2009-10-20
Explanation
This comic takes a melancholic sci-fi premise and undercuts it with a perfectly chosen artifact. Two aliens in a spaceship look out at an asteroid field and discuss what used to be here. One explains it was a planet called "Earth" that was destroyed by an asteroid. The other asks if there was a civilization. The reply: "Yes, but only one artifact was ever recovered."
The artifact is revealed to be a "Photo-Matic" photo booth strip -- the kind you would find at a mall or arcade. The strip shows a couple going through the classic sequence: smiling together, laughing, getting romantic, and then the final frame is just a starburst flash. The joke works because of the profound contrast between the enormity of an entire civilization being lost and the trivially silly artifact that survives to represent it. A photo booth strip is one of the most ephemeral, disposable things humans create, and yet here it serves as the sole testament to our existence. There is also something quietly poignant about it: the strip captures human connection, joy, and affection, which is perhaps the most honest summary of what made Earth's civilization meaningful.
The votey panel adds a thought bubble between panels 3 and 4 of the photo strip: "I've got to protect the one I love!" This implies the man in the strip heroically shielded his partner as the asteroid hit (the starburst in the final frame), adding a bittersweet layer of human love and sacrifice to what initially seemed like a purely comedic setup.