=http://www.redhat.com/magazine/025nov06/features/xkcd/|title=xkcd: A comic strip for the computer geek|work=Red Hat Magazine|last=Fernandez|first=Rebecca|date=November 25, 2006|accessdate=March 6, 2007}}</ref> although, on some occasions they have been updated every weekday.
-Since July 2012, there has been a branch off of xkcd called "xkcd What-If", updated every Tuesday. These attempt to answer unusual reader submitted science questions in a humorous, though mathematically sound way, doing so in a format much more akin to an article.
-== History ==
-[[File:XkcdMunroe.jpg|thumb|150px|upright|[[Randall Munroe]], the creator of ''xkcd'']]
-The comic began in September 2005 when Munroe decided to scan [[doodle]]s from his school notebooks and put them on his webpage. Eventually the comic was changed into a stand-alone website, where Munroe started selling T-shirts based on the comic. He currently "works on the comic full time,"<ref name="aboutxkcd" group="‡" /> making Munroe one of the few{{cn|date=December 2012}} [[List of professional webcomic artists|professional webcomic artists]]. According to Munroe, the comic's name has no particular significance and is simply a four-letter word without a phonetic pronunciation, something he describes as "a treasured and carefully guarded point in the space of four-character [[String (computer science)|strings]]." The name of the comic is spelled in all [[lowercase letters]], or all capitals.<ref name="aboutxkcd" group="‡" />
-In May 2007, the comic garnered widespread attention by depicting online communities in geographic form.<ref name="looking">{{cite news | url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/were-looking-at-each-other-and-its-not-a-pretty-sight/article759732/page2/ | title=We're looking at each other, and it's not a pretty sight |work=Globe and Mail |location=Canada | date=May 18, 2007 | accessdate=April 21, 2011 | author=Tossell, Ivor | page=2}}</ref> Various websites were drawn as continents, each sized according to their relative popularity and located according to their general subject matter.<ref name="looking" /> This put ''xkcd'' at number two on the Syracuse ''[[The Post-Standard|Post-Standard]]'''s "The new hotness" list.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://blog.syracuse.com/newstracker/2007/05/postscript_upstateblogroll.html | title=PostScript: Upstate Blogroll, New Hotness, and more | last=Cubbison | first=Brian | date=May 5, 2007 | accessdate=August 7, 2011}}</ref>
-In October 2008, ''[[The New Yorker]]'' magazine online published an interview and "Cartoon Off" between [[Randall Munroe]] and [[Farley Katz]]. For the "Cartoon-Off," Katz and Munroe each drew: "the Internet, as envisioned by the elderly", "String Theory", "1999", and "your favorite animal eating your favorite food".<ref name="new_yorker-oct-2008">{{cite web| url=http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonlounge/2008/10/cartoonoff-xkcd.html| last=Katz| first=Farley| date=October 15, 2008| accessdate=January 17, 2009| title = Cartoon-Off: XKCD|work=The New Yorker}}</ref>
-In March, 2010, a puzzle hidden inside of the collection xkcd: Volume 0 was cracked by many members of the xkcd forums. The solution was "<3<3<3 2010-06-26 14:28:57 {{Coord|37.769573|N|122.483123|W|display=inline}}."<ref group="‡">{{cite web | url=http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?p=2042913#p2042829 | title=xkcd &bull; View topic – Puzzles from the xkcd book (big puzzle SOLVED!) | publisher=xkcd.com | date=March 9, 2009 | accessdate=April 21, 2011 | author="aspragg"}}</ref> The first six characters were hearts, followed by a date, time, and coordinates. (June 26, 2010, 2:28:57&nbsp;pm at [[Golden Gate Park]], specifically at the coordinates specified by Google Earth if you search for Golden Gate Park.) At the appropriate time and date, Randall again met with fans and handed out 255 limited edition prints of xkcd: Volume 0, titled xkcd: Volume 0 Service Pack 1.<ref group="‡">{{cite web | url=http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?p=2211979#p2211979 | title=xkcd &bull; View topic – OFFICIAL! MEETUP: San Francisco, CA – June 26, 2010| date=June 27, 2010 | accessdate=April 21, 2011 | author="Aaeriele"}}</ref>
-For [[April Fools Day]] 2012, Comic no. 1037 ("Umwelt") displayed different comics depending on browser, location, and IP range<ref group="‡" name="comic1037">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/1037/|title=Umwelt}}</ref><ref group="‡">{{cite web | url=http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?t=82442 | title=xkcd &bull; View topic – 1037: "Umwelt"| date=April 1, 2012 | accessdate=June 27, 2012}}</ref>
-On September 19, 2012, Comic no. 1110 ("Click and Drag"), featured a panel which can be explored via clicking and dragging its insides.<ref group="‡" name="comic1110">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/1110/|title=Click and Drag}}</ref> It immediately triggered positive response on social websites and forums.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/click-and-drag-xkcd-web-comic_n_1897617.html|accessdate=22 September 2012|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=9 September 2012}}</ref> The large image measures 165,888 pixels wide by 79,822 pixels high<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geekosystem.com/xkcd-click-and-drag-comic/ |title=Everything You Need to Know About xkcd Comic "Click and Drag" |publisher=Geekosystem |date=2012-09-19 |accessdate=2012-12-15}}</ref>
-== Recurring items ==
-While there is no specific storyline to the comic, there are some recurring themes<ref name="Gazette">{{cite news|url=http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm?section=Arts&articleID=1837&month=11&day=21&year=2007|title=Former NASA staffer creates comics for geeks|work=The Gazette|publisher=University of Western Ontario|first=Andrew|last=Moses|date=November 21, 2007|accessdate=November 22, 2007}}</ref> and characters, many of which are touched on in an ''xkcd'' parody of the [[Discovery Channel]]'s ''[[I Love the World]]'' commercial.<ref group="‡" name="comic442">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/442/ | title=xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel (#442) | accessdate=June 27, 2008 | author=Munroe, Randall}}</ref>
-=== Themes ===
-[[File:Webcomic xkcd - Wikipedian protester.png|thumb|"[http://xkcd.com/285/ Wikipedian Protester]", with [[mouseover]] text "{{srlink|Wikipedia:Protection policy#Semi-protection|SEMI-PROTECT}} THE CONSTITUTION"]]
-[[File:Malamanteau.png|thumb|"Malamanteau",<ref group="‡" name="comic739">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/739/ |title=Malamanteau|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref> with mouseover text "The article has twenty-three citations, one of which is an obscure manuscript from the 1490's and the other twenty-two are arguments on [[Language Log]]."]]
-A large number of the strips contain mathematics or [[computer science]] jokes. These jokes often feature university-level subjects, although many are written in such a way that a clear understanding of the subject is not required to get the [[punch line]]. Romance is another subject often visited in the comic, with many strips not intended to be humorous;<ref name="Gazette" /> Munroe is a self-declared fan of Kurt Halsey's bleak romances. There are also many strips opening with "My Hobby:" and usually depicting the nondescript narrator character describing some type of humorous or quirky behavior often involving language games.<ref group="‡" name="comic37">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/37/ |title=Hyphen(#37)}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic236">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/236/ |title=Collecting Double Takes(#236) }}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic53">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/53/ |title=Hobby (#53)}}</ref>
-[[Wikipedia in culture|References to Wikipedia]] articles or to Wikipedia as a whole have occurred several times in ''xkcd''.<ref group="‡" name="comic739"/><ref group="‡" name="comic214">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/214/|title=The Problem with Wikipedia|accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic978">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/978/|title=Citogenesis|accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic285">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/285/|title=Wikipedian Protester|accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic446">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/446/|title=In Popular Culture|accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref> A facsimile of a made-up Wikipedia entry for "'''malamanteau'''" (a [[stunt word]] created by Munroe to poke fun at Wikipedia's writing style)<ref group="‡" name="comic739"/> provoked a controversy within Wikipedia that was picked up by various media.<ref>{{cite web | publisher = Slashdot | accessdate =May 17, 2010 | url = http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/05/13/183221/Wikipedia-Is-Not-Amused-By-Entry-For-xkcd-Coined-Word | title = Wikipedia Is Not Amused By Entry For xkcd-Coined Word}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=One-Day Wonder | accessdate =May 31, 2010 | url = http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/05/30/one_day_wonder/ | work=The Boston Globe | first=Erin | last=McKean | date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> ''xkcd'' also frequently makes reference to Munroe's "obsession" with potential [[velociraptor|raptor]] attacks,<ref name="thewhitonline">{{cite web| title=Geek humor: Nothing to be ashamed of| url=http://media.www.thewhitonline.com/media/storage/paper291/news/2007/04/05/Features/Geek-Humor.Nothing.To.Be.Ashamed.Of-2823945.shtml| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080203000441/http://media.www.thewhitonline.com/media/storage/paper291/news/2007/04/05/Features/Geek-Humor.Nothing.To.Be.Ashamed.Of-2823945.shtml| archivedate=February 3, 2008| last=O'Kane| first=Erin| work=The Whit Online|date=April 5, 2007| accessdate=April 23, 2007}}</ref> and has used many "[[your mom]]" jokes.<ref group="‡" name="comic116">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/116|title=City}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic176">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Before Sunrise|url=http://xkcd.com/176/}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic366">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Your Mom|url=http://xkcd.com/366/}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic320">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=28-Hour Day"|url=http://xkcd.com/320/}}</ref> Multiple earlier strips featured "Red Spiders",<ref group="‡" name="comic8">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Red Spiders|url=http://xkcd.com/8/}}</ref> and others refer to [[Joss Whedon]]'s science fiction series ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]''.<ref group="‡" name="comic577"/>
-Each comic also has a [[tooltip]], specified using the title attribute in [[HTML]]. The text usually contains an afterthought or annotation related to that day's comic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1654&Itemid=56&issuedate=2007-09-14 | title=A comic you can’t pronounce|accessdate=September 16, 2007|author= Peter Trinh|date=September 14, 2007|work=Imprint Online}}</ref>
-=== Characters ===
-Although Munroe does not maintain a list of characters on his web site, some recurring characters can be identified by their visual features (for example, hats) and mannerisms.
-* Black Hat, a man who looks like a normal stick-figure ''xkcd'' character, but for the addition of a black hat. The man's hat is a reference to Aram from the now-defunct webcomic Men in Hats, not to [[white hat (computer security)|black hat hackers]] as is often supposed.<ref name="Wikinews Interview">{{cite news |first=Joshua |last=Zelinsky |title=Randall Munroe, writer of xkcd, talks about the comic, politics and the internet |url=http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Randall_Munroe,_writer_of_xkcd,_talks_about_the_comic,_politics_and_the_internet |format=Interview |publisher=Wikinews |date=March 4, 2008 |accessdate=September 22, 2008}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic29">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Hitler|url=http://xkcd.com/29|accessdate=March 18, 2011}}</ref> This character first appeared in the comic "Poisson" (the twelfth comic published on the website).<ref group="‡" name="comic12">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/12/ |title=Poisson (#12)|date=January 1, 2006 |accessdate=May 13, 2010}}</ref> The character refers to himself as a "Classhole" (a [[portmanteau]] of "classy" and "asshole").<ref group="‡" name="comic72">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Classhole (#72)|url=http://xkcd.com/72/|accessdate=October 3, 2008| date= March 6, 2006}}</ref> He does not shy from pointing out the failures of others and has at times used extreme violence in order to emphasize a point.<ref group="‡" name="comic169">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Words that End in GRY (#169)|url=http://xkcd.com/169/|accessdate=March 6, 2007}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic146">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Join Myspace (#146)|url=http://xkcd.com/146/|accessdate=March 6, 2007}}</ref> In the January 30, 2008 comic, his hat was taken by a woman, though he later retrieved his hat by stealing a submarine and using it to crash through the ice where she was skating. The character is one of the most frequently occurring in the comic, though he remains unnamed (he was referred to in multiple comics as "hat guy").<ref group="‡" name="comic29"/><ref group="‡" name="comic493">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Actuarial (#493)|url=http://xkcd.com/493/|accessdate=July 31, 2008}}</ref> In the "Secretary" story arc, he is nominated for the post of Secretary of the Internet when the Internet started to collapse, but after a variety of hijinks involving [[Ron Paul]], [[Cory Doctorow]], and the Auto-Troll Shuffle (described as him taking a whole car apart, swapping the parts with the same parts of random cars in the same parking lot, and then [[Ship of Theseus#Ancient philosophy|building a new car]] out of those), is sentenced to death, escaping by filling the [[Capitol rotunda]] with plastic [[ball pit]]-style balls, which distracts the pursuers, while he flees on Doctorow's hot-air balloon.<ref group="‡" name="comic494">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title = Secretary: Part 1| url = http://xkcd.com/494| accessdate =January 21, 2009}}</ref> Since comic 433 "Journal 5" he has been in a relationship with "psychotic female". His apartment is outfitted with a moat.<ref group="‡" name="comic495">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/495/ |title=Secretary: Part 2|date= |accessdate=2012-12-15}}</ref>
-* The most common recurring female "character" is known as Megan in several strips; she was first referred to by name in comic No. 159 – "Boombox",<ref group="‡" name="comic159">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Boombox (#159)|url=http://xkcd.com/159/|accessdate=November 26, 2008| date= September 20, 2006}}</ref> and again several times afterward although she may have appeared earlier as an unnamed character notably in comic 108.<ref group="‡" name="comic215">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Letting Go (#215)|url=http://xkcd.com/215/|accessdate=November 26, 2008| date= January 26, 2007}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic420">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Jealousy (#420)|url=http://xkcd.com/420/|accessdate=November 26, 2008| date= May 7, 2007}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic478">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=The Staple Madness (#478)|url=http://xkcd.com/478/|accessdate=November 26, 2008| date= September 19, 2008}}</ref><!--
-is a flowchart, and therefore it has no persons; the alt text mentions the name Megan, and that's all
-<ref group="‡" name="comic627">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Tech Support Cheat Sheet (#627)|url=http://xkcd.com/627/|accessdate=July 30, 2010| date= ?}}</ref>
---> She is recognized by her short, dark hair.
-* A [[beret]]-wearing [[existentialist]] and eccentric. He is first seen in the "Nihilism" comic,<ref group="‡" name="comic167">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Nihilism (#167)|url=http://xkcd.com/167/|accessdate=October 4, 2007}}</ref> and often has odd behaviours, ideas and activities underway.
-* Psychotic female, distinguished by long dark hair, a general proximity to black hat guy and a tendency towards excessive violence, both verbal and physical has been a recurrent character for some time and is in some form of relationship with the equally psychotic black hat guy. Her first appearance is in comic 377, "Journal 2" and since the closure of the Journal storyline has been seen in the company of black hat guy causing chaos, damage, vandalism and abuse with no apparent remorse or reason. She might be the character in comic 177, "Alice and Bob", where she's referred to as Eve.
-* A boy in a barrel appeared in five early strips. Unlike most other characters, he is not a stick figure. He was repeatedly seen inside a barrel, floating in a large body of water. The boy in the barrel was one of many doodles in the older comics, but has not been seen since comic No. 31, in which he flew away with a ferret wearing a toy airplane.<ref group="‡" name="comic31">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/31/ |title=Barrel – Part 5|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref>
-* A pet Ferret with wings similar to a plane’s on its back with the rudders of a plane’s tail on its tail appeared in comics including barrel part 5 <ref group="‡" name="comic31">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Barrel-Part5(#31)|url=http://xkcd.com/31/|accessdate=June 9, 2012}}</ref> and a guest comic.<ref group="‡" name="comic826">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Guest Week: SMBC(#826)|url=http://xkcd.com/826/|accessdate=June 9, 2012}}</ref>
-* Fictionalised versions of well known real-life figures in the computing and scientific community sometimes appear, such as [[free software]] advocates [[Richard Stallman]]<ref group="‡" name="comic225">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Open Source (#225)|url=http://xkcd.com/225/|accessdate=November 17, 2007}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic345">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=1337 Part 5 (#345)|url=http://xkcd.com/345/|accessdate=November 17, 2007}}</ref> and [[Cory Doctorow]],<ref group="‡" name="comic345"/><ref group="‡" name="comic239">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Blagofaire (#239)|url=http://xkcd.com/239/|accessdate=November 17, 2007}}</ref> and physicist [[Richard Feynman]].<ref group="‡" name="comic182">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Nash (#182)|url=http://xkcd.com/182/|accessdate=January 2, 2009}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic397">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Unscientific (#397)|url=http://xkcd.com/397/|accessdate=January 2, 2009}}</ref> Other celebrities such as actress [[Summer Glau]] also appear in xkcd.<ref group="‡" name="comic579">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=The Race: Part 3|url=http://xkcd.com/579/|accessdate=April 29, 2011}}</ref>
-* [[Gary Gygax]] makes an appearance in the comic "Ultimate Game"<ref group="‡" name="comic393">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Ultimate Game (#393)|url=http://xkcd.com/393/|accessdate=August 18, 2010}}</ref>
-* Mrs. Roberts was a main character in the "1337"<ref group="‡" name="comic341">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd| title = 1337: Part 1| url = http://xkcd.com/341| accessdate =September 5, 2008}}</ref> series, and has appeared in other comics along with her children, <tt>Robert'); DROP TABLE Students;--</tt> aka "Little Bobby Tables" (a reference to [[SQL injection]]), and Elaine Roberts (although her first name is really "Help I'm trapped in a drivers license factory"), the protagonist of the "1337" series.<ref group="‡" name="comic327">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd| title = Exploits of a Mom| url = http://xkcd.com/327| accessdate =January 10, 2008 | quote = Her daughter is named Help I'm trapped in a driver's license factory. ([[tooltip]])}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic342">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd | title = 1337: Part 2 | url = http://xkcd.com/342/ | accessdate =May 17, 2010 | quote = Trivia: Elaine is actually her middle name. ([[tooltip]])}}</ref>
-* ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' character [[River Tam]]—and actress [[Summer Glau]], who played her—has appeared in a few comics, usually in a dream sequence where a character in the strip makes reference to her.<ref group="‡" name="comic311">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd| title = Action Movies| url = http://xkcd.com/311| accessdate =January 21, 2009}}</ref> Other ''Firefly'' cast members, such as [[Nathan Fillion]], have appeared in the series <ref group="‡" name="comic577">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd| title = The Race| url = http://xkcd.com/577/}}</ref> and many turn out to have similar personalities to their ''Firefly'' characters.
-== Inspired activities ==
-<!-- NOTE: do not add the thing about a meet up here again, it is already in the article! -->
-[[File:Citationeeded.jpeg|right|thumb|170px|upright|A fan of "[http://xkcd.com/285/ Wikipedian Protester]" on a playground in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2007]]
-[[File:Richard Stallman attacked by ninjas, October 17, 2007.jpg|thumb|170px|upright|[[Richard Stallman]] is "attacked" by "ninjas"<br />Inspired by "Open Source"<ref group="‡" name="comic225"/>]]
-[[File:Cory Doctorow @ eTech 2007.jpeg|thumb|170px|upright|[[Cory Doctorow]] wears a red cape, goggles and a balloon as he receives the 2007 EFF Pioneer Award<br />Inspired by "Blagofaire"<ref group="‡" name="comic239"/>]]
-On several occasions, fans have been motivated by Munroe's comics to carry out, in real life, the subject of a particular drawing or sketch. Some examples include:
-* [[Richard Stallman]] was sent a [[katana]]<ref group="‡">{{cite web| url=http://blag.xkcd.com/2007/04/19/life-imitates-xkcd-part-ii-richard-stallman/| title=Life Imitates xkcd, Part II: Richard Stallman| date=April 19, 2007| accessdate=August 20, 2007}}</ref> and was confronted by students dressed as ninjas before speaking at the [[Yale Political Union]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21889/| title=Stallman trumpets free software| work=The Yale Daily News| accessdate=October 19, 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071217181206/http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21889/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = December 17, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.yale.edu/ypu/blog.html| title=Richard Stallman Debate| work=Blog of the YPU| date=October 18, 2007| accessdate=October 21, 2007}}</ref>—inspired by "Open Source".<ref group="‡" name="comic225"/>
-* On September 23, 2007, hundreds of people gathered at Reverend Thomas J. Williams Park, {{Coord|42.39561|N|71.13051|W|display=inline}}, in North Cambridge, Massachusetts, whose coordinates were mentioned in strip #240.<ref group="‡" name="comic240"/> Munroe appeared, commenting, "Maybe wanting something does make it real," reversing the conclusion he drew in the last frame of the same strip.<ref group="‡" name="comic240">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd | url=http://xkcd.com/240/ | title=Dream Girl (#240) | accessdate=May 13, 2010 | author=Munroe, Randall | date=March 26, 2007}}</ref><ref name="Phoenix">{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Georgiana|title=The wisdom of crowds|work=The Phoenix|url=http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/48208-wisdom-of-crowds/|date=September 26, 2007|accessdate=September 27, 2007}}</ref>
-* When [[Cory Doctorow]] won the 2007 [[EFF Pioneer Award]], the presenters gave him a red cape, goggles and a balloon<ref group="‡">{{cite web| url=http://blag.xkcd.com/2007/03/28/cory-doctorow-part-ii/| title=Cory Doctorow, Part II| date=March 28, 2007| accessdate=September 5, 2007}}</ref> – inspired by "Blagofaire".<ref group="‡" name="comic239"/>
-* ''xkcd'' readers sneaking [[chess]] boards onto roller coasters<ref>{{cite news|author=Chun Yu|title=The man <nowiki>[hiding]</nowiki> behind the raptor|url=http://www.thetartan.org/2007/11/12/pillbox/xkcd|publisher=The Tartan|date=November 12, 2007|accessdate=November 12, 2007}}</ref><ref group="‡">{{cite web| title=People Playing Chess on Roller Coasters| url=http://xkcd.com/chesscoaster/| accessdate=August 20, 2007}}</ref> – inspired by "Chess Photo".<ref group="‡" name="comic249">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/249/ |title=Chess Photo|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref>
-* The game of "geohashing"<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://geohashing.org |title=Geo Hashing |publisher=xkcd |accessdate=April 17, 2012}}</ref> has gained more than 1000 players,<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://geohashing.org/Maps_and_statistics |title=Geohashing maps and statistics |publisher=xkcd |accessdate=April 17, 2012}}</ref> who travel to random coordinates calculated by the algorithm described in "Geohashing".<ref group="‡" name="comic426">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/426/ |title=Geohashing (#426)|date=May 26, 2005 |accessdate=April 17, 2012}}</ref>
-* In October 2007, a group of researchers at [[University of Southern California]] [[Information Sciences Institute]] conducted a census of the Internet and presented their data using a [[Hilbert curve]], which they claimed was inspired by an ''xkcd'' comic that used a similar technique.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/20390?t51hb|title=Researchers ping through first full 'Internet census' in 25 years|accessdate=October 10, 2007|author=Paul McNamara|date=October 9, 2007|work=Buzzblog|publisher=Networkworld.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.isi.edu/about-news_story.htm?s=178|title=62 Days + Almost 3 Billion Pings + New Visualization Scheme = the First Internet Census Since 1982|accessdate=October 10, 2007|date=October 8, 2007 (Last modified October 9, 2007)|publisher=Information Science Institute}}</ref><ref group="‡" name="comic195">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|title=Map of the Internet (#195)|url=http://xkcd.com/195/|accessdate=October 10, 2007}}</ref>
-* YouTube has placed a feature on comments that plays back the comment aloud on "Audio Preview", possibly based on the strip "Listen to Yourself".<ref group="‡" name="comic481">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/481/ |title=Listen to Yourself (#481)|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3173494/YouTube-play-back-feature-to-humiliate-inane-commenters.html|title=YouTube 'play back' feature to humiliate inane commenters|accessdate=October 10, 2008|last=Moore|first=Matthew|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=October 10, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/152109/youtube_takes_a_page_from_xkcd.html|title=YouTube Takes a Page From xkcd|accessdate=October 10, 2008|last=McNamara|first=Paul|publisher=[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]|date=October 9, 2008}}</ref>
-* Running the following code is an [[Easter egg (media)|easter egg]] in Python 3.0: <tt>import antigravity</tt>, inspired by the strip "Python".<ref group="‡" name="comic353">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/353/ |title=Python|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://svn.python.org/view/python/trunk/Lib/antigravity.py?view=markup&pathrev=66902|title=Source of antigravity.py|accessdate=April 24, 2009|date=October 15, 2008}}</ref> The module also contains a geohashing function.
-* In the ''xkcd'' cartoon "Troll Slayer" (591)<ref group="‡" name="comic591">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/591/ |title=Troll Slayer|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref> [[4chan|4chan's]] /b/ boards are taken over by [[Twilight (series)|''Twilight'']] lovers. In response to this, /b/ was temporarily renamed "Twilight Appreciation Station", and included the text "[[We have met the enemy and he is us]]", which appears in the cartoon as a note added by Randall Munroe. In order to prevent /b/ from trolling the ''xkcd'' forums, registration was blocked for several days after the comic appeared.
-* [[GNU Emacs]] 23.1 introduced <tt>M-x butterfly</tt> easter egg, in response to "Real Programmers.<ref group="‡" name="comic378">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/378/ |title=Real Programmers|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=emacs 23 has been released! |url=http://emacs-fu.blogspot.com/2009/07/emacs-23-is-very-near.html |date=July 28, 2009 |accessdate=July 31, 2009}}</ref>
-* [[Drupal]]'s command-line utility [http://drupal.org/project/drush Drush] has a <tt>make-me-a-sandwich</tt> command, which requires <tt>sudo</tt> access.<ref group="‡" name="comic149">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/149/ |title=Sandwich|accessdate=April 12, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=sandwich.drush.inc |url=http://drupalcontrib.org/api/drupal/contributions%21drush%21examples%21sandwich.drush.inc/7 |accessdate=April 12, 2012}}</ref>
-* [[RepRap]]/[[Makerbot]] operator Allan Ecker was inspired by ''xkcd'' "Infrastructures"<ref group="‡" name="comic743">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/743/ |title=Infrastructures|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref> to actually design a tiny [[open source]] violin, available on Thingiverse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3193 |title=Tiny Open Violin by MaskedRetriever |publisher=Thingiverse |date=May 21, 2010 |accessdate=May 25, 2010, December 21, 2011}}</ref>
-* Based on "Packages",<ref group="‡" name="comic576">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/576/ |title=Packages|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref> programmers set up programs to automatically find an item for sale on the Internet for $1.00 every day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shaunwagner.com/projects_cc.html |title=csKw:projects:cheepcheep |publisher=Shaunwagner.com |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110723024714/http://bieh.net/2010/11/08/xkcd-576/ |title=Internet Archive Wayback Machine |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=2011-07-23 |accessdate=2012-12-15}}</ref>
-* [[AAISP]] has implemented the code word "shibboleet" in their call centres in reference to the comic #806.<ref group="‡" name="comic806">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/806/ |title=Tech Support|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=XKCD/806 compliance|url=http://revk.www.me.uk/2010/10/xkcd806-compliance.html |date=October 15, 2010|accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref>{{Primary source-inline|reason=This appears to be mostly humorous, needs reliable source|date=July 2012}}
-* Comic No. 305, Rule 34,<ref group="‡" name="comic305">{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|work=xkcd|url=http://xkcd.com/305/ |title=Rule 34|date=February 22, 1999 |accessdate=December 21, 2011}}</ref> has the characters commenting on the lack of pornography featuring women in the shower playing electric guitar. Randall Munroe subsequently created the website WetRiffs.com, which hosts submitted pictures of men and women in showers playing guitars.<ref group="‡">{{cite web|title=Nudity + Guitars + Showers|url=http://wetriffs.com/|accessdate=April 11, 2011}}</ref>
-== Awards and recognition ==
-''xkcd'' has been recognized at the [[Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards]]. In [[2008 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards|the 2008 Awards]], it was nominated for "Outstanding Use of the Medium," "Outstanding Short Form Comic," and "Outstanding Comedic Comic," and won "Outstanding Single Panel Comic."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ccawards.com/2008finalists.html| title=2008 List of Winners and Finalists| accessdate=January 6, 2009| publisher=[[Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards]]}}</ref> ''xkcd'' was also voted Best Comic Strip by readers in the 2007 Weblog Awards<ref>{{cite web| url=http://2007.weblogawards.org/news/the-2007-weblog-award-winners.php| accessdate=January 6, 2009| title=The 2007 Weblog Award Winners| date=November 11, 2008| first=Kevin| last=Aylward}}</ref> and 2008 Weblog Awards.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://2008.weblogawards.org/news/the-2008-weblog-award-winners/| accessdate=July 9, 2009| title=The 2008 Weblog Awards Winners| date=January 15, 2009| first=Kevin| last=Aylward}}</ref> It was also nominated for a 2009 [[NewNowNext Awards|NewNowNext Award]] in the category 'OMFG Internet Award'.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.logoonline.com/shows/newnownext_awards/vote.jhtml?qn=nnn_poll_13 | title=<nowiki>2009 NewNowNext Awards | accessdate =June 14, 2009 | publisher=Viacom International Inc.| unused_data=The Best in Gay & Lesbian Pop Culture|Logo Online</nowiki>}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Sarah | last=Warn | date=May 21, 2009 | title=Photos: 2009 NewNowNext Awards | url=http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/5/nnn-awards-red-carpet-photos | work=[[AfterEllen.com]] | accessdate=June 14, 2009}}</ref> Randall Munroe was nominated for the 2011 [[Hugo Award]] for Best Fan Artist.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php | title = Hugo Awards Page | accessdate=April 25, 2011}}</ref>
-== Translations ==
-''xkcd'' comics have been translated into a number of languages. One group of readers has translated every comic into French<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://www.lirmm.fr/~gambette/xkcd/| title=xkcd en français}}</ref> and nearly half of the comics have been translated into Russian.<ref group="‡">{{cite web| url=http://xkcd.ru/| title=ru_xkcd| accessdate=November 7, 2008}}</ref> One reader has translated many of the comics into Spanish; translations exist for comics that, according to the translator, can be translated without losing their humor.<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://es.xkcd.com/xkcd-es/ |title=xkcd-es – Un webcómic sobre romance, sarcasmo, mates y lenguaje |publisher=Es.xkcd.com |accessdate=May 13, 2010}}</ref> Various ''xkcd'' comics have also been translated into German,<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://xkcde.dapete.net/| title=xkcDE}}</ref> Finnish,<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://honkkomaki.com/xkcd| title=xkcd suomeksi}}</ref> Czech,<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://www.abclinuxu.cz/serialy/xkcd|title=xkcd česky}}</ref> Portuguese,<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://www.tirinhas.com/xkcd.php|title=xkcd em português}}</ref> Esperanto,<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://xkcd.eu|title=xkcd en Esperanto}}</ref> and [[Lojban]].<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://jbotcan.org/jbo/res/1438.html|title=jbotcan}}</ref>
-== Book ==
-In September 2009, Munroe released a book, entitled ''xkcd: volume 0'', containing selected ''xkcd'' comics.<ref group="‡">{{cite web|url=http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/09/10/book/ |title=Book! « xkcd|last=Munroe|first=Randall |date=September 10, 2009 |accessdate=May 13, 2010}}</ref> The book was published by [[breadpig]], under a [[Creative Commons]] license, with all of the publisher's profits donated to [[Room to Read]] to promote literacy and education in the developing world. Six months after release, the book had sold over 25,000 copies. The book tour in New York City and [[Silicon Valley]] was a fundraiser for Room to Read that raised $32,000 to build a school in [[Laos]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://breadpig.com/blog/2010/03/15/the-xkcd-school-in-laos-is-complete-rejoice/ |title=The xkcd school in Laos is complete! Rejoice! |publisher=Breadpig |author=[[Alexis Ohanian]]|date=March 15, 2010 |accessdate=May 13, 2010, January 6, 2012}}</ref>
-In October 2012, ''xkcd: volume 0'' was included in the [[Humble Indie Bundle|Humble Bundle]] eBook Bundle. It was available for download only to those who donated higher than the average donated for the other eBooks. The book was released [[Digital Rights Management|DRM]]-free, in two different quality [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] files.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.humblebundle.com/post/33714074132/humble-ebook-bundle-is-now-five-times-more-hilarious |title=Humble eBook Bundle is Now Five Times More Hilarious! |publisher=[[Humble Indie Bundle]] |author=[[Humble Indie Bundle]] | date=October 16, 2012 |accessdate=November 5, 2012}}</ref>
-== References ==
-{{Reflist|2}}
-===Individual comics, translations and other affiliated sources===
-In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger: ‡
-{{Reflist|2|group="‡"}}
-== Further reading ==
-* {{cite web|url=http://physicsworldarchive.iop.org/index.cfm?action=summary&doc=20/2/phwv20i2a40@pwa-xml|title=Once a Physicist: Randall Munroe|work=[[Physics World]]|author=Munroe, Randall|page=43|month=February| year=2007|authorlink=Randall Munroe}}
-* {{cite web|url=http://comixtalk.com/talking_xkcd_with_randall_munroe|title=Talking ''xkcd'' with Randall Munroe|work=Comixtalk.com|author=Erg|date=March 26, 2007|accessdate=May 12, 2008}}
-== External links ==
-{{Commons}}
-{{wikiquote|xkcd}}
-* {{Official website|http://xkcd.com/}}
-* [http://commacommacrash.com/2009/12/what-i-learned-from-xkcd-effect.html "What I learned from the xkcd effect"] An article on the impact of xkcd topics on Google searches.
-* [http://xkcd.com/207/ ''What xkcd means'' comic]
-[[Category:2000s webcomics]]
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-[[Category:Web Cartoonists' Choice Award winners]]
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