History Main / AshFace

* ''[[WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City]]'': Strawberry Shortcake gets ash on her face when she tries to reason with the Cake-inator, telling her that you just need to make treats with love to make them good. It [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes horribly wrong]] when the Cake-inator gets murdered by this attempt as she claims to be unable to understand the Strawberry Shortcake touch, and her body explodes.
** Lemon's inventions have a tendency to malfunction and explode in her face.

This common visual gag was popularized in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It begins when an explosion occurs point-blank in someone's face, typically from an ExplosiveCigar, ridiculous quantities of TNT/dynamite, or perhaps an [[JugglingLoadedGuns amusing gunfire incident]] since guns often emit directed explosions rather than propelling bullets. Depending on the situation, other sudden sources of heat will also result in ash faces -- a cartoon character on the wrong end of a gout of fire, a short circuit or a lightning strike is also liable to end up with a faceful of soot. After the smoke clears, the target is shown with their face covered in black ash and [[ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes their eyes brightly visible]]. Usually, the subject will quickly shake off the ash and return to the wacky hijinx. If the explosion is large enough, the target's entire body will be covered instead. Sometimes, they let out a cough and puff out a smoke ring.

* Another live-action example occurs in ''Film/HomeAlone2''. After Harry soaks his burning head in a toilet full of paint thinner, the entire first floor of the house blows up, but luckily Harry survives with only a burn on his scalp, a damaged hat and some ash on his face.

* This happens very frequently to Basiel in ''ComicBook/LeonardLeGenie'', from both explosions and shots from his master's blunderbuss. Usually he is still on fire too.

** In "Franchise/TheSmurfs and the Magic Flute", originally from the ''ComicBook/JohanAndPeewit'' series, Peewit gives Johan and the King a cloud of ash in their faces when he tries out the magic flute for the first time.

* Also appears frequently in the older ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' shorts, such as "A Mouse In The House" and especially in "WesternAnimation/SafetySecond", which takes place on July 4 and involves a lot of fireworks. In particular, Jerry gets one when he tries to throw away a firecracker that Nibbles lit, only for it to blow up in his face.

* Happens to the titular ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'' in [[LethalLavaLand Arachnia]], if he gets burned by a (literal) Fire Ant's fire breath, or if he touches lava.

* ''Manga/OnePiece''; [[spoiler: Kaido gets charred when [[ToonPhysics Gear 5 Luffy]] reflects his Blast Breath back in his face during the climax of their battle, complete with comical LoserHorns in the anime as he collapses and Luffy laughs hysterically]].

A SubTrope of NonFatalExplosions, ArtisticLicenseExplosives, and AmusingInjuries. Also see SweepingAshes. Can be the result of attempting FingerExtinguisher. Somewhat related to XRaySparks. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Does not have anything to do with]] making your face have a Creator/BruceCampbell grin, [[Characters/PokemonTheSeriesAshKetchum or being a famous Pokémon Trainer]], for that matter.

This common visual gag was popularized in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. It begins when an explosion occurs point-blank in someone's face, typically from an ExplosiveCigar, ridiculous quantities of TNT/dynamite, or perhaps an [[JugglingLoadedGuns amusing gunfire incident]] since guns often emit directed explosions rather than propelling bullets. Depending on the situation, other sudden sources of heat will also result in ash faces -- a cartoon character on the wrong end of a gout of fire, a short circuit or a lightning strike is also liable to end up with a faceful of soot. After the smoke clears, the target is shown with his face covered in black ash and [[ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes their eyes brightly visible]]. Usually, the subject will quickly shake off the ash and return to the wacky hijinx. If the explosion is large enough, the target's entire body will be covered instead. Sometimes, they let out a cough and puff out a smoke ring.

%% * After every battle in the Genesis ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' games, Doctor Eggman acquires this face before retreating.

* Numerous ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' games have this happen to Dr. Eggman when his machinery blows up in his face at the end of a boss battle.