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Jhonen Vasquez
This name may sound very unfamiliar, but you probably know one of his works: Invader Zim. The prime reason for Invader Zim's cancellation was that it was downright too dark for Nickelodeon. But those who watched it knew it's extreme comedic brilliance.
Most people don't know that before creating Invader Zim, Jhonen Vasquez wrote several comic book series. These comic books are the exact same kind of humor as Invader Zim, but more dark, more twisted, and more hilarious by tenfold.
His main work is Johnny The Homicidal Maniac. The story revolves around Johnny(nicknamed Nny), a serial killer who kills almost anyone he comes in contact with. It is the center point of all of his stories. Branching from it are I Feel Sick, the story of JTHM from the point of view of one of the only people to escape from Nny, Devi. Also branching from JTHM is Squee!, the story of Nny's next door neighbor Todd who is nicknamed Squee by his inattentive parents who can't remember his real name. Dispersed throughout these series are short comics that deviate from the main story, "Meanwhile..." "Happy Noodle Boy" and "Fillerbunny" just to name a few.
I recommend Squee! as a first read to anyone wanting to check out Vasquez's work. Although you might not understand some references to past works, it is the lightest and most accessible of Vasquez comics.
You can find compilation books of both Squee! and JTHM on Amazon for $10-$15. The remaining comics can be ordered from Slave Labor Graphics, but these two books cover the majority of his work.
In conclusion, these books are hilarious and I recommend them to all who like satirical black comedy.
Most people don't know that before creating Invader Zim, Jhonen Vasquez wrote several comic book series. These comic books are the exact same kind of humor as Invader Zim, but more dark, more twisted, and more hilarious by tenfold.
His main work is Johnny The Homicidal Maniac. The story revolves around Johnny(nicknamed Nny), a serial killer who kills almost anyone he comes in contact with. It is the center point of all of his stories. Branching from it are I Feel Sick, the story of JTHM from the point of view of one of the only people to escape from Nny, Devi. Also branching from JTHM is Squee!, the story of Nny's next door neighbor Todd who is nicknamed Squee by his inattentive parents who can't remember his real name. Dispersed throughout these series are short comics that deviate from the main story, "Meanwhile..." "Happy Noodle Boy" and "Fillerbunny" just to name a few.
I recommend Squee! as a first read to anyone wanting to check out Vasquez's work. Although you might not understand some references to past works, it is the lightest and most accessible of Vasquez comics.
You can find compilation books of both Squee! and JTHM on Amazon for $10-$15. The remaining comics can be ordered from Slave Labor Graphics, but these two books cover the majority of his work.
In conclusion, these books are hilarious and I recommend them to all who like satirical black comedy.
Comments
He does, however, do a blog that is occasionally funny.
That's like saying that I was unfamiliar with breathing.
I own most of his works.
When I was younger, I watched some Zim, and it was pretty great (I mean, c'mon! Elementary school kids got both their eyes AND internal organs ripped out).
Anyway, after seeing the show, I bought most of his comics (yes, even the shit-tastic BAC). I Feel Sick is by far the best of his works, but Squee still rocks. Nevertheless, we can never forget the awesomeness of the source of Jhonen's greatness: Johnny. Aw god, I've read the DX so many times.
Jhonen Vasquez is so great.
What I really like are all the references that only a real nerd will get...
I love his references to other great works, such as Battle Royale, the Fly, Little Shop of Horrors, etc. and how other awesome people have referenced him, like MC Frontalot, the writers of The Simpsons, etc.
He once said he was going to start a four issue long comic series called "Saturday Morning Nightmare," but that never saw the light of day.