xkcd

File:Randall Munroe 2016.jpg in 2016]]

As a student, Munroe often drew charts, maps, and "stick figure battles" in the margins of his school notebooks, besides solving mathematical problems unrelated to his classes. By the time he graduated from college, Munroe's "piles of notebooks" became too large and he started scanning the images.{{Cite web |last=Ryberg |first=Jonas |date=November 13, 2013 |title=Interview: XKCD's creator tells us "I'm lucky to have readers at all" |url=http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/illustration/interview-xkcds-creator-tells-us-im-lucky-have-readers-at-all/?pn=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324225009/http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/illustration/interview-xkcds-creator-tells-us-im-lucky-have-readers-at-all/?pn=3 |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=March 29, 2016 |publisher=DigitalArts}}

xkcd began in September 2005, when Munroe decided to scan his doodles and put them on his personal website. According to Munroe, the comic's name has no particular significance and is simply a four-letter word without a phonetic pronunciation, something he describes as "a treasured and carefully guarded point in the space of four-character strings". In January 2006, the comic was split off into its own website, created in collaboration with Derek Radtke.{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=Noam |date=May 26, 2008 |title=This Is Funny Only if You Know Unix |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/business/media/26link.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325130736/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/business/media/26link.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=September 25, 2008 |work=The New York Times}}

In May 2007, the comic garnered widespread attention by depicting online communities in geographic form. Various websites were drawn as continents, each sized according to their relative popularity and located according to their general subject matter.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 2, 2007 |title=Online Communities |url=https://xkcd.com/256/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105181821/http://www.xkcd.com/256/ |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |access-date=January 4, 2017 |website=xkcd}}{{Cite news |last=Tossell, Ivor |date=May 18, 2007 |title=We're looking at each other, and it's not a pretty sight |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/were-looking-at-each-other-and-its-not-a-pretty-sight/article759732/page2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114011848/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/were-looking-at-each-other-and-its-not-a-pretty-sight/article759732/page2/ |archive-date=November 14, 2011 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |work=Globe and Mail |location=Canada |page=2}} This put xkcd at number two on the Syracuse Post-Standard's "The new hotness" list.{{Cite web |last=Cubbison |first=Brian |date=May 5, 2007 |title=PostScript: Upstate Blogroll, New Hotness, and more |url=http://blog.syracuse.com/newstracker/2007/05/postscript_upstateblogroll.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616064139/http://blog.syracuse.com/newstracker/2007/05/postscript_upstateblogroll.html |archive-date=June 16, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2011}} By 2008, xkcd was able to financially support Munroe and Radtke "reasonably well" through the sale of thousands of T-shirts per month.

On September 19, 2012, "Click and Drag" was published, which featured a panel which can be explored via clicking and dragging its contents.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=September 19, 2012 |title=Click and Drag |url=https://xkcd.com/1110/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710072717/https://xkcd.com/1110/ |archive-date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=May 18, 2013 |website=xkcd}} It immediately triggered positive response on social websites and forums.{{Cite news |date=September 9, 2012 |title='Click And Drag,' XKCD Webcomic, Rewards Explorers (IMAGES) |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/click-and-drag-xkcd-web-comic_n_1897617.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922120532/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/click-and-drag-xkcd-web-comic_n_1897617.html |archive-date=September 22, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2012 |work=Huffington Post}} The large image nested in the panel measures 165,888 pixels wide by 79,872 pixels high.{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2012 |title=Everything You Need to Know About xkcd Comic "Click and Drag" |url=http://www.themarysue.com/xkcd-click-and-drag-comic/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903065919/http://www.themarysue.com/xkcd-click-and-drag-comic/ |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |access-date=December 15, 2012 |publisher=Geekosystem}} Munroe later described it as "probably the most popular one I ever put on the Internet" and considered it one of his own favorites.

"Time" began publication at midnight EDT on March 25, 2013, with the comic's image updating every 30 minutes until March 30, when they began to change every hour, lasting for over four months. The images constitute time lapse frames of a story, with the title text originally reading "Wait for it.", later changed to "RUN." and changed again to "The end." on July 26. The story began with a male and female character building a sandcastle complex on a beach who then embark on an adventure to learn the secrets of the sea. On July 26, the comic superimposed a frame (3094) with the phrase "The End". Tasha Robinson of The A.V. Club wrote of the comic: "[...] the kind of nifty experiment that keeps people coming back to XKCD, which at its best isn't a strip comic so much as an idea factory and a shared experience".{{Cite news |last=Dyess |first=Phil |date=March 26, 2013 |title=Check out XKCD's epic multi-day animation comic |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/check-outem-xkcdems-epic-multi-day-animation-comic-95486 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227030444/http://www.avclub.com/article/check-outem-xkcdems-epic-multi-day-animation-comic-95486 |archive-date=December 27, 2013 |access-date=November 20, 2013 |work=The A.V. Club}} Cory Doctorow mentioned "Time" in a brief article on Boing Boing on April 7, saying the comic was "coming along nicely". The 3,099-panel "Time" comic ended on July 26, 2013, and was followed by a blog post summarizing the journey.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=July 29, 2013 |title=1190: Time |url=https://blog.xkcd.com/2013/07/29/1190-time/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215070002/http://blog.xkcd.com/2013/07/29/1190-time/ |archive-date=February 15, 2014 |access-date=February 18, 2014 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}{{Cite magazine |last=Hudson |first=Laura |date=August 2, 2013 |title=Creator of xkcd Reveals Secret Backstory of His Epic 3,099-Panel Comic |url=https://www.wired.com/2013/08/xkcd-time-comic/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331001050/http://www.wired.com/2013/08/xkcd-time-comic/ |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |access-date=August 2, 2013 |magazine=Wired}} In 2014, it won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story.

Around 2007, Munroe drew all the comics on paper, then scanned and processed them on a tablet computer (a Fujitsu Lifebook).{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=March 16, 2007 |title=In which I lose the originals of the last three months of comics and the laptop I create them with. |url=https://blog.xkcd.com/2007/03/15/in-which-i-lose-the-originals-of-the-last-three-months-of-comics-and-the-laptop-i-create-them-with/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414080625/https://blog.xkcd.com/2007/03/15/in-which-i-lose-the-originals-of-the-last-three-months-of-comics-and-the-laptop-i-create-them-with/ |archive-date=April 14, 2017 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |website=blog.xkcd.com}} In 2014, he was using a Cintiq graphics tablet for drawing (like many other cartoonists), alongside a laptop for coding tasks.{{Cite magazine |last=Edwards |first=Gavin |date=September 2, 2014 |title='XKCD' Cartoonist Randall Munroe Drops Mad Science |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/xkcd-cartoonist-randall-munroe-what-if-20140902 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516221001/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/xkcd-cartoonist-randall-munroe-what-if-20140902 |archive-date=May 16, 2017 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}

==Influences==

Munroe has been a fan of newspaper comic strips since childhood, describing xkcd as an "heir" to Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts. Despite this influence, xkcd{{'}}s quirky and technical humor would have been difficult to syndicate. In webcomics, Munroe has said that "one can draw something that appeals to 1 percent of the audience—1 percent of United States, that is three million people, that is more readers than small cartoons can have". Munroe cited the lack of a need for editorial control due to the low bar of access to the Internet as "a salvation".

File:Malamanteau.png."]]

While there is no specific storyline to the webcomic, there are some recurring themes and characters.{{Cite news |last=Moses |first=Andrew |date=November 21, 2007 |title=Former NASA staffer creates comics for geeks |url=http://www.usc.uwo.ca/gazette/archives/story.php?sect=arts&id=1837 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903112657/http://www.usc.uwo.ca/gazette/archives/story.php?sect=arts&id=1837 |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |access-date=November 22, 2007 |work=The Gazette |publisher=University of Western Ontario}} Recurring themes of xkcd include "technology, science, mathematics and relationships". xkcd frequently features jokes related to popular culture, such as Guitar Hero,{{Cite web |title=Guitar Hero |url=https://xkcd.com/70/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}} Facebook,{{Cite web |title=Facebook of the Dead |url=https://what-if.xkcd.com/69/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=what-if.xkcd.com}} Vanilla Ice,{{Cite web |title=Water Phase Diagram |url=https://xkcd.com/1561/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}} Linux,{{Cite web |title=Linux User at Best Buy |url=https://xkcd.com/272/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}} and Wikipedia.{{Cite web |title=Wikipedian Protester |url=https://xkcd.com/285/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=xkcd}}

There are many strips opening with the words "My Hobby:", usually depicting the nondescript narrator character describing some type of humorous or quirky behavior. However, not all strips are intended to be humorous. Romance and relationships are frequent themes, and other xkcd strips consist of complex depictions of landscapes. Many xkcd strips refer to Munroe's "obsession" with potential Velociraptor attacks.{{Cite web |last=O'Kane |first=Erin |date=April 5, 2007 |title=Geek humor: Nothing to be ashamed of |url=http://media.www.thewhitonline.com/media/storage/paper291/news/2007/04/05/Features/Geek-Humor.Nothing.To.Be.Ashamed.Of-2823945.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203000441/http://media.www.thewhitonline.com/media/storage/paper291/news/2007/04/05/Features/Geek-Humor.Nothing.To.Be.Ashamed.Of-2823945.shtml |archive-date=February 3, 2008 |access-date=April 23, 2007 |website=The Whit Online}}

References to Wikipedia articles or to Wikipedia as a whole have occurred several times in xkcd.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=July 4, 2007 |title=Wikipedian Protester |url=https://xkcd.com/285/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225215024/https://www.xkcd.com/285/ |archive-date=December 25, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 12, 2010 |title=Malamanteau |url=https://xkcd.com/739/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225170915/https://www.xkcd.com/739/ |archive-date=December 25, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}Other comics related to Wikipedia include:

• {{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 24, 2007 |title=The Problem with Wikipedia |url=https://xkcd.com/214/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217132809/http://xkcd.com/214/ |archive-date=December 17, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}
• {{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/978/|title=Citogenesis|date=November 16, 2011|access-date=December 21, 2011|archive-date=June 28, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170628004816/https://xkcd.com/978/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/446/|title=In Popular Culture|date=July 7, 2008|access-date=December 21, 2011|archive-date=December 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225170547/https://www.xkcd.com/446/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1167/|title=Star Trek into Darkness|date=January 30, 2013|access-date=January 30, 2013|archive-date=March 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312071750/https://xkcd.com/1167/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1193/|title=Externalities|date=April 1, 2013|access-date=April 1, 2013|archive-date=April 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401105907/https://www.xkcd.com/1193/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|last1=Munroe|first1=Randall|author-mask=3|title=Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|url=https://xkcd.com/1412/|work=xkcd|date=August 25, 2014|access-date=August 25, 2014|archive-date=August 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826113613/http://xkcd.com/1412/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|title=Meta Collecting|url=https://xkcd.com/2123/|work=xkcd|date=March 13, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2019|archive-date=March 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316201609/https://xkcd.com/2123/|url-status=live}} A facsimile of a made-up Wikipedia entry for "malamanteau" (a stunt word created by Munroe to poke fun at Wikipedia's writing style) provoked a controversy within Wikipedia that was picked up by various media.{{Cite news |date=13 May 2010 |title=Malamanteau Wikipedia |url=https://www.bbcnewsamerica.com/malamanteau-wikipedia.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707215338/https://www.bbcnewsamerica.com/malamanteau-wikipedia.html |archive-date=7 July 2011 |work=BBC News America}}{{Cite news |last=McKean, Erin |date=May 30, 2010 |title=One-day wonder: How fast can a word become legit? |url=https://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/05/30/one_day_wonder/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903104042/https://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/05/30/one_day_wonder/ |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |access-date=May 10, 2014 |work=The Boston Globe}} Another strip depicted an example of a topic that Wikipedia could not cover neutrally—a fictional donation to either anti-abortion or abortion-rights activists, determined by the word count in a Wikipedia article on the event where the donation was announced being either odd or even.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=February 18, 2009 |title=Neutrality Schmeutrality |url=https://www.xkcd.com/545/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223021907/https://xkcd.com/545/ |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |access-date=January 23, 2018 |website=xkcd}} Wikipedia is also depicted as an extension of one's mind, allowing them to access far more information than normally.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 25, 2011 |title=Extended Mind |url=https://xkcd.com/903/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111165619/https://xkcd.com/903/ |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |access-date=2020-11-09 |website=xkcd}} Another comic depicted the [Citation Needed] feature of Wikipedia.File:Webcomic xkcd - Wikipedian protester.pngNearly all xkcd strips have title text, the text of which usually contains a secondary punchline or annotation related to that day's comic.{{Cite web |last=Trinh |first=Peter |date=September 14, 2007 |title=A Comic You Can't Pronounce |url=http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1654&Itemid=56&issuedate=2007-09-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013210446/http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1654&Itemid=56&issuedate=2007-09-14 |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |access-date=September 16, 2007 |website=Imprint Online}}

One of the few recurring characters is a man wearing a flat black hat, apparently based on Aram, from Men in Hats.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=xkcd |url=https://xkcd.com/29/ |website=xkcd.com |quote=It's no secret that the hat guy is closely based on Aram, from Men in Hats.}} He has dedicated his life to causing confusion and harm to others just for his own entertainment. He has no name, though he is commonly referred to as "Black Hat" or "Black Hat Guy" in the community. He gained a girlfriend, commonly named "Danish" by the community, during the course of a small series called "Journal", who is just as cruel as he is.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=June 6, 2008 |title=Journal 5 |url=https://xkcd.com/433/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905042053/https://xkcd.com/433/ |archive-date=September 5, 2017 |access-date=September 22, 2017 |website=xkcd}}

Another recurring character is a man with a beret, sometimes simply referred to as "Beret Guy". He seems to be naïve, optimistic, obsessed with bakeries, and completely out of touch with reality. He also has magical abilities,{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=Subduction License |url=https://xkcd.com/1388/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004806/https://xkcd.com/1388/ |archive-date=September 23, 2019 |access-date=2019-09-23 |website=xkcd}} which often manifest in the creation of situations or objects that support his overly optimistic worldview, even when in direct violation of societal norms or the laws of physics; an example is his startup making incredible amounts of money despite his not even knowing what it does.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=Startup Opportunity |url=https://xkcd.com/1772/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004806/https://xkcd.com/1772/ |archive-date=September 23, 2019 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=xkcd}} In one instance, he hired Lin-Manuel Miranda as an engineer,{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |title=Onboarding |url=https://xkcd.com/1812/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004806/https://xkcd.com/1812/ |archive-date=September 23, 2019 |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=xkcd}} and in another instance, sprouted literal "endless wings".{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=August 24, 2012 |title=Tuesdays |url=https://xkcd.com/1099/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003124455/https://xkcd.com/1099/ |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017 |website=xkcd}}

Geographical maps, including their various different formats and creation methods, are a frequently recurring theme in the comic.*{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 14, 2011 |title=Map Projections |url=https://www.xkcd.com/977/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223151529/https://xkcd.com/977/ |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |access-date=January 10, 2018 |website=xkcd |ref=none}}

• {{cite web|ref=none|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1688/|title=Map Age Guide|date=June 1, 2016|access-date=January 10, 2018|archive-date=January 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110114705/https://xkcd.com/1688/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|ref=none|last=Munroe|first=Randall|author-mask=3|work=xkcd|url=https://xkcd.com/1939/|title=2016 Election Map|date=January 8, 2018|access-date=January 10, 2018|archive-date=January 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174231/https://xkcd.com/1939/|url-status=live}} On occasion these maps have been mentioned by analysts due to their imaginative or original presentation of figures or statistics. In the comic "2016 Election Map", colored stick figures are used to display how people voted in the 2016 United States presidential election according to their region. It was praised as being a strong visualization tool for the election outcome.{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Dylan |date=January 8, 2018 |title=This might be the best map of the 2016 election you ever see |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/8/16865532/2016-presidential-election-map-xkcd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109174341/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/8/16865532/2016-presidential-election-map-xkcd |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |access-date=January 10, 2018 |website=Vox}}

File:Richard Stallman attacked by ninjas, October 17, 2007.jpg by students dressed as ninjas.
Inspired by "Open Source"{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=February 19, 2007 |title=Open Source |url=https://xkcd.com/225/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117141535/http://xkcd.com/225/ |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |access-date=November 17, 2007 |website=xkcd}}]]

On several occasions, fans have been motivated by Munroe's comics to carry out the subject of a particular drawing or sketch offline. Some notable examples include:

• Richard Stallman was confronted by students dressed as ninjas before speaking at the Yale Political Union{{Cite news |last=Zapana |first=Victor |date=October 18, 2007 |title=Stallman trumpets free software |url=http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2007/10/18/stallman-trumpets-free-software/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905020230/http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2007/10/18/stallman-trumpets-free-software/ |archive-date=September 5, 2014 |access-date=October 19, 2007 |work=The Yale Daily News}}{{Cite web |date=October 18, 2007 |title=Richard Stallman Debate |url=http://www.yale.edu/ypu/blog.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022093205/http://yale.edu/ypu/blog.html |archive-date=October 22, 2007 |access-date=October 21, 2007 |website=Blog of the YPU}} – inspired by "Open Source".
• On September 23, 2007, hundreds of people gathered at Reverend Thomas J. Williams Park, {{Coord|42.39561|N|71.13051|W|display=inline}}, in North Cambridge, Massachusetts, whose coordinates were mentioned in "Dream Girl".{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=March 26, 2007 |title=Dream Girl |url=https://xkcd.com/240/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326114004/http://www.xkcd.com/240/ |archive-date=March 26, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2010 |website=xkcd}} Munroe appeared, commenting, "Maybe wanting something does make it real", reversing the conclusion he drew in the last frame of the same strip.{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Georgiana |date=September 26, 2007 |title=The wisdom of crowds |url=http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/48208-wisdom-of-crowds/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919000829/http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/48208-wisdom-of-crowds/ |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |access-date=September 27, 2007 |website=The Phoenix}}

File:Cory Doctorow @ eTech 2007.jpeg wearing a red cape and a pair of goggles based on his appearance in xkcd. Doctorow later wore the costume again while accepting a Hugo Award on Munroe's behalf.]]

• When animated xkcd strip "Time" won a Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in August 2014, it was accepted by Cory Doctorow on behalf of Munroe, dressing as Munroe had drawn him in an earlier strip, "1337: Part 5".{{Cite web |last=Anders |first=Charlie Jane |date=August 17, 2014 |title=All The Most Exciting Moments From The 2014 Hugo Awards! |url=http://io9.com/all-the-most-exciting-moments-from-the-2014-hugo-awards-1623035065 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090232/http://io9.com/all-the-most-exciting-moments-from-the-2014-hugo-awards-1623035065 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=August 17, 2014 |publisher=io9}}{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 16, 2007 |title=1337: Part 5 |url=https://xkcd.com/345/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116213728/http://xkcd.com/345/ |archive-date=November 16, 2007 |access-date=November 17, 2007 |website=xkcd}}
• xkcd readers began sneaking chess boards onto roller coasters after "Chess Photo" was published.{{Cite news |last=Yu |first=Chun |date=November 12, 2007 |title=The man hiding behind the raptor |url=https://thetartan.org/2007/11/12/pillbox/xkcd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213140046/http://www.thetartan.org/2007/11/12/pillbox/xkcd |archive-date=December 13, 2007 |access-date=November 12, 2007 |publisher=The Tartan}}{{Cite web |title=People Playing Chess on Roller Coasters |url=https://xkcd.com/chesscoaster/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820200247/http://xkcd.com/chesscoaster/ |archive-date=August 20, 2007 |access-date=August 20, 2007 |website=xkcd}}{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=April 16, 2007 |title=Chess Photo |url=https://xkcd.com/249/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221003354/http://xkcd.com/249/ |archive-date=December 21, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}}
• The game of "geohashing"{{Cite web |title=Geohashing wiki |url=http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313073512/http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2012 |website=wiki.xkcd.com}} has gained more than 1,000 players,{{Cite web |title=maps and statistics |url=https://geohashing.site/geohashing/maps_and_statistics#Broken_or_Non_Working_Projects |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408153702/http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing/Maps_and_statistics |archive-date=April 8, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2021 |publisher=geohashing wiki}} who travel to random coordinates calculated by the algorithm described in "Geohashing".{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 26, 2005 |title=Geohashing |url=https://xkcd.com/426/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415164627/http://www.xkcd.com/426/ |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2012 |website=xkcd}}
• In October 2007, a group of researchers at University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute conducted a census of the Internet and presented their data using a Hilbert curve, which they claimed was inspired by an xkcd comic that used a similar technique.{{Cite web |last=McNamara |first=Paul |date=October 9, 2007 |title=Researchers ping through first full 'Internet census' in 25 years |url=http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/20390?t51hb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012154415/http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/20390?t51hb |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |website=Buzzblog |publisher=Networkworld.com}}{{Cite web |date=October 9, 2007 |title=62 Days + Almost 3 Billion Pings + New Visualization Scheme = the First Internet Census Since 1982 |url=http://www.isi.edu/news/story/178 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312071750/https://www.isi.edu/news/story/178 |archive-date=March 12, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |publisher=Information Science Institute}}{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=December 11, 2006 |title=Map of the Internet |url=https://xkcd.com/195/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009192810/http://xkcd.com/195/ |archive-date=October 9, 2007 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |website=xkcd}} Inspired by the same comic, the Carna botnet used a Hilbert curve to present data in their 2012 Internet Census.{{Cite web |title=Internet Census 2012: Port scanning /0 using insecure embedded devices |url=http://internetcensus2012.bitbucket.org/paper.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013010243/http://internetcensus2012.bitbucket.org/paper.html |archive-date=October 13, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}
• Based on "Packages",{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=May 1, 2009 |title=Packages |url=https://xkcd.com/576/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225163124/https://www.xkcd.com/576/ |archive-date=December 25, 2011 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |website=xkcd}} programmers have set up programs to automatically find an item for sale on the Internet for $1.00 every day.{{Cite web |title=csKw:projects:cheepcheep |url=http://shaunwagner.com/projects_cc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022191106/http://shaunwagner.com/projects_cc.html |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |access-date=December 21, 2011 |publisher=Shaunwagner.com}}{{Cite web |date=November 8, 2010 |title=xkcd #576 |url=http://bieh.net/2010/11/08/xkcd-576/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723024714/http://bieh.net/2010/11/08/xkcd-576/ |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |access-date=December 15, 2012 |website=bieh.net}}{{anchor|password}}
• In response to "Password Strength",{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=August 10, 2011 |title=Password Strength |url=http://xkcd.com/936/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821074348/http://xkcd.com/936/ |archive-date=August 21, 2013 |access-date=August 21, 2013 |website=xkcd}} Dropbox shows two messages reading "lol" and "Whoa there, don't take advice from a webcomic too literally ;)" when attempting to register with the password "correcthorsebatterystaple".{{Cite web |last=Cluley |first=Graham |date=August 13, 2012 |title=Correcthorsebatterystaple – the guys at Dropbox are funny |url=https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/08/13/correcthorsebatterystaple-dropbox-wit/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201170039/http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/08/13/correcthorsebatterystaple-dropbox-wit/ |archive-date=February 1, 2013 |access-date=March 12, 2013 |website=Naked Security |publisher=Sophos}} ArenaNet recommended that Guild Wars 2 users create secure passwords following the guidelines of the same comic.{{Cite web |last=Kerstein |first=Martin |date=January 31, 2013 |title=Mandatory Password Change is Coming |url=https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/mandatory-password-change-is-coming/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301233718/https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/mandatory-password-change-is-coming/ |archive-date=March 1, 2013 |access-date=March 12, 2013 |publisher=GuildWars2.com}}
• The Python Standard Library module "antigravity", when run, opens the xkcd comic "Python".{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=December 5, 2007 |title=Python |url=http://xkcd.com/353/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623131139/https://xkcd.com/353/ |archive-date=June 23, 2019 |access-date=June 20, 2019 |website=xkcd}}{{Cite web |last=van Rossum |first=Guido |author-link=Guido van Rossum |date=June 21, 2010 |title=import antigravity |url=http://python-history.blogspot.com/2010/06/import-antigravity.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620082114/http://python-history.blogspot.com/2010/06/import-antigravity.html |archive-date=June 20, 2019 |access-date=June 20, 2019 |website=The History of Python}} On the 4th of June 2009, a function was added into the "antigravity" module that implements the geohashing algorithm (which is inspired by the [https://xkcd.com/426 426th xkcd comic], also titled "Geohashing"), according to the commit history of CPython's git repository.{{Cite web |title=Another hidden treasure. · python/cpython@b1614a7 |url=https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/b1614a7b6705f939b29df4045e591fcf53a8611b |access-date=2021-12-06 |website=GitHub |language=en}}
• Inspired by the xkcd comic "Online Communities 2",{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=October 6, 2010 |title=Online Communities 2 |url=https://xkcd.com/802/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218124808/http://xkcd.com/802/ |archive-date=December 18, 2015 |access-date=December 23, 2015 |website=xkcd}} Slovak artist Martin Vargic created the "Map of the Internet 1.0."{{Cite web |last=Condliffe |first=Jamie |date=January 30, 2014 |title=This Beautiful Map of the Internet Is Insanely Detailed |url=https://gizmodo.com/this-beautiful-map-of-the-internet-is-insanely-detailed-1512236854 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225140018/http://gizmodo.com/this-beautiful-map-of-the-internet-is-insanely-detailed-1512236854 |archive-date=February 25, 2014 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |website=Gizmodo}}
• In 2008, Munroe posted a parody of the Discovery Channel's I Love the World advertising campaign on xkcd,{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=June 27, 2008 |title=xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel |url=https://xkcd.com/442/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628000401/http://xkcd.com/442/ |archive-date=June 28, 2008 |access-date=June 27, 2008 |website=xkcd}} which was later reenacted by Neil Gaiman, Wil Wheaton, Cory Doctorow, Hank Green, and others.{{Cite magazine |last=Wallace |first=Lewis |date=February 8, 2010 |title=Geek Heroes Sing 'We Love Xkcd' |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/02/we-love-xkcd/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605095509/https://www.wired.com/2010/02/we-love-xkcd/ |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=June 5, 2020 |magazine=Wired |df=mdy-all}} This reenactment was posted to YouTube with the title "We Love xkcd".{{Citation |title=We Love xkcd |date=February 6, 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQAk_T9SBbw |access-date=2023-06-05 |language=en}}
• Munroe's 2012 comic "Up-Goer Five" on the Saturn V rocket inspired the "Up-Goer Five Challenge" for scientists. The original comic described the rocket only using the one thousand most frequent words in contemporary fiction; in the same way, the challenge is for scientists to describe their journal articles and scientific papers with extremely basic language. More generally, even when not adhering to the original strict list, the comic has been cited as an example of the merits in avoiding too much jargon that can make scientific papers unreadable to the general public.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 12, 2012 |title=Up Goer Five |url=http://xkcd.com/1133/ |access-date=December 30, 2022 |website=xkcd}}{{Cite news |last=Kornei |first=Katherine |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Are You Confused by Scientific Jargon? So Are Scientists |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/science/science-jargon-caves.html |work=The New York Times |via=NYTimes.com}}{{Cite web |last=Bedford |first=B. |date=January 3, 2019 |title=Can You Explain Science Using Only 1,000 Common Words? |url=http://eos.org/articles/can-you-explain-science-using-only-1000-common-words |website=Eos}}
• The comic "Security",{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=February 2, 2009 |title=Security |url=https://xkcd.com/538/ |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=June 1, 2025 |website=xkcd}} in which two characters plan to bypass a cryptocurrency owner's encrypted laptop by beating him with a wrench until he gives them the password, is the inspiration for the term "wrench attacks", in which criminals attempt to force a cryptocurrency owner to give them passwords and other information. The term was mentioned following the kidnapping of an Italian man in New York City.{{cite web |last1=Picchi |first1=Aimee |title=Crypto kidnappings on the rise as criminals resort to "wrench attacks" |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crypto-wrench-attack-bitcoin-kidnapping-nyc/ |website=CBS News |access-date=June 1, 2025 |date=May 30, 2025 |quote=The term stems from an XKCD comic that depicts a "crypto nerd's imagination" of the tech know-how that would be required to break into their digital wallet. In reality, the comic notes, all it would take is a heavy $5 wrench to threaten the crypto owner until they revealed their account password.}}

In addition, a number of researchers have acknowledged particular xkcd comics as the source of inspiration for their scientific articles.{{Cite web |last1=Muller |first1=Max |last2=Bailey |first2=David |title=What research articles were inspired by web comics? |url=https://hsm.stackexchange.com/questions/15152/what-research-articles-were-inspired-by-web-comics |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=History of Science and Mathematics Stack Exchange |language=en}} These academic contributions include:

• In 2007, two researchers published an article titled "High Level Internet Scale Traffic Visualization Using Hilbert Curve Mapping".{{Citation |last1=Irwin |first1=B. |title=High Level Internet Scale Traffic Visualization Using Hilbert Curve Mapping |date=2008 |work=VizSEC 2007: Proceedings of the Workshop on Visualization for Computer Security |pages=147–158 |editor-last=Goodall |editor-first=John R. |editor-last2=Conti |editor-first2=Gregory |editor-last3=Ma |editor-first3=Kwan-Liu |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78243-8_10 |access-date=2023-09-30 |series=Mathematics and Visualization |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-78243-8_10 |isbn=978-3-540-78243-8 |last2=Pilkington |first2=N.}} It was inspired by the comic "Map of the Internet".
• Three Microsoft Research employees published the paper "Failure is a Four-Letter Word: a Parody in Empirical Research" in 2011.{{Cite book |last1=Zeller |first1=Andreas |title=Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Predictive Models in Software Engineering |last2=Zimmermann |first2=Thomas |last3=Bird |first3=Christian |date=2011-09-20 |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |isbn=978-1-4503-0709-3 |series=Promise '11 |location=New York, NY, US |pages=1–7 |chapter=Failure is a four-letter word: A parody in empirical research |doi=10.1145/2020390.2020395 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/2020390.2020395 |s2cid=263735450}} They were inspired by "Significant".{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=April 6, 2011 |title=Significant |url=https://xkcd.com/882/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}}
• The "Password Strength" comic has inspired the creation of two scientific articles. The first one is the 2012 article "Correct horse battery staple: exploring the usability of system-assigned passphrases".{{Cite book |last1=Shay |first1=Richard |title=Proceedings of the Eighth Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security |last2=Kelley |first2=Patrick Gage |last3=Komanduri |first3=Saranga |last4=Mazurek |first4=Michelle L. |last5=Ur |first5=Blase |last6=Vidas |first6=Timothy |last7=Bauer |first7=Lujo |last8=Christin |first8=Nicolas |last9=Cranor |first9=Lorrie Faith |date=2012-07-11 |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |isbn=978-1-4503-1532-6 |series=SOUPS '12 |location=New York, NY, US |pages=1–20 |chapter=Correct horse battery staple: Exploring the usability of system-assigned passphrases |doi=10.1145/2335356.2335366 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/2335356.2335366 |s2cid=2431597}} The second paper was published in 2015, and bears the title "How to Memorize a Random 60-Bit String".{{Cite journal |last1=Ghazvininejad |first1=Marjan |last2=Knight |first2=Kevin |date=May 31 – June 5, 2015 |title=How to Memorize a Random 60-Bit String |url=https://aclanthology.org/N15-1180.pdf |journal=The 2015 Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the ACL |pages=1569–1575 |via=ACL Anthology}}
• The 2019 paper "Stippling of 2D Scalar Fields"{{Cite journal |last1=Gortler |first1=J. |last2=Spicker |first2=M. |last3=Schulz |first3=C. |last4=Weiskopf |first4=D. |last5=Deussen |first5=O. |date=2019 |title=Stippling of 2D Scalar Fields |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8667696 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics |language=en-US |volume=25 |issue=6 |pages=2193–2204 |doi=10.1109/TVCG.2019.2903945 |pmid=30892212 |s2cid=84183579 |access-date=2023-09-30}} was inspired by "2016 Election Map".{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 8, 2018 |title=2016 Election Map |url=https://xkcd.com/1939/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}}
• "Dependency"{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=August 8, 2020 |title=Dependency |url=https://xkcd.com/2347/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}} inspired an author to write the article "The Nebraska problem in open source software development".{{Cite journal |last=Hatta |first=Masayuki |date=2022 |title=The Nebraska problem in open source software development |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/abas/21/5/21_0220914a/_article |journal=Annals of Business Administrative Science |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=91–102 |doi=10.7880/abas.0220914a |doi-access=free}}
• Two scientific publications were inspired by "Movie Narrative Charts".{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=November 2, 2009 |title=Movie Narrative Charts |url=https://xkcd.com/657/ |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=xkcd}} These articles are named "StoryFlow: Tracking the Evolution of Stories"{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Shixia |author-link1=Shixia Liu |last2=Wu |first2=Yingcai |last3=Wei |first3=Enxun |last4=Liu |first4=Mengchen |last5=Liu |first5=Yang |date=16 October 2013 |title=StoryFlow: Tracking the Evolution of Stories |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6634164 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics |volume=19 |issue=12 |pages=2436–2445 |doi=10.1109/TVCG.2013.196 |pmid=24051810 |s2cid=17377497}} and "HyperStorylines: Interactively untangling dynamic hypergraphs,"{{Cite journal |last1=Peña-Araya |first1=Vanessa |last2=Xue |first2=Tong |last3=Pietriga |first3=Emmanuel |last4=Amsaleg |first4=Laurent |last5=Bezerianos |first5=Anastasia |date=2021-09-18 |title=HyperStorylines: Interactively untangling dynamic hypergraphs |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14738716211045007 |journal=Information Visualization |language=en |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=38–62 |doi=10.1177/14738716211045007 |issn=1473-8716 |s2cid=240541254}} with the latter article citing the former.

The comics have featured pro-science and pro-vaccination viewpoints.{{Cite web |title=Explaining an mRNA vaccine with Star Wars - Boing Boing |date=February 16, 2021 |url=https://boingboing.net/2021/02/16/explaining-an-mrna-vaccine-with-star-wars.html}}{{Cite web |last=Keating |first=Oonagh |date=May 6, 2021 |title=10 times Randall Munroe's xkcd comic absolutely smashed it |url=https://www.thepoke.com/2021/05/06/10-randall-munroes-xkcd-comic-best/}} Democratic presidential candidates have also received endorsements.{{Cite web |title=I'm With Her |url=https://xkcd.com/1756/ |website=xkcd}} In the fall of 2024, a banner on the homepage endorsed Kamala Harris's presidential campaign.{{Cite web |title=Kamala Harris gets coveted xkcd endorsement. | Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science |url=https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2024/08/03/kamala-harris-gets-coveted-xkcd-endorsement/}}{{Cite web |title=XKCD |url=https://www.xkcd.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241016204043/https://xkcd.com/ |archive-date=October 16, 2024}}

xkcd has been recognized at various award ceremonies. In the 2008 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards, the webcomic was nominated for "Outstanding Use of the Medium", "Outstanding Short Form Comic", and "Outstanding Comedic Comic", and it won "Outstanding Single Panel Comic".{{Cite web |title=2008 List of Winners and Finalists |url=http://www.ccawards.com/2008finalists.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310200607/http://www.ccawards.com/2008finalists.html |archive-date=March 10, 2009 |access-date=January 6, 2009 |publisher=Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards}} xkcd was voted "Best Comic Strip" by readers in the 2007 and 2008 Weblog Awards.{{Cite web |last=Aylward |first=Kevin |date=November 11, 2008 |title=The 2007 Weblog Award Winners |url=https://2007.weblogawards.org/news/the-2007-weblog-award-winners.php |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122175848/http://2007.weblogawards.org/news/the-2007-weblog-award-winners.php |archive-date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=January 6, 2009}}{{Cite web |last=Aylward |first=Kevin |date=January 15, 2009 |title=The 2008 Weblog Awards Winners |url=https://2008.weblogawards.org/news/the-2008-weblog-award-winners/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715233543/http://2008.weblogawards.org/news/the-2008-weblog-award-winners/ |archive-date=July 15, 2009 |access-date=July 9, 2009}} The webcomic was nominated for a 2009 NewNowNext Award in the category "OMFG Internet Award".{{Cite web |title=2009 NewNowNext Awards |url=http://www.logoonline.com/shows/newnownext_awards/vote.jhtml?qn=nnn_poll_13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520172958/http://www.logoonline.com/shows/newnownext_awards/vote.jhtml?qn=nnn_poll_13 |archive-date=May 20, 2009 |access-date=June 14, 2009 |publisher=Viacom International Inc.}}{{Cite news |last=Warn |first=Sarah |date=May 21, 2009 |title=Photos: 2009 NewNowNext Awards |url=http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/5/nnn-awards-red-carpet-photos |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712104952/http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/5/nnn-awards-red-carpet-photos |archive-date=July 12, 2009 |access-date=June 14, 2009 |work=AfterEllen.com}}

Randall Munroe was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in both 2011 and 2012,{{Cite web |title=Hugo Awards Page |url=http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429050214/http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php |archive-date=April 29, 2011 |access-date=April 25, 2011}}{{Cite web |title=Hugo Awards Page |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2012-hugo-awards/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408045604/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2012-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=April 8, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |df=mdy-all}} and he won a Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2014, for "Time".{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2014 |title=2014 Hugo Award Winners |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/2014/08/2014-hugo-award-winners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083711/http://www.thehugoawards.org/2014/08/2014-hugo-award-winners/ |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=August 19, 2014}}

In September 2009, Munroe released a book, titled xkcd: volume 0, containing selected xkcd comics.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=September 10, 2009 |title=Book! |url=http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/09/10/book/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100517034725/http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/09/10/book/ |archive-date=May 17, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2010 |website=blog.xkcd.com}} The book was published by breadpig, under a Creative Commons license, CC BY-NC 3.0,{{Cite web |title=Sidekick for Hire — xkcd: volume 0 |url=http://breadpig.com/collections/everything/products/xkcd-volume-0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220214722/http://breadpig.com/collections/everything/products/xkcd-volume-0 |archive-date=December 20, 2013 |access-date=November 20, 2013 |publisher=Breadpig |df=mdy-all}} with all of the publisher's profits donated to Room to Read to promote literacy and education in the developing world. Six months after release, the book had sold over 25,000 copies.{{Cite web |last=Harvkey |first=Mike |date=August 2, 2019 |title=Cartoonist Randall Munroe Will Be Your Answer Man |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/80837-cartoonist-randall-munroe-will-be-your-answer-man.html |access-date=2021-05-10}} The book tour in New York City and Silicon Valley was a fundraiser for Room to Read that raised $32,000 to build a school in Salavan Province, Laos.{{Cite web |last=Ohanian |first=Alexis |author-link=Alexis Ohanian |date=March 15, 2010 |title=The xkcd school in Laos is complete! Rejoice! |url=http://breadpig.com/blog/2010/03/15/the-xkcd-school-in-laos-is-complete-rejoice/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100322214135/http://breadpig.com/blog/2010/03/15/the-xkcd-school-in-laos-is-complete-rejoice |archive-date=March 22, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2010 |publisher=Breadpig}}{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=October 11, 2009 |title=School |url=http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/10/11/school/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123123400/http://blog.xkcd.com/2009/10/11/school/ |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |access-date=February 10, 2013 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}

Munroe contributed a story titled "?" to the anthology book Machine of Death, released on October 6, 2010.{{Cite book |last1=North |first1=Ryan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NjiWqzc96KgC |title=Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories about People who Know how They Will Die |last2=Bennardo |first2=Matthew |last3=Malki |first3=David |date=2010 |publisher=Machines of Death LLC |isbn=978-0-9821671-2-0 |language=en}}

In October 2012, xkcd: volume 0 was included in the Humble Bundle eBook Bundle. It was available for download only to those who donated higher than the average donated for the other eBooks. The book was released DRM-free, in two different-quality PDF files.{{Cite web |date=October 16, 2012 |title=Humble eBook Bundle is Now Five Times More Hilarious! |url=https://blog.humblebundle.com/post/33714074132/humble-ebook-bundle-is-now-five-times-more-hilarious |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101015947/http://blog.humblebundle.com/post/33714074132/humble-ebook-bundle-is-now-five-times-more-hilarious |archive-date=November 1, 2012 |access-date=November 5, 2012 |publisher=Humble Indie Bundle |df=mdy-all}}

On March 12, 2014, Munroe announced the book What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. The book was released on September 2, 2014. The book expands on the What If? blog on the xkcd website.

On May 13, 2015, Munroe announced a new book titled Thing Explainer. Eventually released on November 24, 2015, Thing Explainer is based on the xkcd strip "Up Goer Five" and only uses the thousand most commonly used words to explain different scientific devices.

On February 5, 2019, Munroe announced a fourth book, titled How To, which uses math and science to find the worst possible solutions to everyday problems. It was released on September 3, 2019.

On January 31, 2022, Munroe announced the book What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, a follow-up title that continued in the same vein as the first volume in attempting to provide scientific answers to hypothetical situations submitted by readers.{{Cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=January 31, 2022 |title=XKCD's Randall Munroe announces What If? 2, with more scientific answers to life's most absurd hypothetical questions |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22910603/xkcd-randall-munroe-what-if-2-book-annoucement-release-date |access-date=June 28, 2024 |website=theverge.com |publisher=Vox Media}} The book was released on September 13, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 31, 2022 |title=What If 2 |url=https://blog.xkcd.com/2022/01/31/what-if-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531134149/https://blog.xkcd.com/2022/01/31/what-if-2/ |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=blog.xkcd.com}}

{{Portal|Comics}}

• Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (SMBC) – A web comic in a somewhat similar vein

{{Reflist}}

{{psrs}}

• {{Cite web |last=Munroe |first=Randall |date=January 8, 2007 |title=What xkcd Means |url=https://xkcd.com/207/ |website=xkcd}}
• {{Cite web |last=Munroe, Randall |author-link=Randall Munroe |date=February 2007 |title=Once a Physicist: Randall Munroe |url=http://www.iop.org/careers/working-life/profiles/page_57846.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322155137/http://www.iop.org/careers/working-life/profiles/page_57846.html |archive-date=March 22, 2019 |access-date=October 13, 2017 |website=Physics World |page=43}}
• {{Cite web |last=Erg |date=March 26, 2007 |title=Talking xkcd with Randall Munroe |url=http://comixtalk.com/talking_xkcd_with_randall_munroe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421184953/http://comixtalk.com/talking_xkcd_with_randall_munroe |archive-date=April 21, 2008 |access-date=May 12, 2008 |website=Comixtalk.com}}
• {{Cite web |title=What I learned from the xkcd effect |url=http://www.commacommacrash.net/2009/12/what-i-learned-from-xkcd-effect.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225154123/http://www.commacommacrash.net/2009/12/what-i-learned-from-xkcd-effect.html |archive-date=December 25, 2013}} An article on the impact of xkcd topics on Google searches.

{{Commons|xkcd}}

{{Wikiquote|xkcd}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://what-if.xkcd.com/ xkcd What-If]
• [https://www.explainxkcd.com/ Explain xkcd], a wiki dedicated to explaining the references found in each comic

{{Randall Munroe}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:xkcd}}

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