Ozy's Name

[dabomb4097]

A couple weeks ago in English class (british literature), we read the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which DC Simpson says was his inspiration for Ozy's name.<br><br>However, the poem is about the fall of Ozymandias, a tyrant egyptian king that ruled with an iron fist and didn't care about his people. Doesn't that seem the exact opposite of Ozy from the comic? Was this intentional? Did DC Simpson not read the entire poem and/or properly understand it?<br><br>The one line DC Simpson quotes "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair." makes the king Ozymandias seem like a powerful ruler, but upon analyzing the rest of the poem, he was actually a hated tyrant ruler.<br><br>Thoughts?<br><br>-John

[simon]

<a href='http://www.ozyandmillie.net/2000/om20000917.html' target='_blank'>http://www.ozyandmillie.net/2000/om20000917.html</a>

[dabomb4097]

That still doesnt explain it. You need to read the first couple lines of the poem in the beginning, all that strip tells is that the statue was destroyed, just like O&M's sidewalk chalk art was washed away by the rain.<br><br>It still doesn't mention anything about Ozymandias being tyrant king, and how a tyrant king relates to the character Ozy. DC Simpson seems to never mention any part of the poem before line 9 (the description of Ozymandias the king as a tyrant).<br><br>Here is the full text of the poem. Pay attention to lines 4-8.<br><br>I met a traveler from an antique land<br>Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone<br>Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,<br>Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,<br>And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,<br>Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,<br>Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,<br>The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed,<br>And on the pedestal these words appear:<br>"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:<br>Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"<br>Nothing beside remains. Round the decay<br>Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare<br>The lone and level sands stretch far away.

[hdofu]

Well Caleb on Buffy was nothing like the Caleb of the Old Testament. The Caleb of the Bible was a dilgent and faith filled man, a spy for God.<br><br>The Caleb on buffy was more of a lunatic who was possed by an ubber demon who derived pleasure by misquoting scripture and tormenting people kind of like Sister Rossetta.

[Dr. Doog]

he got a name, that was all. later he decided to draw a strip with the poem in ti. why would he include parts that contradict with what the character he uses is?

[penguinita]

<!--QuoteBegin-Dr. Doog+Nov 9 2003, 10:48 AM--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> (Dr. Doog @ Nov 9 2003, 10:48 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> why would he include parts that contradict with what the character he uses is? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd--><br> possibly because the name sounded cool?

[Henohenomoheji]

Mr. Simpson has done this before and stated why somewhere in the words section.<br><br>he said something like "rabbits and sheep are antagonists. foxes are good people. dragons are gentle, misunderstood creatures. cows are in charge..." etcetera. he's playing off of the way people used to think or some such...<br><br>somebody check for me... i DO know what im talking about, right?

[Dr. Doog]

no, why would he include the parts of the poem that say that ozy is some evil egytian king when that is the opposite of the character that was made before the poem was said in the comic series? i'm saying that since he already had ozy, why make ozy look the opposite of what he already is?

[penguinita]

<!--QuoteBegin-iyestorm+Nov 9 2003, 11:22 AM--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> (iyestorm @ Nov 9 2003, 11:22 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Mr. Simpson has done this before and stated why somewhere in the words section.<br><br>he said something like "rabbits and sheep are antagonists.  foxes are good people.  dragons are gentle, misunderstood creatures.  cows are in charge..." etcetera.  he's playing off of the way people used to think or some such...<br><br>somebody check for me... i DO know what im talking about, right?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd--><br><br>i think the quote your remembering is from this words peice <a href='http://www.ozyandmillie.org/words23.html' target='_blank'>Why the characters don't eat each other</a>. i think it's the last paragraph that your thinking of, which states:<br><br><!--QuoteBegin-d.c.simpson in "Why the characters don't eat each other"+--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> (d.c.simpson in "Why the characters don't eat each other")</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> The carnivore or herbivore status of some of the characters' species isn't entirely usless. It's fun symbolically. Sheep and rabbits are bullies and antagonists. Foxes are victims and protagonists. Dragons are gentle and misunderstood. Cattle are in charge. It turns expectations upside down, which is perfect for a strip that's ultimately about misfits. (Some characters' species, like Avery's, are pretty neutral. I just think the raccoon mask makes him look a little devious. Of course, since Timulty doesn't at all, I'm probably wrong.)<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd--><br><br>this quote doens't quite seem to resolve ozy being named ozy tho. perhaps now would be a good time for dcsimpson to give us his too cents? (assuming he wanted the mater clarifyed in the first place)

[Burning Sheep Productions]

He's named Ozy because:<!--QuoteBegin--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> possibly because the name sounded cool? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Dr. Doog]

I know that... <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo--> you aren't understanding, i share the same perspective!

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Is the question "Did Simon find the name, thought is was nice then made Ozy out of the opposite of who the name belonged to?" or what?<br>What is the question?

[Doctor Fred]

I say he chose it because Ozymandias sounds nice. And the fact that the real Ozymandias was a tyrant (and I don't think naming Ozy after a tyrant was intentional) just adds to the great irony thing he's got going with the cast.<br><br>And I know that this is all stuff already said, but... ah well. Call me a heartless spammer.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Don't worry, we need constant verification.

[Muninn]

At the possible risk of being proven wrong i'll say that if Mr. Simpson got the name from the poem then he knew all about the character being portrayed there and yet still stuck to the name because of either an irony that has been seen in other parts of the strip (as quoted in this topic) or because the name sounds good.<br><br>He has said that when he first started his main goal was to be syndicated and wasn't planning on a web-comic. Names like Ozymandias are funny and a newspaper strip can really benefit from wierd names since they stay in the mind, like alliteration.<br><br>Furthermore having named Ozy after a tyrant king doesn't damage his character. The sunday strip with the poem doesn't necessarily go against his character. Mr. Simpson chose the final lines of the poem, which, to someone having never read it, can sound like something other than a tyrant, whereas the beginning lines very clearly show otherwise. Or maybe he drew that strip as a lead up to the final panel where "look on my works ye mighty and despair" contradict what's happening.<br><br>I would also like to say here i am guilty of doing something i usually don't like and that is over-analysing comic strips. I have done this, i will do it again but i don't like it.