Overview
A six-foot dog in a suit and his unhinged rabbit partner investigate carnival freaks across America. LucasArts adapted Steve Purcell’s comic into an adventure game that revelled in non-sequiturs, violence, and absurdist Americana. The freelance police asked questions with their fists and answered with inexplicable inventory puzzles.
Fast facts
- Developer: LucasArts.
- Source: Steve Purcell comics.
- Protagonists: Sam (dog), Max (rabbity thing).
- Tone: Surreal comedy.
Character dynamics
| Character |
Role |
| Sam |
Straight man (relatively) |
| Max |
Chaos agent |
| Relationship |
Violent affection |
American roadside
| Location |
Attraction |
| Carnival |
Starting point |
| World’s largest ball of twine |
Minnesota |
| Gator Golf |
Florida |
| Bumpusville |
Celebrity vegetable museum |
| Mystery Vortex |
Gravity anomaly |
Comedy approach
| Style |
Example |
| Non-sequiturs |
Random responses |
| Violence |
Casual mayhem |
| Pop culture |
References throughout |
| Fourth wall |
Occasional breaks |
Gameplay refinement
| Feature |
Implementation |
| Icon-based |
Simplified interface |
| Hotspot cursor |
Find interactions |
| Max |
Optional “use Max on” |
Writing quality
| Element |
Achievement |
| Dialogue trees |
Multiple funny options |
| Description text |
Everything commented |
| Character voice |
Consistent personalities |
Franchise continuation
| Medium |
Year |
| Original comic |
1987 |
| LucasArts game |
1993 |
| Telltale seasons |
2006-2010 |
| Remaster |
2024 |
See also