View source for Xkcd

{{Short description|Webcomic by American cartoonist Randall Munroe}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''xkcd''}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2012}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox comic strip
| title = xkcd
| italic title = no
| image = xkcd philosophy.png
| website = {{URL|https://xkcd.com}}
| caption = Panel from "Philosophy"<ref name="comic220" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=February 7, 2007 |title=Philosophy |url=https://xkcd.com/220/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213249/http://www.xkcd.com/220/ |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=February 26, 2016 |website=xkcd}}</ref>
| author = [[Randall Munroe]]
| status = Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
| first = {{start date and age|2005|09}}<ref name="telegraph1">{{Cite web |last=Chivers |first=Tom |date=November 6, 2009 |title=The 10 best webcomics, from Achewood to XKCD |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6509550/The-10-best-webcomics-from-Achewood-to-XKCD.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119111627/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6509550/The-10-best-webcomics-from-Achewood-to-XKCD.html |archive-date=November 19, 2015 |access-date=December 7, 2015 |website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]}}</ref>
| genre = Comedy, [[geek]] humor
}}

'''''xkcd''''', sometimes styled '''''XKCD''''',<ref name="aboutxkcd" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=September 11, 2010 |title=About xkcd |url=https://xkcd.com/about/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523065844/https://xkcd.com/about/ |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |access-date=December 4, 2014 |website=xkcd}}</ref> is a serial [[webcomic]] created in 2005 by American author [[Randall Munroe]].<ref name="telegraph1" /> The comic's [[tagline]] describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language".<ref group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=xkcd |url=https://xkcd.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006214555/http://www.xkcd.com/ |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Boston.com">{{Cite web |last1=Arthur |first1=Charles |last2=Schofield |first2=Jack |last3=Keegan |first3=Victor |display-authors=etal |date=December 17, 2008 |title=100 top sites for the year ahead |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/dec/18/internet-websites |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622044645/http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/18/internet-websites |archive-date=June 22, 2013 |access-date=December 4, 2014 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> Munroe states on the comic's website that the name of the comic is not an [[initialism]] but "just a word with no phonetic pronunciation".

The subject matter of the comic varies from statements on life and love to [[Mathematical joke|mathematical]], [[Programming language|programming]], and [[science|scientific]] [[in-joke]]s. Some strips feature simple humor or [[pop-culture]] references. It has a cast of [[stick figure]]s,<ref name="Guzman">{{Cite web |last=Guzmán |first=Mónica |date=May 11, 2007 |title=What's Online |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/article/What-s-Online-1237022.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021034816/http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/article/What-s-Online-1237022.php |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |access-date=May 30, 2008 |website=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |page=D7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 17, 2006 |title=Ad Lib, Section: Ticket |work=Kalamazoo Gazette |publisher=[[Booth Newspapers]]}}</ref> and the comic occasionally features landscapes, graphs, [[chart]]s, and intricate mathematical patterns such as [[fractal]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=xkcd.com search: "parody week" |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 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223512/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 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |publisher=Ohnorobot |df=mdy-all}}</ref> New cartoons are added three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.<ref name="aboutxkcd" group="‡" /><ref name="redhat">{{Cite web |last=Fernandez |first=Rebecca |date=November 25, 2006 |title=xkcd: A comic strip for the computer geek |url=https://www.redhat.com/magazine/025nov06/features/xkcd/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070306204348/http://www.redhat.com/magazine/025nov06/features/xkcd/ |archive-date=March 6, 2007 |access-date=March 6, 2007 |website=Red Hat Magazine}}</ref> However, there are a few exceptions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Category:Choices - explain xkcd |url=https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Choices |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=www.explainxkcd.com}}</ref>

Munroe has released five [[spin-off (media)|spinoff]] books from the comic. The first book, published in 2010 and titled ''xkcd: volume 0'', was a series of select comics from his website. His 2014 book ''[[What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions|What If?]]'' is based on his blog of the same name that answers unusual science questions from readers in a light-hearted way that is scientifically grounded.<ref group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=What If? – The Book |url=http://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207220934/http://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ |archive-date=December 7, 2015 |access-date=December 7, 2015 |website=whatif.xkcd.com}}</ref><ref name="whatifblog" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=March 12, 2014 |title=What if I wrote a book? |url=http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406133759/http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/ |archive-date=April 6, 2016 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref><ref name="geekwhatif">{{Cite web |last=Holly |first=Russell |date=March 12, 2014 |title=XKCD 'What if?' book announced by Randall Munroe |url=http://www.geek.com/news/xkcd-what-if-book-announced-by-randall-munroe-1587613/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011020706/http://www.geek.com/news/xkcd-what-if-book-announced-by-randall-munroe-1587613/ |archive-date=October 11, 2014 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |website=geek.com}}</ref> The ''What If''? column on the site is updated with new articles from time to time. His 2015 book ''[[Thing Explainer]]'' explains scientific concepts using only the one thousand [[Most common words in English|most commonly used words in English]].<ref name="things explainer blog" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 13, 2015 |title=New book: Thing Explainer |url=http://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207083125/http://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ |archive-date=December 7, 2015 |access-date=December 7, 2015 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shankland, Stephen |date=May 13, 2015 |title=XKCD cartoonist's new book: 'Thing Explainer' |url=http://www.cnet.com/news/xkcd-cartoonists-new-book-thing-explainer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001193328/http://www.cnet.com/news/xkcd-cartoonists-new-book-thing-explainer/ |archive-date=October 1, 2015 |access-date=September 28, 2015 |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]}}</ref> A fourth book, ''[[How To (book)|How To]]'', which is described as "a profoundly unhelpful self-help book", was released on September 3, 2019.<ref name="how to blog" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=February 5, 2019 |title=How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems |url=https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/02/05/how-to-absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227060216/https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/02/05/how-to-absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems/ |archive-date=February 27, 2019 |access-date=February 26, 2019 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref> A fifth book, ''[[What If? 2 (book)|What If? 2]]'', was released on September 13, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=January 31, 2022 |title=XKCD's Randall Munroe announces What If? 2, with more scientific answers to life's most absurd hypothetical questions |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22910603/xkcd-randall-munroe-what-if-2-book-annoucement-release-date |website=The Verge}}</ref> A sixth book, titled ''What If? 10th Anniversary Edition'', was released on November 26, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What If? Tenth Anniversary Edition: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (Hardcover) {{!}} Shakespeare & Co. |url=https://shop.shakeandco.com/book/9780063412644 |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=shop.shakeandco.com}}</ref>

On August 31, 2023, a spinoff YouTube channel named ''xkcd's What If?'' was created, dedicated to adapting the ''What If?'' books into video format, narrated by Munroe and produced by Neptune Studios LLC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=xkcd's What If? |url=https://www.youtube.com/@xkcd_whatif/ |access-date=6 December 2023 |website=[[YouTube]] |language=English}}</ref> It started posting videos on November 29, 2023.

== History ==
[[File:Randall Munroe 2016.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Randall Munroe]] in 2016]]

As a student, Munroe often drew charts, maps, and "stick figure battles" in the margins of his school notebooks, besides solving mathematical problems unrelated to his classes. By the time he graduated from college, Munroe's "piles of notebooks" became too large and he started [[Image scanner|scanning]] the images.<ref name="digitalart">{{Cite web |last=Ryberg |first=Jonas |date=November 13, 2013 |title=Interview: XKCD's creator tells us "I'm lucky to have readers at all" |url=http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/illustration/interview-xkcds-creator-tells-us-im-lucky-have-readers-at-all/?pn=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324225009/http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/illustration/interview-xkcds-creator-tells-us-im-lucky-have-readers-at-all/?pn=3 |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=March 29, 2016 |publisher=DigitalArts}}</ref>

''xkcd'' began in September 2005, when Munroe decided to scan his doodles and put them on his [[personal website]]. 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]]". In January 2006, the comic was split off into its own website, created in collaboration with Derek Radtke.<ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Noam |date=May 26, 2008 |title=This Is Funny Only if You Know Unix |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/business/media/26link.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325130736/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/business/media/26link.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=September 25, 2008 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

In May 2007, the comic garnered widespread attention by depicting online communities in geographic form. Various websites were drawn as continents, each sized according to their relative popularity and located according to their general subject matter.<ref name="comic256" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 2, 2007 |title=Online Communities |url=https://xkcd.com/256/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105181821/http://www.xkcd.com/256/ |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |access-date=January 4, 2017 |website=xkcd}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tossell, Ivor |date=May 18, 2007 |title=We're looking at each other, and it's not a pretty sight |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/were-looking-at-each-other-and-its-not-a-pretty-sight/article759732/page2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114011848/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/were-looking-at-each-other-and-its-not-a-pretty-sight/article759732/page2/ |archive-date=November 14, 2011 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |work=Globe and Mail |location=Canada |page=2}}</ref> This put ''xkcd'' at number two on the [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] [[The Post-Standard|''Post-Standard'']]'s "The new hotness" list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cubbison |first=Brian |date=May 5, 2007 |title=PostScript: Upstate Blogroll, New Hotness, and more |url=http://blog.syracuse.com/newstracker/2007/05/postscript_upstateblogroll.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616064139/http://blog.syracuse.com/newstracker/2007/05/postscript_upstateblogroll.html |archive-date=June 16, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref> By 2008, ''xkcd'' was able to financially support Munroe and Radtke "reasonably well" through the sale of thousands of T-shirts per month.<ref name="nytimes" />

On September 19, 2012, "Click and Drag" was published, which featured a panel which can be explored via clicking and dragging its contents.<ref name="comic1110" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=September 19, 2012 |title=Click and Drag |url=https://xkcd.com/1110/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710072717/https://xkcd.com/1110/ |archive-date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=May 18, 2013 |website=xkcd}}</ref> It immediately triggered positive response on social websites and forums.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 9, 2012 |title='Click And Drag,' XKCD Webcomic, Rewards Explorers (IMAGES) |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/click-and-drag-xkcd-web-comic_n_1897617.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922120532/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/click-and-drag-xkcd-web-comic_n_1897617.html |archive-date=September 22, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2012 |work=Huffington Post}}</ref> The large image nested in the panel measures 165,888 pixels wide by 79,872 pixels high.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2012 |title=Everything You Need to Know About xkcd Comic "Click and Drag" |url=http://www.themarysue.com/xkcd-click-and-drag-comic/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903065919/http://www.themarysue.com/xkcd-click-and-drag-comic/ |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |access-date=December 15, 2012 |publisher=Geekosystem}}</ref> Munroe later described it as "probably the most popular one I ever put on the Internet" and considered it one of his own favorites.<ref name="digitalart" />

"[[Time (xkcd)|Time]]" began publication at midnight [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]] on March 25, 2013, with the comic's image updating every 30 minutes until March 30, when they began to change every hour, lasting for over four months. The images constitute [[time lapse]] [[Film frame|frames]] of a story, with the [[tooltip]] originally reading "Wait for it.", later changed to "RUN." and changed again to "The end." on July 26. The story began with a male and female character building a [[Sand art and play|sandcastle]] complex on a beach who then embark on an adventure to learn the secrets of the sea. On July 26, the comic superimposed a frame (3094) with the phrase "The End". Tasha Robinson of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote of the comic: "<nowiki>[...]</nowiki> the kind of nifty experiment that keeps people coming back to XKCD, which at its best isn't a strip comic so much as an idea factory and a shared experience".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dyess |first=Phil |date=March 26, 2013 |title=Check out XKCD's epic multi-day animation comic |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/check-outem-xkcdems-epic-multi-day-animation-comic-95486 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227030444/http://www.avclub.com/article/check-outem-xkcdems-epic-multi-day-animation-comic-95486 |archive-date=December 27, 2013 |access-date=November 20, 2013 |work=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref> [[Cory Doctorow]] mentioned "Time" in a brief article on ''[[Boing Boing]]'' on April 7, saying the comic was "coming along nicely". The 3,099-panel "Time" comic ended on July 26, 2013, and was followed by a blog post summarizing the journey.<ref group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=July 29, 2013 |title=1190: Time |url=https://blog.xkcd.com/2013/07/29/1190-time/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215070002/http://blog.xkcd.com/2013/07/29/1190-time/ |archive-date=February 15, 2014 |access-date=February 18, 2014 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref><ref name="Wired-20130802">{{Cite magazine |last=Hudson |first=Laura |date=August 2, 2013 |title=Creator of xkcd Reveals Secret Backstory of His Epic 3,099-Panel Comic |url=https://www.wired.com/2013/08/xkcd-time-comic/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331001050/http://www.wired.com/2013/08/xkcd-time-comic/ |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |access-date=August 2, 2013 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]}}</ref> In 2014, it won the [[Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story]].

Around 2007, Munroe drew all the comics on paper, then scanned and processed them on a tablet computer (a [[Fujitsu Lifebook]]).<ref group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=March 16, 2007 |title=In which I lose the originals of the last three months of comics and the laptop I create them with. |url=https://blog.xkcd.com/2007/03/15/in-which-i-lose-the-originals-of-the-last-three-months-of-comics-and-the-laptop-i-create-them-with/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414080625/https://blog.xkcd.com/2007/03/15/in-which-i-lose-the-originals-of-the-last-three-months-of-comics-and-the-laptop-i-create-them-with/ |archive-date=April 14, 2017 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref> In 2014, he was using a [[Cintiq]] graphics tablet for drawing (like many other cartoonists), alongside a laptop for coding tasks.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Edwards |first=Gavin |date=September 2, 2014 |title='XKCD' Cartoonist Randall Munroe Drops Mad Science |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/xkcd-cartoonist-randall-munroe-what-if-20140902 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516221001/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/xkcd-cartoonist-randall-munroe-what-if-20140902 |archive-date=May 16, 2017 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>

==Influences==<!--This tooltip explicitly refers to WP Policy hence the use of srlink-->

Munroe has been a fan of [[newspaper comic strips]] since childhood, describing ''xkcd'' as an "heir" to [[Charles M. Schulz]]'s ''[[Peanuts]]''. Despite this influence, ''xkcd''{{'}}s quirky and technical humor would have been difficult to [[Comic strip syndication|syndicate]]. In [[Webcomic|webcomics]], Munroe has said that "one can draw something that appeals to 1 percent of the audience—1 percent of United States, that is three million people, that is more readers than small cartoons can have". Munroe cited the lack of a need for editorial control due to the low bar of access to the Internet as "a salvation".<ref name="nytimes" />

== Recurring themes ==
[[File:Malamanteau.png|thumb|"Malamanteau", with the tooltip "The article has twenty-three citations, one of which is an obscure manuscript from the 1490s and the other twenty-two are arguments on ''[[Language Log]]''."<ref name="comic739" group="‡" />]]

While there is no specific storyline to the webcomic, there are some recurring themes and characters.<ref name="Gazette">{{Cite news |last=Moses |first=Andrew |date=November 21, 2007 |title=Former NASA staffer creates comics for geeks |url=http://www.usc.uwo.ca/gazette/archives/story.php?sect=arts&id=1837 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903112657/http://www.usc.uwo.ca/gazette/archives/story.php?sect=arts&id=1837 |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |access-date=November 22, 2007 |work=The Gazette |publisher=University of Western Ontario}}</ref> Recurring themes of ''xkcd'' include "technology, science, mathematics and relationships".<ref name="Boston.com" /> ''xkcd'' frequently features jokes related to popular culture, such as ''[[Guitar Hero]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guitar Hero |url=https://xkcd.com/70/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}}</ref> [[Facebook|Facebook,]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook of the Dead |url=https://what-if.xkcd.com/69/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=what-if.xkcd.com}}</ref> [[Vanilla Ice]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Water Phase Diagram |url=https://xkcd.com/1561/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}}</ref> [[Linux]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Linux User at Best Buy |url=https://xkcd.com/272/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}}</ref> and [[Wikipedia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedian Protester |url=https://xkcd.com/285/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}}</ref>

There are many strips opening with the words "My Hobby:", usually depicting the nondescript narrator character describing some type of humorous or quirky behavior. However, not all strips are intended to be humorous.<ref name="Gazette" /> Romance and relationships are frequent themes, and other ''xkcd'' strips consist of complex depictions of landscapes.<ref name="Gazette" /> Many ''xkcd'' strips refer to Munroe's "obsession" with potential ''[[Velociraptor]]'' attacks.<ref name="thewhitonline">{{Cite web |last=O'Kane |first=Erin |date=April 5, 2007 |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 |archive-url=https://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 |archive-date=February 3, 2008 |access-date=April 23, 2007 |website=The Whit Online}}</ref>

[[Wikipedia in culture|References to Wikipedia]] articles or to Wikipedia as a whole have occurred several times in ''xkcd''.<ref name="comic285" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=July 4, 2007 |title=Wikipedian Protester |url=https://xkcd.com/285/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225215024/https://www.xkcd.com/285/ |archive-date=December 25, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}</ref><ref name="comic739" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 12, 2010 |title=Malamanteau |url=https://xkcd.com/739/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225170915/https://www.xkcd.com/739/ |archive-date=December 25, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}</ref><ref name="wiki related comics" group="‡">Other comics related to Wikipedia include:
*{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 24, 2007 |title=The Problem with Wikipedia |url=https://xkcd.com/214/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217132809/http://xkcd.com/214/ |archive-date=December 17, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}
*{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/978/|title=Citogenesis|date=November 16, 2011|access-date=December 21, 2011|archive-date=June 28, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170628004816/https://xkcd.com/978/|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/446/|title=In Popular Culture|date=July 7, 2008|access-date=December 21, 2011|archive-date=December 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225170547/https://www.xkcd.com/446/|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1167/|title=Star Trek into Darkness|date=January 30, 2013|access-date=January 30, 2013|archive-date=March 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312071750/https://xkcd.com/1167/|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1193/|title=Externalities|date=April 1, 2013|access-date=April 1, 2013|archive-date=April 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401105907/https://www.xkcd.com/1193/|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|last1=Munroe|first1=Randall|author-mask=3|title=Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|url=https://xkcd.com/1412/|work=xkcd|date=August 25, 2014|access-date=August 25, 2014|archive-date=August 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826113613/http://xkcd.com/1412/|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|title=Meta Collecting|url=https://xkcd.com/2123/|work=xkcd|date=March 13, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2019|archive-date=March 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316201609/https://xkcd.com/2123/|url-status=live}}</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) provoked a controversy within Wikipedia that was picked up by various media.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 May 2010 |title=Malamanteau Wikipedia |url=https://www.bbcnewsamerica.com/malamanteau-wikipedia.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707215338/https://www.bbcnewsamerica.com/malamanteau-wikipedia.html |archive-date=7 July 2011 |work=BBC News America}}</ref><ref name="globe">{{Cite news |last=McKean, Erin |date=May 30, 2010 |title=One-day wonder: How fast can a word become legit? |url=https://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/05/30/one_day_wonder/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903104042/https://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/05/30/one_day_wonder/ |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |access-date=May 10, 2014 |work=The Boston Globe}}</ref> Another strip depicted an example of a topic that Wikipedia could not cover neutrally—a fictional donation to either [[Anti-abortion movement|anti-abortion]] or [[Abortion-rights movements|abortion-rights]] activists, determined by the word count in a Wikipedia article on the event where the donation was announced being either odd or even.<ref name="comic 545" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=February 18, 2009 |title=Neutrality Schmeutrality |url=https://www.xkcd.com/545/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223021907/https://xkcd.com/545/ |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |access-date=January 23, 2018 |website=xkcd}}</ref> Wikipedia is also depicted as an extension of one's mind, allowing them to access far more information than normally.<ref name="comic 903" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 25, 2011 |title=Extended Mind |url=https://xkcd.com/903/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111165619/https://xkcd.com/903/ |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |access-date=2020-11-09 |website=xkcd}}</ref> Another comic depicted the [''[[Citation needed|Citation Needed]]''] feature of Wikipedia.<ref name="comic285" group="‡" />[[File:Webcomic xkcd - Wikipedian protester.png|thumb|"Wikipedian Protester", with [[tooltip]] "{{srlink|Wikipedia:Protection policy#Semi-protection|SEMI-PROTECT}} THE CONSTITUTION"<ref name="comic285" group="‡" />]]Nearly all ''xkcd'' strips have a [[tooltip]], the text of which usually contains a secondary punchline or annotation related to that day's comic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trinh |first=Peter |date=September 14, 2007 |title=A Comic You Can't Pronounce |url=http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1654&Itemid=56&issuedate=2007-09-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013210446/http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1654&Itemid=56&issuedate=2007-09-14 |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |access-date=September 16, 2007 |website=Imprint Online}}</ref>

One of the few recurring characters is a man wearing a flat black hat, apparently based on Aram, from Men in Hats.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=xkcd |url=https://xkcd.com/29/ |website=xkcd.com |quote=It's no secret that the hat guy is closely based on Aram, from Men in Hats.}}</ref> He has dedicated his life to causing confusion and harm to others just for his own entertainment. He has no name, though he is commonly referred to as "Black Hat" or "Black Hat Guy" in the community. He gained a girlfriend, commonly named "Danish" by the community, during the course of a small series called "Journal", who is just as cruel as he is.<ref name="comic 433" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=June 6, 2008 |title=Journal 5 |url=https://xkcd.com/433/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905042053/https://xkcd.com/433/ |archive-date=September 5, 2017 |access-date=September 22, 2017 |website=xkcd}}</ref>

Another recurring character is a man with a [[beret]], sometimes simply referred to as "Beret Guy". He seems to be naïve, optimistic, obsessed with bakeries, and completely out of touch with reality. He also has magical abilities,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=Subduction License |url=https://xkcd.com/1388/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004806/https://xkcd.com/1388/ |archive-date=September 23, 2019 |access-date=2019-09-23 |website=xkcd}}</ref> which often manifest in the creation of situations or objects that support his overly optimistic worldview, even when in direct violation of societal norms or the laws of physics; an example is his [[Startup company|startup]] making incredible amounts of money despite his not even knowing what it does.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=Startup Opportunity |url=https://xkcd.com/1772/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004806/https://xkcd.com/1772/ |archive-date=September 23, 2019 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=xkcd}}</ref> In one instance, he hired [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]] as an engineer,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=Onboarding |url=https://xkcd.com/1812/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004806/https://xkcd.com/1812/ |archive-date=September 23, 2019 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=xkcd}}</ref> and in another instance, sprouted literal "endless wings".<ref name="comic 1099" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=August 24, 2012 |title=Tuesdays |url=https://xkcd.com/1099/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003124455/https://xkcd.com/1099/ |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017 |website=xkcd}}</ref>

Geographical maps, including their various different formats and creation methods, are a frequently recurring theme in the comic.<ref name="map comics" group="‡">*{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 14, 2011 |title=Map Projections |url=https://www.xkcd.com/977/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223151529/https://xkcd.com/977/ |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |access-date=January 10, 2018 |website=xkcd |ref=none}}
*{{cite web|ref=none|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1688/|title=Map Age Guide|date=June 1, 2016|access-date=January 10, 2018|archive-date=January 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110114705/https://xkcd.com/1688/|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|ref=none|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1939/|title=2016 Election Map|date=January 8, 2018|access-date=January 10, 2018|archive-date=January 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174231/https://xkcd.com/1939/|url-status=live}}</ref> On occasion these maps have been mentioned by analysts due to their imaginative or original presentation of figures or statistics. In the comic "2016 Election Map", colored stick figures are used to display how people voted in the [[2016 United States presidential election]] according to their region. It was praised as being a strong visualization tool for the election outcome.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Dylan |date=January 8, 2018 |title=This might be the best map of the 2016 election you ever see |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/8/16865532/2016-presidential-election-map-xkcd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109174341/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/8/16865532/2016-presidential-election-map-xkcd |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |access-date=January 10, 2018 |website=Vox}}</ref>

== Inspired activities ==
<!-- NOTE: do not add the thing about a meet up here again, it is already in the article! -->
[[File:Richard Stallman attacked by ninjas, October 17, 2007.jpg|thumb|Hoax attack on [[Richard Stallman]] by students dressed as [[ninja]]s. <br />Inspired by "Open Source"<ref name="comic225" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=February 19, 2007 |title=Open Source |url=https://xkcd.com/225/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117141535/http://xkcd.com/225/ |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |access-date=November 17, 2007 |website=xkcd}}</ref>]]

On several occasions, fans have been motivated by Munroe's comics to carry out the subject of a particular drawing or sketch offline.<ref name="Gazette" /> Some notable examples include:

* [[Richard Stallman]] was confronted by students dressed as ninjas before speaking at the [[Yale Political Union]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zapana |first=Victor |date=October 18, 2007 |title=Stallman trumpets free software |url=http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2007/10/18/stallman-trumpets-free-software/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905020230/http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2007/10/18/stallman-trumpets-free-software/ |archive-date=September 5, 2014 |access-date=October 19, 2007 |work=The Yale Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 18, 2007 |title=Richard Stallman Debate |url=http://www.yale.edu/ypu/blog.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022093205/http://yale.edu/ypu/blog.html |archive-date=October 22, 2007 |access-date=October 21, 2007 |website=Blog of the YPU}}</ref> – inspired by "Open Source".<ref name="comic225" group="‡" />
* 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 "Dream Girl".<ref name="comic240" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=March 26, 2007 |title=Dream Girl |url=https://xkcd.com/240/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326114004/http://www.xkcd.com/240/ |archive-date=March 26, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2010 |website=xkcd}}</ref> Munroe appeared, commenting, "Maybe wanting something does make it real", reversing the conclusion he drew in the last frame of the same strip.<ref name="Gazette" /><ref name="Phoenix">{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Georgiana |date=September 26, 2007 |title=The wisdom of crowds |url=http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/48208-wisdom-of-crowds/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919000829/http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/48208-wisdom-of-crowds/ |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |access-date=September 27, 2007 |website=The Phoenix}}</ref> 
[[File:Cory Doctorow @ eTech 2007.jpeg|thumb|[[Cory Doctorow]] wearing a red cape and a pair of goggles based on his appearance in ''xkcd''. Doctorow later wore the costume again while accepting a Hugo Award on Munroe's behalf.<ref name="Cory at Hugo" />]]
*When animated ''xkcd'' strip "Time" won a [[Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story]] in August 2014, it was accepted by [[Cory Doctorow]] on behalf of Munroe, dressing as Munroe had drawn him in an earlier strip, "1337: Part 5".<ref name="Cory at Hugo">{{Cite web |last=Anders |first=Charlie Jane |date=August 17, 2014 |title=All The Most Exciting Moments From The 2014 Hugo Awards! |url=http://io9.com/all-the-most-exciting-moments-from-the-2014-hugo-awards-1623035065 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090232/http://io9.com/all-the-most-exciting-moments-from-the-2014-hugo-awards-1623035065 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=August 17, 2014 |publisher=[[io9]]}}</ref><ref name="comic345" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 16, 2007 |title=1337: Part 5 |url=https://xkcd.com/345/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116213728/http://xkcd.com/345/ |archive-date=November 16, 2007 |access-date=November 17, 2007 |website=xkcd}}</ref>
* ''xkcd'' readers began sneaking [[chess]] boards onto roller coasters after "Chess Photo" was published.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yu |first=Chun |date=November 12, 2007 |title=The man hiding behind the raptor |url=https://thetartan.org/2007/11/12/pillbox/xkcd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213140046/http://www.thetartan.org/2007/11/12/pillbox/xkcd |archive-date=December 13, 2007 |access-date=November 12, 2007 |publisher=The Tartan}}</ref><ref group="‡">{{Cite web |title=People Playing Chess on Roller Coasters |url=https://xkcd.com/chesscoaster/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820200247/http://xkcd.com/chesscoaster/ |archive-date=August 20, 2007 |access-date=August 20, 2007 |website=xkcd}}</ref><ref name="comic249" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=April 16, 2007 |title=Chess Photo |url=https://xkcd.com/249/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221003354/http://xkcd.com/249/ |archive-date=December 21, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}</ref>
* The game of "[[geohashing]]"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Geohashing wiki |url=http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313073512/http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2012 |website=wiki.xkcd.com}}</ref> has gained more than 1,000 players,<ref>{{Cite web |title=maps and statistics |url=https://geohashing.site/geohashing/maps_and_statistics#Broken_or_Non_Working_Projects |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408153702/http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing/Maps_and_statistics |archive-date=April 8, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2021 |publisher=geohashing wiki}}</ref> who travel to random coordinates calculated by the algorithm described in "Geohashing".<ref name="comic426" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 26, 2005 |title=Geohashing |url=https://xkcd.com/426/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415164627/http://www.xkcd.com/426/ |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2012 |website=xkcd}}</ref>
* In October 2007, a group of researchers at [[University of Southern California]]'s [[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 |last=McNamara |first=Paul |date=October 9, 2007 |title=Researchers ping through first full 'Internet census' in 25 years |url=http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/20390?t51hb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012154415/http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/20390?t51hb |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |website=Buzzblog |publisher=Networkworld.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 9, 2007 |title=62 Days + Almost 3 Billion Pings + New Visualization Scheme = the First Internet Census Since 1982 |url=http://www.isi.edu/news/story/178 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312071750/https://www.isi.edu/news/story/178 |archive-date=March 12, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |publisher=Information Science Institute}}</ref><ref name="comic195" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=December 11, 2006 |title=Map of the Internet |url=https://xkcd.com/195/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009192810/http://xkcd.com/195/ |archive-date=October 9, 2007 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |website=xkcd}}</ref> Inspired by the same comic, the [[Carna botnet]] used a Hilbert curve to present data in their 2012 Internet Census.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Internet Census 2012: Port scanning /0 using insecure embedded devices |url=http://internetcensus2012.bitbucket.org/paper.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013010243/http://internetcensus2012.bitbucket.org/paper.html |archive-date=October 13, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Based on "Packages",<ref name="comic576" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 1, 2009 |title=Packages |url=https://xkcd.com/576/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225163124/https://www.xkcd.com/576/ |archive-date=December 25, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}</ref> programmers have set up programs to automatically find an item for sale on the Internet for $1.00 every day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=csKw:projects:cheepcheep |url=http://shaunwagner.com/projects_cc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022191106/http://shaunwagner.com/projects_cc.html |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |publisher=Shaunwagner.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=November 8, 2010 |title=xkcd #576 |url=http://bieh.net/2010/11/08/xkcd-576/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723024714/http://bieh.net/2010/11/08/xkcd-576/ |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |access-date=December 15, 2012 |website=bieh.net}}</ref>{{anchor|password}}
* In response to "Password Strength",<ref name="comic936" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=August 10, 2011 |title=Password Strength |url=http://xkcd.com/936/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821074348/http://xkcd.com/936/ |archive-date=August 21, 2013 |access-date=August 21, 2013 |website=xkcd}}</ref> [[Dropbox]] shows two messages reading "lol" and "Whoa there, don't take advice from a webcomic too literally ;)" when attempting to register with the password "correcthorsebatterystaple".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cluley |first=Graham |date=August 13, 2012 |title=Correcthorsebatterystaple – the guys at Dropbox are funny |url=https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/08/13/correcthorsebatterystaple-dropbox-wit/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201170039/http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/08/13/correcthorsebatterystaple-dropbox-wit/ |archive-date=February 1, 2013 |access-date=March 12, 2013 |website=Naked Security |publisher=Sophos}}</ref> [[ArenaNet]] recommended that ''[[Guild Wars 2]]'' users create [[Password strength|secure passwords]] following the guidelines of the same comic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kerstein |first=Martin |date=January 31, 2013 |title=Mandatory Password Change is Coming |url=https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/mandatory-password-change-is-coming/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301233718/https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/mandatory-password-change-is-coming/ |archive-date=March 1, 2013 |access-date=March 12, 2013 |publisher=GuildWars2.com}}</ref>
* The [[Python (programming language)|Python]] Standard Library module "antigravity", when run, opens the xkcd comic "Python".<ref name="comic353" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=December 5, 2007 |title=Python |url=http://xkcd.com/353/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623131139/https://xkcd.com/353/ |archive-date=June 23, 2019 |access-date=June 20, 2019 |website=xkcd}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=van Rossum |first=Guido |author-link=Guido van Rossum |date=June 21, 2010 |title=import antigravity |url=http://python-history.blogspot.com/2010/06/import-antigravity.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620082114/http://python-history.blogspot.com/2010/06/import-antigravity.html |archive-date=June 20, 2019 |access-date=June 20, 2019 |website=The History of Python}}</ref> On the 4th of June 2009, a [[Function (computer programming)|function]] was added into the "antigravity" module that implements the geohashing algorithm (which is inspired by the [https://xkcd.com/426 426th ''xkcd'' comic], also titled "Geohashing"), according to the commit history of [[CPython]]'s git repository.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Another hidden treasure. · python/cpython@b1614a7 |url=https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/b1614a7b6705f939b29df4045e591fcf53a8611b |access-date=2021-12-06 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>
* Inspired by the xkcd comic "Online Communities 2",<ref name="comic802" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=October 6, 2010 |title=Online Communities 2 |url=https://xkcd.com/802/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218124808/http://xkcd.com/802/ |archive-date=December 18, 2015 |access-date=December 23, 2015 |website=xkcd}}</ref> Slovak artist [[Martin Vargic]] created the "Map of the Internet 1.0."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Condliffe |first=Jamie |date=January 30, 2014 |title=This Beautiful Map of the Internet Is Insanely Detailed |url=https://gizmodo.com/this-beautiful-map-of-the-internet-is-insanely-detailed-1512236854 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225140018/http://gizmodo.com/this-beautiful-map-of-the-internet-is-insanely-detailed-1512236854 |archive-date=February 25, 2014 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |website=[[Gizmodo]]}}</ref>
* In 2008, Munroe posted a parody of the [[Discovery Channel]]'s ''I Love the World'' advertising campaign on ''xkcd'',<ref name="comic442" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=June 27, 2008 |title=xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel |url=https://xkcd.com/442/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628000401/http://xkcd.com/442/ |archive-date=June 28, 2008 |access-date=June 27, 2008 |website=xkcd}}</ref> which was later reenacted by [[Neil Gaiman]], [[Wil Wheaton]], [[Cory Doctorow]], [[Hank Green]], and others.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Wallace |first=Lewis |date=February 8, 2010 |title=Geek Heroes Sing 'We Love Xkcd' |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/02/we-love-xkcd/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605095509/https://www.wired.com/2010/02/we-love-xkcd/ |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=June 5, 2020 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> This reenactment was posted to [[YouTube]] with the title "We Love xkcd".<ref>{{Citation |title=We Love xkcd |date=February 6, 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQAk_T9SBbw |access-date=2023-06-05 |language=en}}</ref>
* Munroe's 2012 comic "Up-Goer Five" on the [[Saturn V]] rocket inspired the "Up-Goer Five Challenge" for scientists. The original comic described the rocket only using the [[wikt:wiktionary:Frequency lists/Contemporary fiction|one thousand most frequent words in contemporary fiction]]; in the same way, the challenge is for scientists to describe their journal articles and scientific papers with extremely basic language. More generally, even when not adhering to the original strict list, the comic has been cited as an example of the merits in avoiding too much [[jargon]] that can make scientific papers unreadable to the general public.<ref name="comic1133" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 12, 2012 |title=Up Goer Five |url=http://xkcd.com/1133/ |access-date=December 30, 2022 |website=xkcd}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kornei |first=Katherine |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Are You Confused by Scientific Jargon? So Are Scientists |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/science/science-jargon-caves.html |work=The New York Times |via=NYTimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bedford |first=B. |date=January 3, 2019 |title=Can You Explain Science Using Only 1,000 Common Words? |url=http://eos.org/articles/can-you-explain-science-using-only-1000-common-words |website=Eos}}</ref>

=== Academic research ===

In addition, a number of researchers have acknowledged particular ''xkcd'' comics as the source of inspiration for their scientific articles.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Muller |first1=Max |last2=Bailey |first2=David |title=What research articles were inspired by web comics? |url=https://hsm.stackexchange.com/questions/15152/what-research-articles-were-inspired-by-web-comics |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=History of Science and Mathematics Stack Exchange |language=en}}</ref> These academic contributions include:
* In 2007, two researchers published an article titled "High Level Internet Scale Traffic Visualization Using Hilbert Curve Mapping".<ref>{{Citation |last1=Irwin |first1=B. |title=High Level Internet Scale Traffic Visualization Using Hilbert Curve Mapping |date=2008 |work=VizSEC 2007: Proceedings of the Workshop on Visualization for Computer Security |pages=147–158 |editor-last=Goodall |editor-first=John R. |editor-last2=Conti |editor-first2=Gregory |editor-last3=Ma |editor-first3=Kwan-Liu |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78243-8_10 |access-date=2023-09-30 |series=Mathematics and Visualization |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-78243-8_10 |isbn=978-3-540-78243-8 |last2=Pilkington |first2=N.}}</ref> It was inspired by the comic "Map of the Internet".<ref name="comic195" group="‡" />
* Three Microsoft Research employees published the paper "Failure is a Four-Letter Word: a Parody in Empirical Research" in 2011.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Zeller |first1=Andreas |title=Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Predictive Models in Software Engineering |last2=Zimmermann |first2=Thomas |last3=Bird |first3=Christian |date=2011-09-20 |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |isbn=978-1-4503-0709-3 |series=Promise '11 |location=New York, NY, US |pages=1–7 |chapter=Failure is a four-letter word: A parody in empirical research |doi=10.1145/2020390.2020395 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/2020390.2020395 |s2cid=263735450}}</ref> They were inspired by "Significant".<ref name="comic882" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=April 6, 2011 |title=Significant |url=https://xkcd.com/882/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}}</ref>
* The "Password Strength" comic<ref name="comic936" group="‡" /> has inspired the creation of two scientific articles. The first one is the 2012 article "Correct horse battery staple: exploring the usability of system-assigned passphrases".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Shay |first1=Richard |title=Proceedings of the Eighth Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security |last2=Kelley |first2=Patrick Gage |last3=Komanduri |first3=Saranga |last4=Mazurek |first4=Michelle L. |last5=Ur |first5=Blase |last6=Vidas |first6=Timothy |last7=Bauer |first7=Lujo |last8=Christin |first8=Nicolas |last9=Cranor |first9=Lorrie Faith |date=2012-07-11 |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |isbn=978-1-4503-1532-6 |series=SOUPS '12 |location=New York, NY, US |pages=1–20 |chapter=Correct horse battery staple: Exploring the usability of system-assigned passphrases |doi=10.1145/2335356.2335366 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/2335356.2335366 |s2cid=2431597}}</ref> The second paper was published in 2015, and bears the title "How to Memorize a Random 60-Bit String".<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ghazvininejad |first1=Marjan |last2=Knight |first2=Kevin |date=May 31 – June 5, 2015 |title=How to Memorize a Random 60-Bit String |url=https://aclanthology.org/N15-1180.pdf |journal=The 2015 Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the ACL |pages=1569–1575 |via=ACL Anthology}}</ref>
* The 2019 paper "Stippling of 2D Scalar Fields"<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gortler |first1=J. |last2=Spicker |first2=M. |last3=Schulz |first3=C. |last4=Weiskopf |first4=D. |last5=Deussen |first5=O. |date=2019 |title=Stippling of 2D Scalar Fields |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8667696 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics |language=en-US |volume=25 |issue=6 |pages=2193–2204 |doi=10.1109/TVCG.2019.2903945 |pmid=30892212 |s2cid=84183579 |access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> was inspired by "2016 Election Map".<ref name="comic1939" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 8, 2018 |title=2016 Election Map |url=https://xkcd.com/1939/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}}</ref>
* "Dependency"<ref name="comic2347" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=August 8, 2020 |title=Dependency |url=https://xkcd.com/2347/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}}</ref> inspired an author to write the article "The Nebraska problem in open source software development".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hatta |first=Masayuki |date=2022 |title=The Nebraska problem in open source software development |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/abas/21/5/21_0220914a/_article |journal=Annals of Business Administrative Science |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=91–102 |doi=10.7880/abas.0220914a |doi-access=free}}</ref>
* Two scientific publications were inspired by "Movie Narrative Charts".<ref name="comic657" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 2, 2009 |title=Movie Narrative Charts |url=https://xkcd.com/657/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}}</ref> These articles are named "StoryFlow: Tracking the Evolution of Stories"<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Shixia |author-link1=Shixia Liu |last2=Wu |first2=Yingcai |last3=Wei |first3=Enxun |last4=Liu |first4=Mengchen |last5=Liu |first5=Yang |date=16 October 2013 |title=StoryFlow: Tracking the Evolution of Stories |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6634164 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics |volume=19 |issue=12 |pages=2436–2445 |doi=10.1109/TVCG.2013.196 |pmid=24051810 |s2cid=17377497}}</ref> and "HyperStorylines: Interactively untangling dynamic hypergraphs,"<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Peña-Araya |first1=Vanessa |last2=Xue |first2=Tong |last3=Pietriga |first3=Emmanuel |last4=Amsaleg |first4=Laurent |last5=Bezerianos |first5=Anastasia |date=2021-09-18 |title=HyperStorylines: Interactively untangling dynamic hypergraphs |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14738716211045007 |journal=Information Visualization |language=en |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=38–62 |doi=10.1177/14738716211045007 |issn=1473-8716 |s2cid=240541254}}</ref> with the latter article citing the former.<ref name=":0" />

== Politics ==
The comics have featured pro-science and [[vaccination policy|pro-vaccination]] viewpoints.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explaining an mRNA vaccine with Star Wars - Boing Boing |url=https://boingboing.net/2021/02/16/explaining-an-mrna-vaccine-with-star-wars.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Keating |first=Oonagh |date=May 6, 2021 |title=10 times Randall Munroe's xkcd comic absolutely smashed it |url=https://www.thepoke.com/2021/05/06/10-randall-munroes-xkcd-comic-best/}}</ref> [[Democratic_Party_(United_States)|Democratic]] [[U.S. presidential candidate|presidential candidates]] have also received endorsements.<ref name="comic1756" group="‡">{{Cite web |title=I'm With Her |url=https://xkcd.com/1756/ |website=xkcd}}</ref> In the fall of 2024, a [[banner]] on the homepage endorsed [[Harris for President]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kamala Harris gets coveted xkcd endorsement. &#124; Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science |url=https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2024/08/03/kamala-harris-gets-coveted-xkcd-endorsement/}}</ref><ref name="harris endorsement" group="‡">{{Cite web |title=XKCD |url=https://www.xkcd.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241016204043/https://xkcd.com/ |archive-date=October 16, 2024}}</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==
''xkcd'' has been recognized at various award ceremonies. In the 2008 [[Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards]], the webcomic was nominated for "Outstanding Use of the Medium", "Outstanding Short Form Comic", and "Outstanding Comedic Comic", and it won "Outstanding Single Panel Comic".<ref>{{Cite web |title=2008 List of Winners and Finalists |url=http://www.ccawards.com/2008finalists.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310200607/http://www.ccawards.com/2008finalists.html |archive-date=March 10, 2009 |access-date=January 6, 2009 |publisher=[[Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards]]}}</ref> ''xkcd'' was voted "Best Comic Strip" by readers in the 2007 and 2008 [[The Weblog Awards (Wizbang)|Weblog Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aylward |first=Kevin |date=November 11, 2008 |title=The 2007 Weblog Award Winners |url=https://2007.weblogawards.org/news/the-2007-weblog-award-winners.php |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122175848/http://2007.weblogawards.org/news/the-2007-weblog-award-winners.php |archive-date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=January 6, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Aylward |first=Kevin |date=January 15, 2009 |title=The 2008 Weblog Awards Winners |url=https://2008.weblogawards.org/news/the-2008-weblog-award-winners/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715233543/http://2008.weblogawards.org/news/the-2008-weblog-award-winners/ |archive-date=July 15, 2009 |access-date=July 9, 2009}}</ref> The webcomic was nominated for a 2009 [[NewNowNext Awards|NewNowNext Award]] in the category "OMFG Internet Award".<ref>{{Cite web |title=2009 NewNowNext Awards |url=http://www.logoonline.com/shows/newnownext_awards/vote.jhtml?qn=nnn_poll_13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520172958/http://www.logoonline.com/shows/newnownext_awards/vote.jhtml?qn=nnn_poll_13 |archive-date=May 20, 2009 |access-date=June 14, 2009 |publisher=Viacom International Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Warn |first=Sarah |date=May 21, 2009 |title=Photos: 2009 NewNowNext Awards |url=http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/5/nnn-awards-red-carpet-photos |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712104952/http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/5/nnn-awards-red-carpet-photos |archive-date=July 12, 2009 |access-date=June 14, 2009 |work=[[AfterEllen.com]]}}</ref>

Randall Munroe was nominated for the [[Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist]] in both 2011 and 2012,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hugo Awards Page |url=http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429050214/http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php |archive-date=April 29, 2011 |access-date=April 25, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hugo Awards Page |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2012-hugo-awards/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408045604/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2012-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=April 8, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and he won a Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2014, for "Time".<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2014 |title=2014 Hugo Award Winners |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/2014/08/2014-hugo-award-winners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083711/http://www.thehugoawards.org/2014/08/2014-hugo-award-winners/ |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=August 19, 2014}}</ref>

== Books ==
In September 2009, Munroe released a book, titled ''xkcd: volume 0'', containing selected ''xkcd'' comics.<ref group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=September 10, 2009 |title=Book! |url=http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/09/10/book/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100517034725/http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/09/10/book/ |archive-date=May 17, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2010 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref> The book was published by [[breadpig]], under a [[Creative Commons license]], CC BY-NC 3.0,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sidekick for Hire — xkcd: volume 0 |url=http://breadpig.com/collections/everything/products/xkcd-volume-0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220214722/http://breadpig.com/collections/everything/products/xkcd-volume-0 |archive-date=December 20, 2013 |access-date=November 20, 2013 |publisher=Breadpig |df=mdy-all}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harvkey |first=Mike |date=August 2, 2019 |title=Cartoonist Randall Munroe Will Be Your Answer Man |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/80837-cartoonist-randall-munroe-will-be-your-answer-man.html |access-date=2021-05-10}}</ref> 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 [[Salavan Province]], [[Laos]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ohanian |first=Alexis |author-link=Alexis Ohanian |date=March 15, 2010 |title=The xkcd school in Laos is complete! Rejoice! |url=http://breadpig.com/blog/2010/03/15/the-xkcd-school-in-laos-is-complete-rejoice/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100322214135/http://breadpig.com/blog/2010/03/15/the-xkcd-school-in-laos-is-complete-rejoice |archive-date=March 22, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2010 |publisher=Breadpig}}</ref><ref group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=October 11, 2009 |title=School |url=http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/10/11/school/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123123400/http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/10/11/school/ |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |access-date=February 10, 2013 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref>

Munroe contributed a story titled "?" to the anthology book ''[[Machine of Death]]'', released on October 6, 2010.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=North |first1=Ryan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NjiWqzc96KgC |title=Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories about People who Know how They Will Die |last2=Bennardo |first2=Matthew |last3=Malki |first3=David |date=2010 |publisher=Machines of Death LLC |isbn=978-0-9821671-2-0 |language=en}}</ref> 

In October 2012, ''xkcd: volume 0'' was included in the [[Humble Indie Bundle|Humble Bundle]] [[E-book|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 |date=October 16, 2012 |title=Humble eBook Bundle is Now Five Times More Hilarious! |url=https://blog.humblebundle.com/post/33714074132/humble-ebook-bundle-is-now-five-times-more-hilarious |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101015947/http://blog.humblebundle.com/post/33714074132/humble-ebook-bundle-is-now-five-times-more-hilarious |archive-date=November 1, 2012 |access-date=November 5, 2012 |publisher=[[Humble Indie Bundle]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

On March 12, 2014, Munroe announced the book ''[[What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions]]''. The book was released on September 2, 2014. The book expands on the ''What If?'' [[blog]] on the ''xkcd'' website.<ref name="whatifblog" group="‡" /><ref name="geekwhatif" />

On May 13, 2015, Munroe announced a new book titled ''[[Thing Explainer]]''. Eventually released on November 24, 2015, ''Thing Explainer'' is based on the ''xkcd'' strip "Up Goer Five" and only uses the thousand most commonly used words to explain different scientific devices.<ref name="things explainer blog" group="‡" />

On February 5, 2019, Munroe announced a fourth book, titled ''[[How To (book)|How To]]'', which uses math and science to find the worst possible solutions to everyday problems. It was released on September 3, 2019.<ref name="how to blog" group="‡" />

On January 31, 2022, Munroe announced the book ''[[What If? 2 (book)|What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions]]'', a follow-up title that continued in the same vein as the first volume in attempting to provide scientific answers to hypothetical situations submitted by readers.<ref name="Verge">{{Cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=January 31, 2022 |title=XKCD's Randall Munroe announces What If? 2, with more scientific answers to life's most absurd hypothetical questions |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22910603/xkcd-randall-munroe-what-if-2-book-annoucement-release-date |access-date=June 28, 2024 |website=theverge.com |publisher=Vox Media}}</ref> The book was released on September 13, 2022.<ref name="whatif2blog" group="‡">{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 31, 2022 |title=What If 2 |url=https://blog.xkcd.com/2022/01/31/what-if-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531134149/https://blog.xkcd.com/2022/01/31/what-if-2/ |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Comics}}
* ''[[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]]'' (SMBC) – A web comic in a somewhat similar vein

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{psrs}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 8, 2007 |title=What xkcd Means |url=https://xkcd.com/207/ |website=xkcd}}
* {{Cite web |last=Munroe, Randall |author-link=Randall Munroe |date=February 2007 |title=Once a Physicist: Randall Munroe |url=http://www.iop.org/careers/working-life/profiles/page_57846.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322155137/http://www.iop.org/careers/working-life/profiles/page_57846.html |archive-date=March 22, 2019 |access-date=October 13, 2017 |website=[[Physics World]] |page=43}}
* {{Cite web |last=Erg |date=March 26, 2007 |title=Talking ''xkcd'' with Randall Munroe |url=http://comixtalk.com/talking_xkcd_with_randall_munroe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421184953/http://comixtalk.com/talking_xkcd_with_randall_munroe |archive-date=April 21, 2008 |access-date=May 12, 2008 |website=Comixtalk.com}}
* {{Cite web |title=What I learned from the xkcd effect |url=http://www.commacommacrash.net/2009/12/what-i-learned-from-xkcd-effect.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225154123/http://www.commacommacrash.net/2009/12/what-i-learned-from-xkcd-effect.html |archive-date=December 25, 2013}} An article on the impact of ''xkcd'' topics on Google searches.

== External links ==
{{Commons|xkcd}}
{{Wikiquote|xkcd}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://what-if.xkcd.com/ xkcd What-If]
* [https://www.explainxkcd.com/ Explain xkcd], a wiki dedicated to explaining the references found in each comic

{{Randall Munroe}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:xkcd}}
[[Category:2000s webcomics]]
[[Category:2010s webcomics]]
[[Category:2020s webcomics]]
[[Category:2005 webcomic debuts]]
[[Category:American comedy webcomics]]
[[Category:Computer humour]]
[[Category:Creative Commons-licensed comics]]
[[Category:Hacker culture]]
[[Category:Infinite canvas webcomics]]
[[Category:Nerd culture]]
[[Category:Short form webcomics]]
[[Category:Web Cartoonists' Choice Award winners]]
[[Category:Webcomics in print]]