When Curiosity Met Insanity, often abbreviated as WCMI, is an Alice in Wonderland webcomic that is partly based on the original book, partly based on the Disney movie, and partly based on the Disneyland version. The premise is that, at age 18, in order to escape an arranged marriage, Alice Lidell manages to find her way back to Wonderland, which is connected to the Disneyland park, along with all of the other lands that various Disney movies have been set in, like spokes around the center of a wheel. She meets up with old friends, like the March Hare (Ears, to those who know him personally), and new ones, like Belle. The Mad Hatter, or Reginald L. Theophilus (The Third!), figures prominently in this story, too, as Alice's love interest. Or so he would like to think. He is quite in love with her, she thinks him annoying. After getting off on the wrong foot, however, he is starting to win her over.
Its archive is located here
.After a long hiatus, updates resumed on October, 6, 2014, with the archive still found on Livejournal but the actual comic being moved to Tumblr
Tropes displayed by this work include:
- Abhorrent Admirer: "For the last time NO!"
- Adaptational Attractiveness: The Hatter certainly looks nothing at all like the book version nor the movie it is heavily based on.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Alice doesn't mind Reg throwing a knife at someone she's innocently talking to when he makes a funny face.
- All Work vs. All Play: Pretty much how Alice and Hatter fit together.
- Almost Kiss: A couple times, during the Spring Dance arc.
- Bookworm: There's a good reason why Alice and Belle co-run a bookstore.
- Camp Straight: Reginald works as a milliner (hatmaker), wears outrageously flamboyant clothing, and is outrageously obsessed with Alice.
- Compensating for Something: Almost said verbatim by Alice with regard to Reginald's hat.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Reg's reaction to Alice talking to Peter Pan. He throws a knife at him..
- Dragged by the Collar: Ears wants to have a chat...
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Alice, obviously.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Throwing a knife at someone for talking to the girl you like.
- Funny Background Event: A lot of great cameos by other Disney characters can be seen in group backgrounds, and often someones up to something.
- Genius Ditz: Reginald may act like the biggest goofball around, but he's an master milliner, a superb dancer, and speaks fluent French.
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Genre Popularizer: Tons of fanart exploded from this. - He Cleans Up Nicely: Reginald CAN look moderately normal and even genuinely handsome.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Reginald and Ears, Alice and Belle.
- Hypocritical Humor: Reg makes fun of a beaver's teeth.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Almost everyone in Wonderland either knows him as The March Hare, or if they're on a more friendly basis with him, Ears. His real name is revealed to be Edwin A. Roderick in chapter 24
- Protagonist-Centered Morality: Stalking a girl, refusing to believe 'no means no', and threatening anyone interested in her is perfectly fine and very romantic...if you're part of the shipping. Then again he seems to be cleaning up his act a bit as of chapter 25
- Stalker with a Crush: Reginald refuses to take 'no' for an answer.
- Tsundere: Alice could be seen as a type A one when it comes to Reginald. She's slowly starting to show a deredere side toward him, but most of the time it's insults and slapping. This could just be a product of her time spent with the Hatter, knowing his off-the-wall and often irritating personality.
- Unwanted Harem: The bimbettes, the most superfical girls in Disney history, are jealous that Alice dates Reg. Kida, despite (or
maybe because of) valuing intelligence instead of looks, wants to kill Alice over getting Reg.
