Some people seemed interested in my timeline for Sam and Max so here we go!!!
First off this all purely based on my head cannons and warning my mind goes like a billion miles per hour so this will be very messy and jump to random topics without notice.
Also spoiler alert for all Sam and Max media.
So for basics I have the timeline as the following from first to current time:
Comic series: late 80s early 90s
Hit the road: same as comic
Tell tale games: mid 90s
Sam and Max show: late 90s to early 00s
This time it's virtual: mid 00s (LET ME EXPLAIN)
Now technically there is official dates of these games or giveaways ( season 2's to machine crap that gave us actual years and the show having distinctly 90s tech plus slang/celebrities and modern day technology from this time its virtual (which i will be calling TTIV for short) )
But at the same time I don't care as my timeline makes more sense character wise and secondly it been confirmed that the time can be altered by the president so that 2007 calendar isn't even set in stone besides anything can happen in the Sam and Max universe, maybe the 90s have smart phones already idgaf.
Now that that's cleared, we have why I choose those times in those places.
It think the comics and hit the road are taking place around the same time and I consider them timeless, but for a actual year I'd say late 80s early 90s (like in real life). Sam and Max aren't depicted as young per say but the other media has them more mature in my mind. Also because it's their debeaut and first media so Its safe to consider them younger (PS I HAVEN'T COMPLETED ALL COMICS SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT)
Next up is the tell tale games. Now these games can take place whenever but they are chronological in-between games (the events of season 2 take place directly after season 1 and so forth) Now this is the real take. As shown earlier, I truly believe that Sam and Max in the tell tale games are younger here than in the show.
Tell tale Sam (who I will be calling T!Sam for short) is definitely slightly different than the rest of the Sam's. He is more timid and insecure about himself. Yes comic Sam is a bit of a jerk and also slightly self conscious, but T!Sam is the most here. He constantly states his body image issues for being FAT and his constant dread that Max will eventually leave him. It actually pretty dark for a comedy series....
Anyways point is he is the most insecure one yet he also seems more mature than comic Sam. Yes he's less goofy and even at times shuts down Max's shenanigans whereas in the comic and show he plays along more but it's because he means more business in the games. He actually solves the puzzles and is highkey intellectual in the games compared to the clues or answers just dropping into him like in the other medias.
And yes I'm aware of that really stupid late 90s and early 2000s movement to make all entertainment "mature" and "dark" and shi cuz we ain't babies or whatever, so T!Sam a biproduct to that.
Anyways, my point being that while he's more pathetic he's also more smart compared to the comic, like as if he's growing up. And that's why I put the comic/htr in the same time behind the tell tale games.
For anyone who's wondering about Max, he's strangely, for the most part, the same in all media. Sam has the most noticeable changes which is why I'm talking about him more (also cuz he's my fav of the 2). Max does have some change in the games, he's more "nonchalant" and has that Idgaf about anything or anyone I'm so freaking gay lol tsudere type character. It's not as noticeable when you first see it until you compare him to the comics and games to his show. counterpart, who is a total sweetie btw guys.
Now don't worry I will get into his development more right now.
So far I've forgotten to mention their ages so let me do that to change things up real quick.
So I said that I headcannon them in their mid to late 30s in the tell tale games, which is because that's the youngest they can be due to save the world (the first game tell tale game) to have Max and Sam running for president (in America you have to be at least 35 to run for president) and considering they both had the opportunity they had to be at least 35 in the tell tale games.
I see them in their early 30s in the comics/ htr media as well as they are younger there in this timeline just cause it feels right.
And then I see them in their early to mid 40s in the show and TTIV. I won't get into the juicy details cuz that's for the paragraph about it but basically they act more mature and like Fathers the most so I see a good age to be a father as 40s (that's a personal thing cuz my father was in his late 30s when he had to take care of me)
Then back to the timeline. So I see them the oldest And most up to date in the show and TTIV, why?
Well to be honest, all of the mentioned problems are gone, and in short, they seem like a family that settled down and keep their lives more cheerful.
In the show, Sam and Max are very kind to each other, messing around, playing along, and they take nothing serious. They never did take anything seriously but now instead of making fun of it they laugh at it and embrace its silliness. I'm not sure if I'm making this make sense but the best explanation is that if a man was trying to rob them it would have different results depending on which version.
Comic SnM would crack a one liner and beat him up while talking about the weather
T!SnM would crack a joke then just maul the guy to death (if they could)
Show SnM would invite the guy over for tea then have a dance party as he begs for help
They are still inconvenient and treat the world like their playground, but they are much more peaceful in the show. They seem to almost be taking things slow or less dangerous (which is funny because it's at times more dangerous stuff than in the other media) but it seems sadder when we put it that way because of the events of 305. Sam has delt with the death of Max, and while he was lucky to get him back (not rlly it's just another Max from another timeline which means he will never see his Max ever again) he won't be next time, and Max is aware as well. I think the devils playhouse in general has made them more appreciative and protective of each other, they seemed more affectionate and dependable on one another from the near and real end to some. The development makes more sense if all of that happens before the show and causes them to become kinder.
Once again the show has many times where they get really protective of each other and yes the comic has the same plots and lines as the show, they seem more genuine in the show. In Max's big day, Sam nearly slimes out the mole tribe the moment he thinks they harmed him or in the friend for life he get very pissed that Max almost got crushed by the crate even throwing the thespian off the building (even if he knew there was a trampoline underneath he still was very much out for blood) and in the time travel episode Max gets very anxious and scared when he realizes Sam is gone and he doesn't even remember him.Max escapes from the lab and outruns the cops and even goes up against a giant octopus just for.Sam to remember. (Once again the games and comic have this as well but never as extreme as in the show (except season 3))
They seem more older and tired of some things they wouldn't be tired of basically type shii
They also are more fatherly (John, geek, the problem with Gary show that) in the show, and while the comics and the games had Sam Jr. They have the most fatherness in the show/TTIV
Which btw for anyone who hasn't played it or seen it (Ari which btw if you're hear and have read all the way to now get the fuck out of this post I told you this was spoilers and if you don't care..... Omg hiii and wow you read of all this... If you say the phrase "sigmas of a feather goon together" tomorrow at school I will buy you lunch)
The whole games premise is SnM are teaching a person they call lumpy (it's just a nickname for you, yes YOU) how to become a freaklance police, but in reality they highkey just adopt you twin and act like fathers the whole time and making jokes and references to their adventures from before, which I forgot to mention.
TTIV is cannonically the last and most current media as many events after all media is referenced, so it had to be last both character wise and lore wise.
Anyways that's pretty much my timeline, if anyone wants to discuss about it or play the devil's advocate and say that actually my timeline is shit I'm all ears twin. It's be nice to have someone to talk about SnM other than Ari or my brother mar...... They've heard far too much.
Anyways bye!!!
