Explaining Scary Gary

"Did you ever want kids, Gary?" asks Leopold.
"Nah —" says Gary. "I never really cared for them."
"Kids are OK." says Leopold. "You just have to add the right amount of hot sauce."

It's funny, because when someone asks if you want children the usual assumption is that they are asking if you plan to procreate, but in this case the discussion is actually about children as a food item.

The joke might work better if it hadn't been done a million times before or if Leopold had not already been established as a character more likely to eat children than care for them. As it stands the punch line is quite evident right from the beginning and that factor most crucial to humour, the element of surprise, is sadly lacking.

Comic