Creator Spotlight: Jhonen Vasquez

Knowledge of the alternative/underground lifestyle would not be complete without mentioning Jhonen Vasquez. Creator of comics like Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Squee as well as the animated series Invader Zim. Some of you may remember the show from when you were kids and watched Nickelodeon. Unfortunately, due to arguments between Vasquez and the producers of the T.V. station, Invader Zim was canceled after only one season. The repeats of the show are still viewing on the Nicktoons channel. Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (JTHM for short) is an older comic series that is still highly popular. Johnny, the main character, is your typical brooding goth who hates people and is under the impression that there is a monster living behind the wall of his house. In order to placate this monster he must continually paint the wall with blood. In the end it turns out that this isn't just some crazy hallucination. Squee, on the other hand, is a young kid who originates in the JTHM series. His parents generally ignore him and the only person who looks out for him at all is Johnny, even though he's is scared of Johnny beyond all belief. I would highly recommend taking a look at all three of Vasquez's creations. While some bits of them might be off-the-wall and gross, there's plenty of entertainment to be found in their oddities and there's a surprising amount of wit in JTHM for a comic about a psychopathic young adult.