History ComicBook / GiraffesOnHorsebackSalad

In 1936, world-famous film star [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Harpo Marx]] and renown art icon Creator/SalvadorDali met at a party in Paris, then quickly became lifelong friends over their shared love of {{Surrealism}} and absurdist humor. This bond inspired Dali to propose ''Giraffes On Horseback Salad,'' a romantic comedy that would blend his [[CrazyIsCool off-kilter worldview]] with Creator/TheMarxBrothers' madcap antics into a movie like none before. But the idea was too much for MGM, who rejected the pitch, leaving it to languish in obscurity...

[[caption-width-right:300:When Reality & Dreams go to war, love is he greatest weapon of all. [[note]]HONK![[/note]]]]

...until 2014, when pop-culture historian (and longtime Marx fan) Creator/JoshFrank recovered Dali's notebook for ''Giraffes'' and vowed to make it real. Teaming up with writer [[Creator/TimAndEric Tim Heidecker]] and artist Creator/ManuelaPertega, they reformed ''Giraffes'' as a graphic novel published by Quirk Books. The result is a distinctively unique work of SequentialArt that is simultaneously zany, touching, silly, absurd, and ''very'' surreal, a glimpse into a movie that never was.

...until 2014, when pop-culture historian (and longtime Marx fan) Creator/JoshFrank recovered Dali's notebook for ''Giraffes'' and vowed to make it real. Teaming up with writer [[Creator/TimAndEric Tim Heidecker]] and artist Creator/ManuelaPertega, they reformed ''Giraffes'' as a graphic novel, published by Quirk Books. The result is a distinctively unique work of SequentialArt that is simultaneously zany, touching, silly, absurd, and ''very'' surreal, a glimpse into a movie that never was.

->"Empires will always crumble, everything now standing will one day be defeated by time. There is nothing worth holding onto if it ties you down to this sill little earth with its laws of nature that drive everyone mad with logic and reason." [[note]]HONK![[/note]]

* WorldOfWeirdness: Earth becomes one of these when the Surrealist Woman falls in love with Jimmy and her RealityWarper powers are amplified -- the streets of Paris all go in one direction, Venice has been drained and floats twenty feet off the ground, bridges of slime fill the city and lead to roads in the air, and more.

* {{Turncoat}}: Played with when Chico gets himself hired as Linda's prosecuting attorney in the trial against the Woman Surreal. Given that this is ''[[TheDitz Chico]]'' here, it's not particularly effective.

* AnimalMotifs: Jimmy and the Woman Surreal are represented by different animals throughout the story.

The story itself centers around Jimmy (Harpo), a highly successful entrepreneur who is [[{{Workaholic}} locked into success]] and engaged to Linda, his [[SocialClimber social-climbing]] [[AlphaBitch attention-seeking]] girlfriend. His life is abruptly thrown off-course when he runs into the Surrealist Woman, an enigmatic {{Socialite}} and MysteriousWaif whose [[MakingASpectacleOfYourself every appearance is a spectacle]]. Aided by her assistants Groucho and Chico, the Woman Surreal finds herself falling in love with Jimmy, even as Linda's ire grows exponentially. But what is the fate for the newfound lovers when their passion threatens to (literally) change the world?

* DoingInTheWizard: Invoked in-universe as the Socialites initially discuss the Woman Surreal's [[MakingASpectacleOfYourself amazing public spectacles]], theorizing that they're elaborate special effects funded with a secret fortune. This debate is dropped when her RealityWarper powers grow powerful enough to affect the entire planet.

* MakingASpectacleOfYourself: The Surrealist Woman is the living embodiment of this trope, as her RealityWarper power lets her alter herself and her environment with every step. She has to actively concentrate to ''prevent'' creating oddities everywhere she goes.

* DiegeticSoundtrackUsage: In keeping with ''Giraffe's'' origins as a Creator/MarxBrothers movie, the story features several songs incorporated into the story. These include "Doing the ''Chez La Vie''" (Groucho's opening act for the Woman Surreal), "The Pull of the Heartstrings" (Jimmy's harp solo), and "La Femme Surreal" (Groucho's report to Linda).

* ApatheticCitizens: When the world starts to become more and more surreal, most people and authority figures respond with a hapless shrug and an attempt to cope as best they can.

* DoingInTheWizard: Invoked in-universe as the Socialites initially discuss the Woman Surreal's [[MakingASpectacleOfYourself amazing public spectacles]], theorizing that they're elaborate special effects funded with a secret fortune. This debate is dropped when her RealityWarper powers grown powerful enough to affect the entire planet.

In 1936, world-famous film star [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Harpo Marx]] and renown art icon Creator/SalvadorDali met at a party in Paris, then quickly became lifelong friends over their shared love of {{Surrealism}} and absurdist humor. This bond inspired Dali to propose ''Giraffes On Horseback Salad,'' a romantic comedy that would blend his [[CrazyIsCool off-kilter worldview]] with Creator/TheMarxBrothers' madcap antics into a film like none before. But the idea was too much for MGM, who rejected the pitch, leaving it to languish in obscurity...

** Jimmy is symbolized by butterflies. Love is compared to a butterfly, trapped in a cocoon as it transforms into something beautiful, yet it must be protected even when it's ugly. Butterflies are also [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful allowed to fly freely because of their beauty,]] even if the chaos they spread isn't always welcome. Finally, the butterfly reflects [[spoiler:Jimmy's metamorphosis into Harpo Marx when he finally fully embraces surrealism]].
** The Surrealist Woman is represented by flaming giraffes, [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext because.]]

* CantStayNormal: After her [[RealityWarper reality warping powers]] causes Jimmy to have a near-fatal auto accident, the Woman Surreal tries to settle for a life of [[HomeSweetHome domestic normalcy]] to keep them safe. Unfortunately, she finds it [[AllergicToRoutine too stifling and repressive,]] and ultimately tells him that she must [[BeYourself revert to her surrealist lifestyle]]. In response, Jimmy [[spoiler:rejects his mundane life and fully embraces surrealism, [[{{Clownification}} turning into Harpo Marx]] in the process, and [[ActOfTrueLove devotes himself to a life of love]] with her]].

* CourtroomAntics: The trial of the Surrealist Woman quickly descends into this, thanks to the efforts of Groucho and Chico.

* DoingInTheWizard: Invoked in-universe as the Socialites initially discuss the Woman Surreal's [[MakingASpectacleOfYourself amazing public spectacles]], theorizing that they're elaborate special effects funded with her secret fortune. This debate is dropped when her RealityWarper powers grown powerful enough to affect the entire planet.

* FearSong: "The Shadow Plays", which covers Jimmy's self-doubts about his love for the Woman Surreal.
* GladIThoughtOfIt: After it is revealed that the Woman Surreal bathes every day in a bathtub full of fresh small oysters while wearing a stoat wrap, Linda [[FollowTheLeader does the same thing]]... while ''insisting'' that this has been her routine for the last three years.

* HiddenDepths: Jimmy first catches the eye of the Woman Surreal after he [[TheCastShowoff beautifully plays the harp]] at the ''Chey Phoenix''. His friends are astonished that he's never demonstrated this skill before, and he halfheartedly mumbles that it's from a long time ago.

* LiteralMinded: Invoked by Groucho; when Linda asks "What is the meaning of this?!", he looks up the meaning of "this" in a dictionary.
* LiteralTransformativeExperience: After Jimmy fully embraces the ideals of surrealism, he turns into [[spoiler:Harpo Marx, [[{{Clownification}} complete with top hat, trenchcoat, and bicycle horn]]]].
* LoveTheme: "What They Call Falling In Love", a duet between Jimmy and the Surrealist Woman.

* PresentDayPast: Invoked by Groucho when he shows off his pager (a ghostly page that is used to send messages):

* RealDreamsAreWeirder: Invoked by the Woman Surreal, who explains that her manifestations are simply products from her dreams.
* RealityWarper: The Surrealist Woman can alter herself and her surroundings with nary a thought; her identity and clothes change from moment to moment, and her assistants only need to express a request before it's fulfilled. Coupled with her CloudCuckooLander tendencies, it's no wonder she leaves a trail of surrealism wherever she goes.
* TheRunaway: After a childhood incident when the Surrealist Woman manifested her powers and endangered a schoolmate, her parents were ordered to send her away to avoid endangering anyone else. She instead creates a giraffe and rides away, and her parents are never mentioned again.
* SeenItAll: As the longtime assistants of the Surrealist Woman, Groucho and Chico take their absurd working conditions in stride. Whether it's answering phone calls with lobsters or driving cars that rain inside, nothing fazes them.

* {{Surrealism}}: Not surprising for a work by Creator/SalvadorDali, this story is full of surrealist imagery and philosophy. The tale ''begins'' with a woman traversing a luxurious nightclub in a winding white velvet tunnel, an orchestra playing music with roast chickens tied to the tops of their heads, and a ballerina dancing while a swarm of [[HelpingHands disembodied hands]] caress her -- and it simply gets ''more'' inexplicable as the story progresses.

* WillfullyWeak: After the Woman Surreal is imprisoned and awaiting trial, Jimmy asks her why she doesn't simply free herself with her powers. She explains that she doesn't want to risk hurting anyone with them, as she's frightened by what she might do when she's scared.
* WordSaladTitle: Good luck trying to figure out what exactly is a "horseback salad". And while (flaming) giraffes appear in the story, they're not directly related to the plot.
* {{Workaholic}}: Jimmy is this at the beginning of the story. Not content to be the visionary CEO of a massive company, he spends much of his workday in the trenches, answering multiple phone calls and performing mundane tasks that should be done by his subordinates.

* {{Workaholic}}: Jimmy is this at the beginning of the story. Not content to be the visionary CEO of a massive national company, he spends much of his workday in the trenches, answering multiple phone calls and performing accounting tasks that should be done by his subordinates.

* TheRunaway: After a childhood incident when the Surrealist Woman manifested her powers and endangered a schoolmate, her parents were ordered to send her away to avoid endangering anyone else. She instead creates a dragon and flies away, and her parents are never mentioned again.

* PartySchedulingGambit: When she learns that the Surrealist Woman is planning a party in the California desert, Linda rents out a nearby farmhouse and schedules her own party at the same time to overshadow it.

** Jimmy is symbolized by butterflies. Groucho explains that love is a butterfly, trapped in a cocoon as it transforms into something beautiful, yet it must be protected even when it's ugly. Butterflies are also [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful allowed to fly freely because of their beauty,]] even if the chaos they spread isn't always welcome. Finally, the butterfly reflects [[spoiler:Jimmy's metamorphosis into Harpo Marx when he finally fully embraces surrealism]].

* ThePowerOfLove: When the Woman Surreal begins falling in love with Jimmy, her powers are quickly amplified to the point where she begins altering ''the entire world'' into a surrealistic fantasyland.

* MobWar: Parodied. While the Surrealist Woman is imprisoned and awaiting trial, a gang war breaks out between the Surrealists (led by Jimmy, Groucho, and Chico) and the Realists (led by Linda, Michael, and their socialite friends). It's PlayedForLaughs, as the Realists use weapons modified to shoot [[AbnormalAmmo food, confetti, paint, and rubbish,]] while the Surrealists retaliate with circus animals, tentacled eyeballs, and other indescribable apparitions.