The Doctor Says: Fun is Officially Over

The Doctor Says: Fun is Officially Over 78

Posted by Hemos on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:25AM from the the-(fun)-has-ended-but-the-memory-the-lingers-on dept.

grammar fascist writes "After just less than 13 years, the first comic on the World Wide Web, Doctor Fun, has come to an end. Thanks for all the laughs, Dave. From Dave Farley's page at ibiblio: 'Doctor Fun is over. As promised, I somehow managed to finish 520 weeks or ten full years, even if it took a bit longer than ten years to get there. All of the old cartoons will stay right here as long as ibiblio wants to keep hosting them.'"

The Doctor Says: Fun is Officially Over

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- Re:Sick (Score:2)
  
  by RedOregon ( 161027 ) writes:
  
  Exactly. That's why he will be missed so much. I nearly always enjoyed that bit of wierdness that would pop up randomly in my inbox. Shame. Right up there with B Kliban.
The one with cmdr taco (Score:5, Informative)

by raffe ( 28595 ) * writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:30AM (#15516403) Journal

I like this one [ibiblio.org] with taco in it!

- Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:5, Funny)
  
  by Turing Machine ( 144300 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:49AM (#15516503)
  
  I think my favorite ones of all time were Don Knuth finally sells out [ibiblio.org] and Scenes Cut from Jurassic Park [ibiblio.org].
  
  Thanks for all the laughs, Dave.
  
  - Also Unix Gurus in Hell (Score:4, Funny)
    
    by xiox ( 66483 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @10:16AM (#15516662)
    
    Unix Gurus in Hell [ibiblio.org]
    
    What a wonderful comic strip!
    
    - Re:Also Unix Gurus in Hell (Score:1)
      
      by Timex ( 11710 ) * writes:
      
      That was the first one I ever saw, back in 2001. I started following it then.
      
      I'm sorry to see it end.
  - A poignant one (Score:3, Interesting)
    
    by xiox ( 66483 ) writes:
    
    Sniff sniff [ibiblio.org]
- Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:2)
  
  by drewzhrodague ( 606182 ) writes:
  
  Seriously! I found Dr. Fun a while ago while working on banking systems. Most fun I had there (and there wasn't much fun to be had) was reading Dr. Fun comics in reverse order, and also looking up government land auctions. Not that those would have anything to do with banking, systems, or my job -- but I did seriously enjoy those comics.
  
  Also, it's easy to 'test' the color laser printer at your office, by printing out one of these comics. You can later hang them up around your office, and force your cowor
- Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:2)
  
  by whitehatlurker ( 867714 ) writes:
  
  My favourite is Clusenix [ibiblio.org].
  
  I wanted to add my thanks to Dave for the years of laughs (and for the jokes I didn't get and had to look around to figure out what the heck he was on about).
  
  As to the two weeks of Dr Fun that we're stilled owed from Dave - the black and white drawings probably would cover that.
- the one with the vagina squirrels (Score:1)
  
  by jonom ( 109588 ) * writes:
  
  http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/Dr-Fun/df200005/df2000 0517.jpg [ibiblio.org]
- Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:2, Interesting)
  
  by freakmn ( 712872 ) writes:
  
  That's not the only one that resembles slashdot. I think that there might be a hidden slashdot reference between this comic [ibiblio.org] and this one [ibiblio.org]. Though this story isn't a dupe, that comic is. Could be the most subtle humor I've seen in a while.
- Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)
  
  by Tx ( 96709 ) writes:
  
  is 522 weeks assuming 635.25 days/year.
  
  Actually, no. Assuming 365.25 days per year, OTOH ... ;)
  - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1)
    
    by William Robinson ( 875390 ) writes:
    
    unless... he is Douglas Quaid....and posting from Venusville... Only possible explaination about 635.25 instead of 686.96 days could be... he still has false information implanted;)
  - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)
    
    by nsayer ( 86181 ) * writes:
    
    It's actually 365.2425 - you have to take out one day every 100 years, but not every 400 years.
    
    Some folks suggest that every 4000 years you should take one out again, That would be 365.24225. I don't think that's official yet, however.
    
    That doesn't change the calculations significantly in this case, however.
    - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1)
      
      by Alaria Phrozen ( 975601 ) writes:
      
      Um, if you're going to be splitting hairs, you might as well be correct. This article seems close enough to work as a source for /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year [wikipedia.org] I was tought in school 365.2422... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revised_Julian_calend ar [wikipedia.org] But whatever.
      - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)
        
        by petermgreen ( 876956 ) writes:
        
        so the eastern authodox church adopted a calender thats similar but not identical to the standard gregorian calender just to avoid saying the catholics were right. Sounds about right for a religous institution.
      - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)
        
        by nsayer ( 86181 ) * writes:
        
        Um, if you're going to be splitting hairs, you might as well be correct.
        And what exactly did I get wrong in my comment?
        I was tought
        You clearly weren't taught spelling, speaking of hair-splitting.
        in school 365.2422
        365+1/4-1/100+1/400 != 365.2422.
        365+1/4-1/100+1/400 is the current definition. One proposed extension (originally proposed by John Herschel) is to subtract 1/4000, which would make the sum 365.24225. All of which is exactly what I said before.
  - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)
    
    by Urusai ( 865560 ) writes:
    
    What a gross approximation. It's closer to 365.24.
    - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)
      
      by petermgreen ( 876956 ) writes:
      
      ok maybe i should have used a quater symbol instead of .25..................
      
      using 365.24 doesn't change the final result when rounded to the nearest week though.
- - Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1, Offtopic)
    
    by petermgreen ( 876956 ) writes:
    
    sorry i did the correct calculation but transposed a couple of digits in my post.
    
    what it should say is:
    
    10 full years to the nearest week is 522 weeks assuming 365.25 days/year.
- Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1)
  
  by NotQuiteInsane ( 981960 ) writes:
  
  > is 522 weeks assuming 635.25 days/year.
  
  Hey, maybe he RSA encrypted it - so all we need to do is find the right values of N and D and... Oh, wait, he posted a correction. Never mind.
Cool (Score:3, Funny)

by mgblst ( 80109 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:34AM (#15516425) Homepage

Cool, now I can go back through the archive, and see if he ever wrote a funny one... ha, just kidding.

Very strange little comic, never heard of it before, even though I have been on the web as long as it has. (to be fair, i am not that funny either)

- Re:Cool (Score:2)
  
  by markhb ( 11721 ) writes:
  
  I'd never heard of it before, either, and I'm still trying to figure out what the "terrible misprint on the box" was supposed to be.
  - Re:Cool (Score:3, Interesting)
    
    by mgblst ( 80109 ) writes:
    
    Perhaps it is some huge injoke, and you need to read the 5200 or so previous jokes to get it. If you did, you would explode (literally) in laughter - but looking around the office, I haven't seen anyone explode yet.
  - - Moderator is tard (Score:2, Funny)
      
      by Anonymous Coward writes:
      
      you idiot that's the "terrible, terrible misprint" [ibiblio.org]
      - Re:Moderator is tard (Score:2)
        
        by elrous0 ( 869638 ) * writes:
        
        You know thhey should have just jetisonned their marketing campaign and went for a new market. There are probably more than a few people out their would would be interested in a talking horse cock--more than we would care to admit.
        -Eric
    - Re:Cool (Score:1)
      
      by prionic6 ( 858109 ) writes:
      
      I don't know how the parent is "Offtopic" in any way. The misprint is obviosly meant to be "Mr. Ed Talking Horse Cock". Thanks to the AC for pointing that out to me, too :)
- Re:Cool (Score:2)
  
  by tverbeek ( 457094 ) writes:
  
  I can't claim to have been on the web quite as long as Dr. Fun (I only date back to Netscape 1.0N), but I do remember when this was literally the webcomic. All the kewl netheads knew about it.
Nooooooo!!!! (Score:5, Insightful)

by digitalamish ( 449285 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:37AM (#15516436)

I noticed on Friday that his comic "Clothes make the Peep" [ibiblio.org], was an homage to his original "Clothes make the Spam" [ibiblio.org]. Please, say it ain't so. I started reading this comic it's first week. I even kept checking when he took a hiatus a few years ago for several months.

Thank you Dave.

13 years?!@#$%^ (Score:5, Insightful)

by Rob T Firefly ( 844560 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:43AM (#15516469) Homepage Journal

Has it really been 13 years? Cripes, I'm getting old. Give it a few more years' worth of degenerative amnesia and I'll be looking for this strip on budget desk calendars in the mall bookstore.

Many thanks and best wishes, David Farley. Can't wait to see what you do next!

Wait (Score:5, Funny)

by chadamir ( 665725 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:47AM (#15516492) Homepage

I thought whenever The Doctor dies he gets to regenerate.

- Re:Wait (Score:1)
  
  by Alterion ( 925335 ) writes:
  
  only 9/10 times iirc.. which is why their keeping the current one for the forseeable future
  - Re:Wait (Score:1)
    
    by Macthorpe ( 960048 ) writes:
    
    Being the horrible geek I am, it's a total of 12 times, making 13 possible Doctors.
dang! (Score:3, Insightful)

by kisrael ( 134664 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @09:47AM (#15516493) Homepage

Heh, I remember submitting a rejected article when it returned from hiatus.

Man, a lot of us "grew up" with this comic, it really was the geek hallmark on the early web.

- Re:dang! (Score:1, Interesting)
  
  by Anonymous Coward writes:
  
  Strange... I never heard of this comic till just now.
  - Re:dang! (Score:2)
    
    by kisrael ( 134664 ) writes:
    
    It probably did fly under the radar a bit, but was really popular at my school, Tufts, in the early/mid-90s.
Call me a pessimist... (Score:4, Funny)

by Zaphod2016 ( 971897 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @10:08AM (#15516619) Homepage

...but this one [ibiblio.org] made me smile.

Why do I always discover the *good* stuff after it's gone?

- Re:Call me a pessimist... (Score:2)
  
  by ModernGeek ( 601932 ) writes:
  
  I just wish I knew about JennyCam before it went away.
Wow...surprised... (Score:2, Funny)

by rcmiv ( 68991 ) writes:

I have always enjoyed this comic. Sorry to see it go. Long run, though! It's just one of those things you expect to always be there.

I have had a copy of this one:

http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/Dr-Fun/df200004/df2000 0413.jpg [ibiblio.org]

on my bulletin board at work for over 6 years. Struck me funny, and it's been moving with me from cubicle to cubicle the whole time.

-rcmiv
Only Dr.Fun could make candiru jokes. (Score:1)

by Stavr0 ( 35032 ) writes:

(3/10/2006)
Cmon (Score:1, Funny)

by doti ( 966971 ) writes:

Nobody posted a link to a compressed file of the entire archive yet?!!
OMG, WTF, 111!!! etc. etc. (Score:2, Interesting)

by bellebouche ( 942377 ) writes:

Blimey, it just shows to go ya... I'd never come across this before... only in it's death throes does it achieve infamy in this household. It was the same with Elvis. I'd like to think I'm not some hapless net neophyte but really, there is so much going on that even given a decade of exposure this thing had never (consciously) crossed my path until now. I liked the cartoons, never seen them before... rest assured though that my period of mourning will be thankfully brief. Next!
So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish (Score:2)

by Quirk ( 36086 ) writes:

As an afficinado of all things quirky I will miss you.
I can't be alone (Score:1, Interesting)

by Anonymous Coward writes:

I'd say that I have a pretty healthy sense of humor, but I honestly didn't find any of the linked comics or random ones I looked at remotely funny. I can't be alone here.
- Re:I can't be alone (Score:1)
  
  by Goaway ( 82658 ) writes:
  
  You are quite correct. It's about as funny as User Friendly.
- Re:I can't be alone (Score:1)
  
  by CodeArtisan ( 795142 ) writes:
  
  I'd say that I have a pretty healthy sense of humor, but I honestly didn't find any of the linked comics or random ones I looked at remotely funny. I can't be alone here.
  
  Seems like a Gary Larson rip-off, but without the humour.
- Re:I can't be alone (Score:2)
  
  by Eideewt ( 603267 ) writes:
  
  Yeah, I looked through the archive and wasn't impressed. There were a couple that made me come close to chuckling. Quantity over quality for sure.
My favourite: the Ghost of Usenet Postings Past (Score:2)

by alanxyzzy ( 666696 ) writes:

Suddenly, just as Paul was about to clinch the job interview, he received a visit from the Ghost of Usenet Postings Past [ibiblio.org]
- Re:My favourite: the Ghost of Usenet Postings Past (Score:2)
  
  by necro81 ( 917438 ) writes:
  
  The New York times just had an article [nytimes.com] describing that same phenomenon today: bloggers and MySpace users that post stuff that, amazingly enough, gets seen by their potential employers and loses them the job interview.
wget while the wgetting is good (Score:2, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward writes:

wget while the wgetting is good...

I love dr. fun. Email the good doctor and let him know he was appreciated!!
Dr. Who (Score:1)

by sxmjmae ( 809464 ) writes:

Dr. Who?
The funny thing is ... (Score:1, Offtopic)

by icepick72 ( 834363 ) writes:

... I never found it funny, just amusing. A smirk instead of a laugh. It wasn't compatible with my sense of humour. Who cares right? Maybe I should have blogged this instead.
RIP Doctor Fun (Score:2)

by kilodelta ( 843627 ) writes:

I've followed it since it's inception in 1993. I was working at Brown University at the time. I fondly recall the "Guns don't kill people, Bowling balls kill people" strip.
The End of an Era (Score:3, Insightful)

by BobWeiner ( 83404 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @01:38PM (#15518039) Homepage Journal

Dr. Fun was a fun webcomic. 13 years is a long time, and I applaud Dave for sticking with it as long as he did. It's truly the end of an era for webcomics. Thanks for the laughs, Dave!

This is my luck ! (Score:4, Funny)

by this great guy ( 922511 ) writes: on Monday June 12, 2006 @01:59PM (#15518181)

Two days ago, and I mean litteraly two days ago, I discovered the Doctor Fun comic. And now I am learning that it has come to an end ! This is my luck. This is my luck ! *angry*.

- Re:This is my luck ! (Score:2, Funny)
  
  by Jah-Wren Ryel ( 80510 ) writes:
  
  Its all your fault. If you had just kept your nose where it belongs, this would have never happened.
- Re:This is my luck ! (Score:3, Interesting)
  
  by Eideewt ( 603267 ) writes:
  
  Why not just read through the archives at a pace of one comic per day? Ten years should give you enough time to get used to the idea that it's going to end.
- Re:This is my luck ! (Score:1)
  
  by den1188 ( 921042 ) writes:
  
  I think we can all agree that this was all your fault.
The Origin of Monsters Inc? (Score:2)

by gihan_ripper ( 785510 ) writes:

I don't know if anyone is still reading this story, but it looks like one Doctor Fun cartoon [ibiblio.org] contains the kernel of Monsters Inc.

Having many Canadian friends, I also love Maplefinger [ibiblio.org].
My favorite (Score:2)

by wemmick ( 22057 ) writes:

In Space, No One Can Hear Ice Scream [ibiblio.org]

There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

Re:Sick (Score:2)

The one with cmdr taco (Score:5, Informative)

Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:5, Funny)

Also Unix Gurus in Hell (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Also Unix Gurus in Hell (Score:1)

A poignant one (Score:3, Interesting)

Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:2)

Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:2)

the one with the vagina squirrels (Score:1)

Re:The one with cmdr taco (Score:2, Interesting)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:2)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1, Offtopic)

Re:10 full years to the nearest week (Score:1)

Cool (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Cool (Score:2)

Re:Cool (Score:3, Interesting)

Moderator is tard (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Moderator is tard (Score:2)

Re:Cool (Score:1)

Re:Cool (Score:2)

Nooooooo!!!! (Score:5, Insightful)

13 years?!@#$%^ (Score:5, Insightful)

Wait (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Wait (Score:1)

Re:Wait (Score:1)

dang! (Score:3, Insightful)

Re:dang! (Score:1, Interesting)

Re:dang! (Score:2)

Call me a pessimist... (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Call me a pessimist... (Score:2)

Wow...surprised... (Score:2, Funny)

Only Dr.Fun could make candiru jokes. (Score:1)

Cmon (Score:1, Funny)

OMG, WTF, 111!!! etc. etc. (Score:2, Interesting)

So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish (Score:2)

I can't be alone (Score:1, Interesting)

Re:I can't be alone (Score:1)

Re:I can't be alone (Score:1)

Re:I can't be alone (Score:2)

My favourite: the Ghost of Usenet Postings Past (Score:2)

Re:My favourite: the Ghost of Usenet Postings Past (Score:2)

wget while the wgetting is good (Score:2, Insightful)

Dr. Who (Score:1)

The funny thing is ... (Score:1, Offtopic)

RIP Doctor Fun (Score:2)

The End of an Era (Score:3, Insightful)

This is my luck ! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:This is my luck ! (Score:2, Funny)

Re:This is my luck ! (Score:3, Interesting)

Re:This is my luck ! (Score:1)

The Origin of Monsters Inc? (Score:2)

My favorite (Score:2)

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