Before The Onion, there was Jims Journal. The cult-classic comic strip returns today on GoComics.com, the online comics portal from Universal Uclick.
Scott Dikkers, founding and longtime editor of The Onion, found his first national success with the feature, which ran in more than 200 college newspapers in the 1990s.
The Chicago Tribune called it "fabulous," and described the offbeat strip: "There are no punch lines, no sight gags, just quirky observations and a series of unrelated events." The character was so low-key that when he praised something highly, it was always just "pretty good."
Among the strips continuing fans is Rich Dahm, executive producer and head writer of The Colbert Report. "I like to read Jims Journal every day," he says. "Its pretty good."
Fans loved the daily diary of Jims remarkably quiet college adventures except for those who didnt. At Kansas State University, the comics pre-Seinfeld brand of "humor about nothing" sparked such rage that a "Kill Jim" campaign was launched, including protests and t-shirts. Other colleges loved it so much that students held Jim parties and dressed as the character for Halloween.
Jims Journal initially ran in The Daily Cardinal, a student paper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, starting in 1987. After the creation of The Onion, it appeared there and in six book collections that hit the bestseller list. It was named by Rolling Stoneas one of readers top favorites. Some of the book titles went through five printings, and the treasury edition regularly sells on eBay for prices topping $ 150.
When Dikkers retired the beloved feature in 1997, The Tech, the student paper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted, "When a distant star goes out, it can take many years for its light to stop reaching us."
For many years, Dikkers resisted reviving the Zen-like comic strip, though fans constantly asked him to do so. Ive done so many other things, and I dont usually like to look back, he says. "Its funny. I did The Onion, I made some movies and a ton of viral videos. I started an animation company. But people still come up and say, 'You did 'Jim'? I love 'Jim'!"
The revived feature will make use of the original strips, but will include roughly half all-new material. It begins again as a prequel, with Jim ready to graduate from high school, wondering about his future.
In the end, says Dikkers, he didnt revive the comic strip because of its staunch fan base, though he appreciates the enthusiasm. "People so often told me they thought of Jim as their friend," he says. "Hes my friend, too. And I kind of miss him! I want to see what hes been up to."
Jims Journal returns Monday, April 25, on GoComics.com. For more on Scott Dikkers animation studio, visit http://www.dikkers.com.
Editors: Scott Dikkers is available for interviews. Additional art is also available, including a photo of Dikkers. Additional background at:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-09-26/features/9409260016_1_slacker-comic-strip-funny
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim's_Journal
About Universal Uclick
Universal Uclick is the largest independent syndicate in the world and a leading digital entertainment provider of humor, comic strips, political cartoons, and other content for print, web and mobile devices. Universal Uclick provides editorial development, licensing and other distribution services for iconic brands like Doonesbury, Dear Abby, and some of the most significant comics in history, including Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Garfield, Peanuts, Dilbert, For Better or For Worse, Cathy, and Ziggy as well as recent hits Lio, Cul de Sac and The Argyle Sweater. Effective June 1, 2011 Universal Uclick will assume management of syndication services for United Feature Syndicate which includes the properties Pearls Before Swine, Get Fuzzy, Marmaduke, Frank & Ernest, The Born Loser, Big Nate and Miss Manners, and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) Package.
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