Comic #2977: 2013-07-12

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Description

Here’s a detailed description of the comic along with its text:

Comic Title: A Simple Proposal to Stop Gerrymandering

Panel 1:

• Title at the top: "A SIMPLE PROPOSAL TO STOP GERRYMANDERING"
• Text Box:
  • "RULE 1: ALL DISTRICTS IN A STATE MUST HAVE EQUAL AREA."
  • Formula:
    • ( \text{A}{district} = \frac{\text{A}{state}}{#\text{districts}} )

Panel 2:

• Text Box:
  • "RULE 2: ⅓ OF EACH DISTRICT MUST BE SHAPED LIKE THE WORD 'GERRYMANDERING!'"
  • Formula:
    • ( \frac{\text{A}{district}}{3} = \text{A}{word} )

Panel 3:

• Text Box:
  • "IF THE DISTRICTS AREN'T VERY GERRYMANDERED, THE WORD WILL BE SUBSUMED IN THE LARGER SHAPE."
• Visual:
  • The word "GERRYMANDERING!" appearing in a non-gerrymandered shape.

Panel 4:

• Text Box:
  • "IF IT IS GERRYMANDERED, CITIZENS WILL BE ABLE TO TELL AT A GLANCE."
• Visual:
  • The phrase "GERRYMANDERING!" distorted, illustrating the effect of gerrymandering.

Panel 5:

• Text Box:
  • "THIS WON'T MAKE GERRYMANDERING IMPOSSIBLE."
• Visual:
  • A character talking: "I REPRESENT THE PROUD PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS DISTRICT 4!"

Panel 6:

• Character responds:
  • "BUT IT MIGHT CHANGE THE INCENTIVES A BIT."
  • Text Box: "WHICH ONE IS THAT?"

Panel 7:

• Response from the second character:
  • "THE MIDDLE ONE."

Panel 8:

• Visual: The word "GERRYMANDERING" displayed as a sign, hinting at its ubiquity despite the proposal.

Overview:

The comic humorously presents a proposal to stop gerrymandering, emphasizing equal district areas with a playful approach to the shapes of districts. It utilizes direct language and clear visuals to illustrate the concept effectively.