In short(er): Sam and Max feel like people that existed before the show started and that still exist when it's over. Their constant references to things that happened off screen, things the viewer didn't get to see, helps really make them feel like people with history together! It's also a great, if unintentional, running joke when it comes to their constant 4th wall breaking. They're constantly being self referential, which leaves the audience out of the joke, yet anything they say is totally believable to you cause you're watching them in real time ruin everything.

I would legit sacrifice half life 3 just so Sam & Max could continue.

"if you cut out this page"

Thank you for opening my eyes through the "show and tell" writing method. It may not be much but its so much worth it than just saying "show don't tell"

I've never even thought about how strongly sam and max break what's considered one of the most central and consistent rules of storytelling and it makes perfect sense it's one of their greatest strengths. On top of being a favorite series of mine, it's also a good example that sometimes you need to go against conventional wisdom to make something even better.

The Sam and Max franchise is essentially an optical illusion of a story: when standing at one point it seems massive and complex, but when you try to find the edges they're right in front of your face.

Oh, now I understand what is it that I loved so much about these two. I still haven't finished exploring the franchise (discovered them last tuesday) but I do know I like these two quite a bit. For me, it completely clicked when you said "it feels like there's so much before it that you missed out": yes, it makes it seem like they've had such fun, interesting and fulfilling adventures! So of course I want to know more about them. Loved your analysis, so accurate!

You beautifully expressed the pure love I have for these characters. It's amazing how Sam & Max continues to live on, now with a remastered game and a new one coming soon. They have a charm to them that I feel will never die out :)

Truly Sam & Max is a genius work. Not only for that, but the humor and thinking is so out of the box that it's always fun to bring people into a new game to watch their jaws drop when the mundane isn't the answer to your problem in the games. (It's even funnier when it's so mundane that the newbie is now trying to think up the most outlandish thing and then they're so flabbergasted they're almost offended).

I've been trying to finger out why Sam & Max are so compelling. Thank you!

i’d really like to make a comic like sam & max one day but i’m not creative enough for that