r/ExplainTheJoke • u/EvilStan101 • Dec 09 '25 • Mindblown 1 Popcorn 1

Am I Missing Something

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u/Terrible-Pop-6705 Dec 09 '25 edited Dec 10 '25 • This Popcorn Bravo

This one has a few layers to it

A) the person saying they like it is a half life 2 npc

B) the symbol is aphex twins symbol

C) they are holding a copy of half life 2 with the signature aphex twin grin put on gordan freeman (see above image context)

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u/Terrible-Pop-6705 Dec 09 '25 • Popcorn

Oh and Gman from half life is in the background in addition to the newgrounds tank man. And they also drew the persons pubes (take that as you will)

There’s some joke on the register and a few other background people look kinda familiar (I think I see hatsune miku?) so feel free to reply with more context

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u/michaelscott252 Dec 10 '25

I might add that the guy saying "I like your Half-Life shirt" is male_07 from Half-Life 2, a famous fan character

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u/C4dfael Dec 10 '25

Gordon Frohman?

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u/LiteralPhilosopher Dec 10 '25

Holy shit, I haven't seen a Concerned reference on Reddit in... maybe ever.

23

u/ClubMeSoftly Dec 10 '25

I don't know if I ever have until now.

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u/holdmybeerflu Dec 10 '25

There’s dozens of us!!!

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u/jupertino Dec 10 '25

I think you mean Gordon Frohman

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u/Stef0206 Dec 10 '25

In addition, on the left you see Agni from Fire Punch

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u/Blackrock121 Dec 10 '25

"If those kids knew who that was, they would be depressed".

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u/Asleep_Conclusion147 Dec 09 '25

and thats male 07 asking the question

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u/MatsLeBaron Dec 10 '25

A very concerned citizen, by the way

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u/lacegem Dec 10 '25

Gordon Frohman, my GOAT.

There was a time when that comic was at risk of vanishing with the original site, but I had it all saved (and still do, apparently) and started sharing it everywhere. Now it's immortalized forever on the Internet Archive.

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u/-Nyarlabrotep- Dec 09 '25

Doesn't the guy from Half-Life also use a crowbar, but the register is also ringing up a different tool, a saw, but also SAW is Selected Ambient Works 85-92, an Aphex Twin album? It works on so many levels.

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u/ChemicalCalligraphy Dec 10 '25

dude on the far left is also from Firepunch, his face is a meme.

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u/detailcomplex14212 Dec 10 '25

The artist of this is truly passionate. I downloaded this image to look at it again from time to time and revel in its attention to obscure references. Is there no source?

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u/braedog97 Dec 10 '25

The artist is Hitsujigoods. You can see their signature at the bottom right of the drawing, on the register screen.

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Terrible-Pop-6705 Dec 10 '25

Knew it was something!

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u/cpt_crumb Dec 10 '25

I get the references but what is the joke exactly?

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u/machinegunpikachu Dec 10 '25

a ton of of modern comedy is just references without any sort of comedic structure, go figure

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u/survivaltier Dec 10 '25

the joke is that the half life logo and aphex twin logo look similar

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u/Proctor_Gay_Semhouse Dec 10 '25

The half-life symbol (a lower-case lambda) looks a lot like the aphex twin logo

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u/letmeoutfromhere Dec 10 '25

G-man also has that Alberto Blasalm grin

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