History Main / TheComicallySerious

Typically works as a StraightMan in the cast, although they may have a [[RuleOfFunny quirky]] [[FearOfThunder Achilles']] [[CutenessProximity Heel]]. They may also serve as an OnlySaneMan, and oftentimes become the victim of NotSoAboveItAll.

* This drives much of the humor behind ''WebVideo/InternetHistorian's'' videos. He has a sophisticated accent and speaks in a calm, cool, and erudite way much like a university professor would be expected to speak. This makes the utterly ''ludicrous'' nature of the things he covers, like the abysmal launches of ''VideoGame/NoMansSky'' and ''VideoGame/Fallout76'', [[Website/FourChan /pol/]] "playing" international "capture the flag" with Creator/ShiaLaBeouf against his will, comically-failed conventions, and {{Trolls}} rigging online contests so Mountain Dew would name their new softdrink "[[CrossingTheLineTwice Hitler Did Nothing Wrong]]" outright ''hilarious'' to listen to. He rarely cracks, only occasionally {{Corpsing}} and has audibly been angry once, maybe twice across all his videos, which is made even funnier by his constant use of [[MemeticMutation Hide The Pain Harold]] for his avatar.

* ComicBook/PlasticMan. Hard as it may be to believe these days, in his GoldenAge Jack Cole comics he was the straight man surrounded by lunatics. Back then Plastic Man was a former criminal and was guilty of some rather serious crimes.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}''/''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'' crossover "ComicBook/FromEterniaWithDeath", Man-At-Arms is a serious, circumspect and responsible man who gets endlessly exasperated by Prince Adam's clownish antics. When Adam suggests he should have some fun, Man-At-Arms replies he likes have a little fun, but there is nothing funny whatsoever about Adam's buffonery.

* ''ComicBook/MoonKnight'': The title character is something of a CaptainErsatz of Batman, and usually takes this role when played against ComicBook/SpiderMan. Moon Knight is also insane, DependingOnTheWriter (and universe). For example, during a super-hero rooftop meeting in ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan #107:

* Out of the lot of the [[VillainProtagonist villainous]] ''ComicBook/SecretSix'', the role of comically serious goes to Bane. It says something when you try to act fatherly to a grown woman by treating her like a ten year old.

--> ''For the practice of wearing a kilt without undergarments, see True Scotsman.''

* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}'': [[PsychoForHire Mordecai Heller]] is the poster child (or would that be [[IncrediblyLamePun poster cat?]]) for this trope, as lampshaded [[http://www.lackadaisycats.com/exhibit.php?exhibitid=346 in this comic.]]

** The article on the "NoTrueScotman" fallacy includes this disambiguation note:

** he article on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Room_(film) The Room]].

** A TakeOurWordForIt example is Bouncy Normo, mentioned in ''The Fools Guild Diary''. A man with NoSenseOfHumor whatsoever, he was, somehow, the funniest person on the Disc and never understood why. His CatchPhrase was "What's everyone laughing about?" Eventually he was DrivenToSuicide, and everyone who saw him do it had to be hospitalised because they were laughing so much.

* Dream / Morpheus in ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', either through being the straight man to the likes of Delirium or ImmortalImmaturity. When his latest affair ends badly at the beginning of "Brief Lives", he starts brooding on the balcony like a teenager -- and [[FisherKing causes downpours]] throughout the Dreaming just to complete the pose.

* Comicbook/{{X 23}} herself, possibly even moreso. She's TheStoic in the extreme (and her NotSoStoic moments generally involve {{Heroic BSOD}}s and bouts of suicidal depression), only rarely cracks a full smile, and has never truly been shown laughing in the ''ten years'' since she was first introduced in the books. She does have a subtle sense of humor, but generally a black one, and is a bit of a DeadpanSnarker (emphasizing the ''deadpan''). Much humor is derived from Laura's completely serious reactions to the craziness that often surrounds the X-Men. Even during a day spent playing hooky from school with her cousin Megan (involving amusement parks, a ComicBook/{{Dazzler}} concert, and being buried in a pile of puppies and kittens), Laura's face ''never changes'' from her usual neutral expression.

* ''ComicBook/UltimateGalactusTrilogy'': Carol Danvers and Hawkeye turned into this when they could not stand all the crazy stuff going on. Aliens, space ships, amateur superheroes, space gods... things were so much simpler back in the Cold War, when they just had the mundane risk of an atomic war.

* ''Tag'', a warship A.I. for Tagon's mercenaries in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', tends to react to any situation with absolute, deadpan seriousness, while still producing a punchline. The two weeks following [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20071107.html this strip]] are a good demonstration.

Just because [[NoSenseOfHumor a character's as jolly as a sloth with major depression]] doesn't mean they can't be funny. A Comically Serious character's lack of reaction to [[WeirdnessMagnet embarrassing, undignified, or just plain bizarre situations]] can subvert our expectations of embarrassment, hysteria, or insanity and make for comedy gold. When they're not serving as the 'straight man' for all the wacky hijinks the universe throws their way, the character is likely to be a DeadpanSnarker, TheStoic, TheKilljoy, or TheQuietOne.

* [[Franchise/StarWars StarWars.com's]] Encylopedia, [[TheWikiRule Wookieepedia]]:

* In the ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' series, Tigress struggles mightily to maintain her dignity at all times. She's the only one who takes her career as seriously as she does, probably even more than Shifu (who [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee has his own moments that he tries to hide]]). Tigress is a natural at martial arts, but is utterly clueless when it comes to humor, children, or even partying, to the point that she refuses to try any of them and gets irritated when anyone tries to goad her into it. [[{{Foil}} Po often tries]] [[WhenSheSmiles to get her to lighten up]], but getting a good smile out of her is mostly impossible, [[spoiler:at least earlier in the series, though she's still pretty reserved later on]]. She hasn't exactly had the easiest life, though, so she sort of has an excuse.

Compare NoSenseOfHumor; SoUnfunnyItsFunny; {{Narm}}. Contrast LaughablyEvil; DudeNotFunny.

* Comicbook/{{Cable}} to ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'s antics.

* ''Literature/TheRosieProject'' has Don Tillman, whose AmbiguousDisorder often results in him taking certain situations or conversations more seriously than he needs to.

* TheComicallySerious/ComicBooks

* TheComicallySerious/{{Webcomics}}

** Their article on WebAnimation/YouTubePoop is... [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube_Poop interesting.]]