Episode Nine

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/09.html

As the ninth chapter in the analects of Ndbag sits before one, one is struck immediately by the audacity of the author. Although superficially related to previous chapters, a close examination reveals that on this occasion, the boogeyman eschews the sciences and looks instead at the nature the metaphor and its role in society.

The metaphor is ubiquitous; it is like the air we breathe. Which means, of course, that the metaphor is also a simile.

Episode Eight

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/08.html

As he continues his exploration of humanity's relationship with technology, Ndbag takes the time to warn us of some of the dangers inherent in the untrammelled advancement of science. The method he chooses, though, is an unusual one; he does so while simultaneously relating the career of eighteenth-century painter Francisco Goya.

Episode Seven

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/07.html

And so we begin a new phase in the Commentaries of Ndbag. Heretofore we have seen him concentrate on the externalities that affect us all, from the laws of physics to the laws of friendship. With the introduction of the Comiccon to the narrative, we find ourselves examining the relationship between humans and the technology that they themselves create.

Episode Six

 http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/06.html

 Boogeymen, we are told, are not keen on clean socks. Given all that we know about B. Ndbagensis, this hardly comes as a surprise. The clean sock is only a sock-to-be; until it's been worn, it's merely a piece of green cloth that approximates the shape of the foot. Form may follow function, Ndbag tells us, but that's only half the story. When we see the Modernist movement of architecture critiqued in this way, we're forcibly reminded of the hamper and its chaotic contents. It's not the shape of the hamper that matters, we're told, nor even the amount it contains. It's the quality of the contents; if the hamper contains nothing but new socks, it might as well be a cardboard box. And if the socks are folded neatly, they might as well be in a chest of drawers.

Episode Five

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/05.html

After several lectures on the nature of the cosmos and humanity's place therein, we find Ndbag has returned to his original topic; the nature of friendship. While it may seem that the intervening lectures were a diversion, we realise on reading this strip that there was a cunning plan afoot; the discursion served not only to show us our place in the cosmos but, as we shall see, to give us some context for this and, one assumes, later commentary.

Episode Four

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/04.html

I'm not ashamed to admit, gentle reader, that a tear welled in my eye as I read this chapter in the life of our cerulean friend. A tear of pride. I like to think of myself as well read, but never in all my years have I seen the majesty of the human spirit expressed in such pithy terms.

Episode Three

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/03.html

At first glance, it seems obvious to the casual reader that when he introduces us to Pandaman, Ndbag is telling us about the changes in global political dynamics that are coming about thanks to China's accession to the WTO. Those who look more carefully, though, will realise that this is far too simplistic an explanation, and that a more in-depth examination is necessary.

Episode Two

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/02.html

As we learned in the first episode, the sock serves as a metaphor for our own existence. In this episode that metaphor is explored further and, indeed, expanded upon.

Ndbag tells us that he really likes socks. It's tempting to take this statement at face value; we all like socks, after all. Perhaps we're simply being told that Ndbag is like us; that we are all, at heart, boogymen.

Episode One

 http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/01.html

In episode one, we're introduced to Ndbag and his environment. One would expect that the author would start slowly with his introduction, but he subverts our expectations and launches straight into a comment on the nature of friendship in a postmodern society.

Introduction

This is a blog dedicated to analysis of the online comic strip Ndbag the Boogeyman. Herein I hope to analyse the strip, and provide some insight into the thinking behind the creation of each episode.

Of course, as I'm but a fan of the strip and not its author, I must point out that any analysis can only encompass those aspects my meagre mind can uncover, and may leave many levels unaddressed. I hope the author and you, the reader, can forgive these lapses.