Theory
Original: Theory on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (header banner): THEORIES THAT SOMEONE ELSE WROTE THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE:
Speaker (a man with dark hair, gesturing emphatically): Well if it WASN'T Francis Bacon how did he know any medical references? How did he know about aristocratic life? What about the secret codes hidden on page 112 of the first folio, NOT TO MENTION this sequence of italics, which if converted to binary, spells a series of Bacon-related words!
Panel 2 (header banner): THE THEORY THAT SHAKESPEARE WROTE SHAKESPEARE:
(A man with glasses holds both hands up, looking exasperated.)
Speaker: The guy who signed his name Shakespeare, lived during the years Shakespeare made plays, whose plays were published as the works of Shakespeare by friends of Shakespeare, and who was mentioned by critics as Shakespeare, the writer of Shakespeare's plays...
Panel 3:
(A bald man with a beard points one finger up.)
Speaker: ...that guy was probably Shakespeare.
Credits: PATREON.COM/ZACHWEINERSMITH SMBC-COMICS.COM
Votey:
Text (caption inside a hand-drawn frame): PLEASE PLEASE SEND ME YOUR DETAILED HATEMAIL.
Speaker (a man with dark hair, gesturing emphatically): Well if it WASN'T Francis Bacon how did he know any medical references? How did he know about aristocratic life? What about the secret codes hidden on page 112 of the first folio, NOT TO MENTION this sequence of italics, which if converted to binary, spells a series of Bacon-related words!
Panel 2 (header banner): THE THEORY THAT SHAKESPEARE WROTE SHAKESPEARE:
(A man with glasses holds both hands up, looking exasperated.)
Speaker: The guy who signed his name Shakespeare, lived during the years Shakespeare made plays, whose plays were published as the works of Shakespeare by friends of Shakespeare, and who was mentioned by critics as Shakespeare, the writer of Shakespeare's plays...
Panel 3:
(A bald man with a beard points one finger up.)
Speaker: ...that guy was probably Shakespeare.
Credits: PATREON.COM/ZACHWEINERSMITH SMBC-COMICS.COM
Votey:
Text (caption inside a hand-drawn frame): PLEASE PLEASE SEND ME YOUR DETAILED HATEMAIL.
Alt text
A two-part SMBC comic comparing conspiracy theories about Shakespeare's authorship. Top section, banner: "Theories that someone else wrote the works of Shakespeare." A dark-haired man gesticulates wildly, ranting: "Well if it WASN'T Francis Bacon how did he know any medical references? How did he know about aristocratic life? What about the secret codes hidden on page 112 of the first folio, NOT TO MENTION this sequence of italics, which if converted to binary, spells a series of Bacon-related words!" Bottom section, banner: "The theory that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare." A bespectacled man holds up both hands in plain exasperation and lays out the deadpan case: "The guy who signed his name Shakespeare, lived during the years Shakespeare made plays, whose plays were published as the works of Shakespeare by friends of Shakespeare, and who was mentioned by critics as Shakespeare, the writer of Shakespeare's plays... that guy was probably Shakespeare." The joke contrasts elaborate cipher-hunting conspiracy with the obvious, evidence-based conclusion. Votey (aftercomic): a plain hand-drawn frame with the caption "Please please send me your detailed hatemail."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.