Flag Map Sabotage
Flag Map Sabotage
[A flag displays a white country-shaped area surrounded by a red field. Inside the shape sits a map legend.]
[Label of map legend] Map Legend [Bright blue rectangle] Disputed territory [Green rectangle] Newly independent [Blue rectangle] Demilitarized zone [Yellow rectangle] Tornado warning [Dark blue rectangle] Held by rebel forces [Red rectangle] Greater Delaware [Black rectangle] Unexplored
[Caption below panel] Our new country's flag sabotages those maps where geographic areas are colored in with flag patterns.


The comic refers to a type of map that colors countries using the national flag designs; see here for such a map of Europe. Randall proposes a new flag specifically designed to troll such maps.  Most obviously, the flag includes a legend with multiple common flag colors to indicate random regional attributes.  Hence, the mere act of placing this flag on a map would cause people to misinterpret this legend as applying to the entire map, giving wildly false information about regions of other countries. This trick is reminiscent of 327: Exploits of a Mom , with Mrs. Robert's son Robert'); DROP TABLE Students;-- .
In addition to the legend, the flag consists of two red fields, one of which has an irregular-shaped border, the other of which is a straight line. The irregular shape is similar to a geographical border based on natural features (such as rivers and coastlines), while borders not based on such features tend to be straight lines.  Red is the most common color on national flags, so if any bordering country had red on their flag, it would risk bordering these red fields, confusing where the border lay (as well as designating the entire red region as "greater Delaware").  If this flag is intended for the USA (although the text mentions "our new country"), the red regions would be continuous with the red strips on both sides of Canada's flag and the red field on the right of Mexico's flag, disguising the border still further.
The title text refers to the flag of Belgium, which consists of three vertical stripes in the order (left to right) black, yellow, and red. The western part of Belgium would, according to the legend, be unexplored, while the eastern part would be Greater Delaware. The middle would therefore be a tornado zone separating the unexplored area from Greater Delaware. Depending on how the flags are aligned it might be possible to explore from the south, where the blue-white-red stripes of the French flag contain another piece of Greater Delaware that may be conveniently located to help said exploration. Exploring from the Netherlands (red, white, and blue horizontal stripes) is not viable as rebel forces are positioned between Greater Delaware and the unexplored region.
This is not the first time Randall has made a flag for a new country! See 1815: Flag
[A flag displays a white country-shaped area surrounded by a red field. Inside the shape sits a map legend.]
[Label of map legend] Map Legend [Bright blue rectangle] Disputed territory [Green rectangle] Newly independent [Blue rectangle] Demilitarized zone [Yellow rectangle] Tornado warning [Dark blue rectangle] Held by rebel forces [Red rectangle] Greater Delaware [Black rectangle] Unexplored
[Caption below panel] Our new country's flag sabotages those maps where geographic areas are colored in with flag patterns.

