xkcd facts for kids

xkcd is a very popular comic strip that you can read online. It's drawn and written by an American cartoonist named Randall Munroe. The comic is known for its simple stick-figure drawings and its smart humor. It often talks about math, science, language, and even love.

One cool thing about xkcd is that sometimes when you move your mouse over a comic, a hidden message or extra joke pops up! This is called a "tooltip." Many people love xkcd; in October 2007, it was seen about 60 million times! The comic has also won many awards. The name "xkcd" doesn't actually mean anything. Randall Munroe just picked it so people wouldn't try to say it as a real word. As of January 2020, there are more than 2,200 different xkcd comics to enjoy.

About the Creator: Randall Munroe

Randall Munroe, the person who creates xkcd.

Randall Munroe is the talented person behind xkcd. He used to work for NASA as a roboticist before he started drawing comics full-time. His background in science and technology often shows up in his comics, making them funny and educational at the same time. He's known for explaining complex ideas in a simple, humorous way.

What Topics Does xkcd Cover?

xkcd is famous for its unique blend of humor. It often explores topics that many people might find tricky or boring, like:

• Science and Technology: From physics to computer science, xkcd makes these subjects fun.
• Mathematics: You'll find jokes about numbers, equations, and logic.
• Language: The comic often plays with words, grammar, and how we use language.
• Everyday Life: It also covers funny or awkward situations that happen in daily life.

The comics often have a clever twist or a surprising ending. Sometimes, readers even try to act out the ideas that Munroe puts into his comics!

The Thing Explainer Book

In November 2015, Randall Munroe wrote a special book called Thing Explainer. This book uses the same simple stick-figure drawings you see in his comics. It explains how different things work, but with a fun twist: it only uses the one thousand most common English words! This makes it very easy to understand, even for complicated machines.

The idea for Thing Explainer came from one of his comics called "Up Goer Five." In that comic, he explained the huge Saturn V rocket using only simple words. The book is a great way to learn about how things work without getting lost in difficult jargon.

Images for kids

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  "Malamanteau", a comic with a hidden message that appears when you hover over it.

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  Cory Doctorow dressed up like a character from an xkcd comic. He wore this costume again when he accepted an award for Randall Munroe.

See also

In Spanish: Xkcd para niños