In a comic called 1/0, at one point all but one of the characters could see through the fourth wall. One of the seeing characters took it upon himself to convince the non-seer that their world was actually a comic strip. After a while, he tried to use the censor symbols as proof of that. Then he realized: “Wait, can you see those or…”, and the other one, eyes wide, says, “Ooh, potty mouth…”
One of those things that really makes you confused if you stop and think about it for a second.
It’s called breaking through the fourth wall.
If I recall correctly, this was the first formal fourth wall break.
In a comic called 1/0, at one point all but one of the characters could see through the fourth wall. One of the seeing characters took it upon himself to convince the non-seer that their world was actually a comic strip. After a while, he tried to use the censor symbols as proof of that. Then he realized: “Wait, can you see those or…”, and the other one, eyes wide, says, “Ooh, potty mouth…”
How does one spell those symbols?
That’s a lie. I’m looking at a keyboard right now, an he has the symbols in the wrong order.
memorizing what they’re named, not the order (percent, asterisk,… etc). Ampersand would need an explanation and pronunciation guide
~!@#$%^&*()_+|}{?><
You spelled # incorrectly, it should be £.
The trope is called “symbol swearing” (or “grawlix” or “profanitype”).
Ampersand percent-sign dollar-sign! And colon semicolon, too!
Said like that, it reminds me of the famous “non-swears” words of Captain Haddock.
“miserable molecule of mildew!”
*A crack slowly spreads down the fourth wall*