For some reason the talking dinosaur appliances don’t bother me… but this does… 
(Perhaps one of our readers will enlighten me and explain how these cars can be efficient…I’ve been wrong before…)
Btw, check out this really cool stop motion Flintstones dream sequence made for the 2001 film, The Flintstones: On The Rocks… really cool!
I think this one would have worked better as a Far Side-style single frame. The “heading” in the last frame would be your caption, but it looks out of place where it is.
I hear what you’re saying, but it’s a 3 panel strip, so I couldn’t do that.
Besides, I think I was able to put in more jokes this way, the ‘heading’ in the third panel was meant more as a ‘punchline reveal’ I guess…
P.S. Either way, I’m very proud of the Flintstones car I drew…
i like this one, it brings up the one thing everyone says “cant the flinstones just walk.”
i understand the punchline. It’s funny though it doesnt match the hilarity of some of your other strips. Your drawing has improved!
P.S. Badass Flinstones Mobile!!
Yeah, the flintstones is always on when I eat lunch and this question just bothers me…
Thanks! I spent a lot of time trying to draw it, lol
If we presume the wheels to be frictionless, and on a frictionless pivot, and disregard any air resistance, then conservation of momentum would mean you wouldn’t have to keep putting in energy to keep moving.
Of course, you may notice that actually they do continue to walk thus putting more energy into the system. As such, they are in a constant state of acceleration. As such, in practice, they probably don’t tend to be more efficient, but they are much faster over long distances.
I hope that answers your question.
lol thank you it does
Thank you Dylan, these in-depth analysis make my day!
But it would still be extremely hard to make the initial push, no?
And just look at the car: http://www.designsojourn.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/flintstones-car.jpg
How is it those pivots, and the rolling pin wheels themselves, stay attached to the car? Wouldn’t they separate as they start rolling?
Thanks again for the comment! always a fun read!
i think that when we discuss your comics in-depth it makes me giggle because such a rich discussion Can come from a comic strip
When it comes to physics, you can have whole books from comics!
http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Superheroes-James-Kakalios/dp/1592401465
i HAVE to check these out
Yeah it’s a fun book!
thinking hard about something makes it not funny.
No way! It makes it more funny, but in a crazy nerd way!
I have a book called The Physics of Superheroes, where a Physics Prof. explains how if you allow a superhero to have a power, how the things they do with that power in the comics can be physically explained… it’s a great book!
no because then it gives me a headache.
I enjoy explaining things until i run out of beathe and then some but it makes me head hurts!
lol, its not a good discussion unless it’s giving you a headache!
I love talking about complicated time travel or physics of cartoons or movies…. I’m not so knowledgeable, so i read more than I write, but it’s still fun!
i need more comics to read.
you finished that newspaper comics history book already?
not yet, i dont wanna read it all in one sitting. ITS HUGE! lol and HEAVY!!
LOL but i need a short series to read and get addicted to.
Lol, I love sitting on an armchair and reading a huge book like that….
Scott Pilgrim? I haven’t read them yet, but the movie looks cool…
lol do you sit with your pipe next to the fire place too?? i could picture it like an old movie. LOL
hmmm i should look Scott up… ON TO GOOGLE!!!
I WISH! (The pipe would blow bubbles, of course…)
enjoy! watch the trailer, it’s 7 books, but the last one hasn’t come out yet…. if I like the movie I’ll buy the books when they go on sale, lol.
i definitely check it out. .. what is the movie called?
Scott Pilgrim
The trailer explains the plot, im pretty excited for the movie, looks so fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgOLmjhxVVU
Thanks for the info! when i get off work i will check it out LOL
coolio, I think you’ll like it…
oooooooooooooo i like!!!
her hair rocks!!
Aww i remember when mine was pink… now it is just red n purple brown n i dunno. LOL 
I wish someone could defeat my exs HAHAHAHA lol.
I’ve always wanted to make a movie that was like reading a comic books with “pow, whack, thud n zap” all over it!
lol, my hair has always been mud brown….
yeah, thats what get me so excited about the movie, I love the pow, kaboom, whap stuff,
whoo hoo i am so glad you told me about this…
Thanks!!
No problemo! it should be fun.
Sorry, only just got round to coming back here. busy week. Glad you enjoyed my theory, and I think I have some answers to your other questions? I hope…
“But it would still be extremely hard to make the initial push, no?”
Yes! Or, you know, you could put in a series of smaller pushes to get it going. But if you watch, usually there’s a time delay between them starting to run, and the perceived movement. Clear proof of the ‘buildup’ of force in the system. Either way, the overall efficiency could still be greater over long distances, plus it allows for a greater overall acceleration.
The obvious question being, why not just apply the same system, without a massive lump of rock? Obviously it’s required to achieve the smoothness required to remove friction. Further more, I’d like to theorise that it may be made out of hollow rock, or at least extremely aerated rock. Thus maximising the efficiency of the system. Of course, without further information, it’d be difficult to make a judgment on the ideal ratios to maximise efficiency, while minimising structural damage due to possible collisions. Still, I think it’d be an interesting area to look into.
“How is it those pivots, and the rolling pin wheels themselves, stay attached to the car? Wouldn’t they separate as they start rolling?”
I’d presume it’s either an adhesive, or magnetics. Personally, I’d go with the magnetics, on accounts that adhesives tend to go brittle, or fail altogether over time. But a magnetic system would work like suspension, in theory, as well.
That, makes sense to me. I think. Anyway! Yeah! Totally works!
Let me know what you think, and if there are any more questions. I’ll try and get back to this again tomorrow to see.
No probelmo, sorry for the late response, busy weekend!
Good points, and I think further proof to your theory of the aerated rock would be the end credits, when that big side of dino-ribs topples the car.
The magnets sounds like a good solution, but have they ever mentioned that on the show? Just curious because both you and Bill came to the magnet solution.
Bill has a good question, how would the car be able to turn?
Oh also, I was watching this week, (it’s on tv when I eat lunch) and there’s an episode where Fred becomes Goggle Pizano, race car driver. The cars there have axles and even some sort of piston system. I couldn’t find the whole episode online but here’s a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgPv37EKkv8
It seems obvious to me that the axles don’t really touch the V shaped ends to the side panels. They look like wood but are really magnetite sections embedded in the wood. The axles float on the magnetic field giving the near frictionless support needed to make the car worthwhile. I’ve always had more problems with them turning that going forward or backwards. You’d almost have to have a mechanism for the center of the ‘rolling pin’ to bulge in order to give a narrow enough surface to pivot.
Yeah, the turning is a good quetion, I asked Dylan what his thoughts on that are.
So check out his comment for that discussion.
Oh also, I was watching this week, (it’s on tv when I eat lunch) and there’s an episode where Fred becomes Goggle Pizano, race car driver. The cars there have axles and even some sort of piston system. I couldn’t find the whole episode online but here’s a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgPv37EKkv8