No Smorking
I don’t know why it is but I find engrish hilarious. The other day, I came across a “No Smorking in Building” sign, and I thought it was funny. I stuck it on the door to Engineering (the lab). That little sign generates loads of comments and discussion from whoever sees it. Everybody is puzzled, but amused when they read the sign. Since then, Stuart has become more and more aware of “Smorking” references, which causes him to blurt out laughter at odd moments. I’ve taken to finding other “Smorking” signs, and sticking them up in varous places at the office. Eventually I’ll get Stuart to shoot some beverage out his nostrils when he reads one.
So far the funniest one is a retro sign with a smoking woman that says “Smorking Kills… but at least you look cool.”
That’s actually a reference to a fight going on between Todd Goldman (alleged IP thief and owner of David and Goliath Tees) and Dave “Shmorky” Kelly of webcomic fame. As it turns out, the “Smoking Kills, but at least you look cool” might well have been stolen in addition to a few obviously “inspired” pieces.
As a result, a lot of fans are copying the more obviously stolen works and somehow working either Shmorky or the respective owner’s name into the piece to exemplify Todd’s brazen theft.