#the following block is used to install the fonts:

#install.packages('xkcd')
# download.file("http://simonsoftware.se/other/xkcd.ttf", dest="xkcd.ttf", mode="wb")
# system("mkdir ~/Library/Fonts/")
# system("cp xkcd.ttf  ~/Library/Fonts/")
# font_import(pattern = "[X/x]kcd", prompt=FALSE)
# fonts()
# fonttable()
# if(.Platform$OS.type != "unix") {
#   ## Register fonts for Windows bitmap output
#   loadfonts(device="win")
# } else {
#   loadfonts()
# }

The trickiest part is getting the xkcd font downloaded and put in the right directory. Once you have that figured out the plot is very straightforward:

#dataframe:
df <- data.frame(c(2,3,4,16,32,64,128,356,0,0,0,0,0),c(10,9,8,7,6,5,4,1.25,1.21,1.20,1.19,1.1,1))
colnames(df) <- c('proj','days')

library(xkcd)
library(ggplot2)
library(extrafont)

# here's just the plot:
xrange <- range(df$days)
yrange <- range(df$proj)
set.seed(123) # for reproducibility
p <- ggplot() + geom_smooth(aes(days, proj), data=df, method = 'loess',se=F) + xkcdaxis(xrange,yrange) +
  xlab('Days til deadline') +
  ylab('Time spent on this silly plots') +
  geom_vline(xintercept = 2,colour = "red") +
  annotate("text", 3.0, 250, label = "Crisis Point",colour = "red",family='xkcd') +
  scale_x_reverse()
p

You can also include stickfigures! They are a bit tought to draw though. I recommend experimenting with the angles until you get it right. The vignettes do a good job of explaining how the different parameters map.

#this block makes the stick figure:
#play around with the angles to see how they change the drawing:
mapping <- aes(x, y, scale, ratioxy, angleofspine,
               anglerighthumerus, anglelefthumerus,
               anglerightradius, angleleftradius,
               anglerightleg, angleleftleg, angleofneck)
ratioxy <- diff(xrange) / diff(yrange)
dataman <- data.frame( x= c(8), y=c(250),
                       scale = 75 ,
                       ratioxy = ratioxy,
                       angleofspine =  -pi/2  ,
                       anglerighthumerus = c(-pi/6),
                       anglelefthumerus = c(-pi/2 - pi/6),
                       anglerightradius = c(pi*1.25),
                       angleleftradius = c(pi*1.25),
                       angleleftleg = 3*pi/2  + pi / 12 ,
                       anglerightleg = 3*pi/2  - pi / 12,
                       angleofneck = runif(1, 3*pi/2-pi/10, 3*pi/2+pi/10))
datalines <- data.frame(xbegin=c(7),ybegin=c(250),
                        xend=c(6.5), yend=c(300))

# plot out the first plot with the stick figure:
p <- ggplot() + geom_smooth(aes(days, proj), data=df, method = 'loess',se=F) + xkcdaxis(xrange,yrange) +
  xlab('Days til deadline') +
  ylab('Time spent on silly plots') +
  geom_vline(xintercept = 2,colour = "red") +
  annotate("text", 3.0, 250, label = "Crisis Point",colour = "red",family='xkcd') +
  scale_x_reverse() +
  xkcdman(mapping, dataman) +
  annotate("text", x=6, y = 320,
           label = "I think I have a problem...", family="xkcd" ) +
  xkcdline(aes(xbegin=xbegin,ybegin=ybegin,xend=xend,yend=yend),datalines, xjitteramount = 0.12)
p

Fun. Can’t wait to see one in someone’s dissertation seminar!

sessionInfo()

## R version 3.3.0 (2016-05-03)
## Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin13.4.0 (64-bit)
## Running under: OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)
## 
## locale:
## [1] en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/C/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8
## 
## attached base packages:
## [1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base     
## 
## other attached packages:
## [1] xkcd_0.0.5     extrafont_0.17 ggplot2_2.2.1 
## 
## loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
##  [1] Rcpp_0.12.14        bindr_0.1           RColorBrewer_1.1-2 
##  [4] plyr_1.8.4          base64enc_0.1-3     tools_3.3.0        
##  [7] rpart_4.1-11        digest_0.6.13       checkmate_1.8.5    
## [10] htmlTable_1.11.0    evaluate_0.10.1     tibble_1.3.4       
## [13] gtable_0.2.0        lattice_0.20-35     pkgconfig_2.0.1    
## [16] rlang_0.1.4         Matrix_1.2-12       rstudioapi_0.7     
## [19] yaml_2.1.16         bindrcpp_0.2        gridExtra_2.3      
## [22] Rttf2pt1_1.3.5      dplyr_0.7.4         stringr_1.2.0      
## [25] knitr_1.17          cluster_2.0.6       htmlwidgets_0.9    
## [28] rprojroot_1.3-1     grid_3.3.0          nnet_7.3-12        
## [31] data.table_1.10.4-3 glue_1.2.0          R6_2.2.2           
## [34] survival_2.41-3     foreign_0.8-69      rmarkdown_1.8      
## [37] latticeExtra_0.6-28 Formula_1.2-2       purrr_0.2.4        
## [40] tidyr_0.7.2         extrafontdb_1.0     magrittr_1.5       
## [43] backports_1.1.2     scales_0.5.0        Hmisc_4.0-3        
## [46] htmltools_0.3.6     splines_3.3.0       assertthat_0.2.0   
## [49] colorspace_1.3-2    labeling_0.3        stringi_1.1.6      
## [52] acepack_1.4.1       lazyeval_0.2.1      munsell_0.4.3