A sly joke is secretly hidden between two separate editions of one Scott Pilgrim chapter. Fans of the series may be aware that the action/comedy series was originally published in black and white. But the color edition of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World breathes new life into one scene about Ramona Flowers’ colorful hairdo.
In the series’ second volume, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Ramona comes over to Scott and Wallace Wells’ apartment and surprises the duo with her new hair color. Scott asks if it’s her natural color and Ramona guesses it could be as a note humorously reminds the reader that the book is in black and white.
However, the joke changes in the color edition of the book where it’s revealed that Ramona dyed her hair blue. The dialogue is still the same, but the note points out that the joke was funnier in the black-and-white edition when it wasn’t clear what Ramona’s hair color was.
Scott Pilgrim’s Best Meta Gag Acknowledges the Color Edition Messed Up a Joke
Scott Pilgrim is a six-volume saga about a 23-year-old slacker who spends his days playing in a band and hanging with his friends. Things change for Scott when he meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers. But in order to date her, Scott is forced to take down her seven evil exes who have vowed to control Ramona’s love life. Scott Pilgrim became a huge cult favorite among readers and its success led to a feature film adaptation, video and board games, and a Netflix animated show. Though Scott Pilgrim was initially printed in black and white, Oni Press later released the entire series in color.
The joke in the original publication of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World plays on the fact that the book was not presented in color. Even Ramona can’t tell what color she dyed her hair because the book lacks color. But the new edition of the book messes this joke up because it’s blatant that Ramona’s hair is blue. It’s odd that Scott would think that Ramona’s hair is naturally blue and even more bizarre that Ramona can’t recall what her original hair color was. It’s still funny, but the note acknowledging how the gag was better in black and white makes it even more humorous.
Scott Pilgrim Turned an Error into a Clever Joke
The color edition of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World could have easily added another note apologizing for the joke being messed up as a result of the new colors. But in Scott Pilgrim’s irreverent style, it rolled with the punches and gave the original note a clever touch-up that acknowledged that the hairstyle joke didn’t translate well. It’s a charming and innovative joke and it’s something only hardcore fans of the series ever would have picked up on by closely examining both versions of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
