Chasing Dogma
Encyclopedia
Chasing Dogma is a comic
mini-series
that chronicles the events of the two fictional stoners Jay and Silent Bob
between two of their films: Chasing Amy
and Dogma
. The series was written by Kevin Smith
, creator of View Askew Productions
. It was originally published by Oni Press
in four issues as Jay & Silent Bob in 1998 and 1999, and later collected in a trade paperback
by Image Comics
.
marshals, and monkey
s.
) apartment, where they had lived for the previous six months. Jay causes this to happen after he tries to join Tricia in the shower. Unfortunately, this is all seen by a USA Today
reporter, hoping to talk to her about her book, Boregasm.
After getting ejected, Jay and Bob go to and are soon told to leave the Eden Prairie Mall (also from Mallrats), Quick Stop/RST Video (from Clerks
), and Comic Toast (as seen in Mallrats and a cut scene from Chasing Amy). The two, remembering various John Hughes movies, decide to go to Shermer, Illinois, where many of Hughes' movies are set. They get tickets, meet with Holden McNeil (an interaction depicted in the diner scene from Chasing Amy), and travel to Chicago
via bus.
The issue also features various references to the View Askew films:
in its bathroom. Having gotten off in Pittsburgh, the two decide to get a ride to a nearby town. After a near-fatal encounter with Mr. Rogers, Bob decides to get a new hat at a Mooby store. While Jay is waiting, he meets a pornographic actress
. He convinces her that Jay and Bob should be in her current project, Doogie Nights. The two arrive at the set, a local hospital, to find that the director is former Doogie Howser television star Neil Patrick Harris
. Wishing to make a "quasi-indie film", Neil gives Jay the job of fluffer. Jay, being too good at his job, leaves the actor unable to do a scene. Jay and Bob then leave the hospital, unhappy with the gift the porn star gave to him. Meanwhile, wildlife marshal Sam "Big Dog" Gavert starts a full search for the escaped zoo
monkey Suzanne (shown in the closing shot of Mallrats). The monkey actually belongs to Provasic Pharmaceuticals, who are hoping to get their test subject back.
, minus Issue 3.
The two wake up in Indiana to find Suzanne cupping Jay's penis. While Jay rants about how monkeys may eventually destroy humanity and rule the world, Bob ends up bonding with Suzanne. The three of them become hungry, and Jay decides to grab something to eat. Meanwhile, Big Dog and his team of wildlife marshals get a tip that the monkey is at an Indiana
diner. At said diner, Jay, Bob, and Suzanne eat some grub. The wildlife marshals surround the diner and demand the release of Suzanne. Jay, Bob, and Suzanne (disguised as a kid) decide to come out. Big Dog falls for their disguise, until he smells banana
s.
Jay and Bob escape with Suzanne into the sewer
, where they are followed by Big Dog. The four end up at a huge dam
pipe, where Suzanne tricks Big Dog into jumping over into the water. Hearing of Big Dog's fate, the team of marshals leave the trio alone when they emerge from the pipe. Jay and Bob hear that a Dr. Ogee at Provasic is offering a reward
for Suzanne's capture. The two turn Suzanne in, get two bus tickets to Chicago
as compensation and are on the road once again.
High School, where the two crash the Home Economics
classroom and sell some weed to the students. At the school, Jay meets a lesbian
student named Crystal, who sews Jay's catchphrase "Snoogans" onto his hat and explains the fictional status of Shermer. The two rival with the school dealers and end up in a sticky situation. After getting some new clothes, the two talk about going back to Tricia's place, but are distracted by the sounds of the local rock band, Fork'd Tongue. The two praise their playing and Jay buys a shirt from them. After hanging out with the band all night, Jay and Bob eat breakfast at a Mooby's restaurant and decide to stay in Chicago and get laid. They stop by the Planned Parenthood clinic to "meet loose women." After waiting all night, Bob hears something near the parking lot. The two investigate the problem, thus leading into Dogma.
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
that chronicles the events of the two fictional stoners Jay and Silent Bob
Jay and Silent Bob
Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively, in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, a fictional universe created and used in most films, comics and television by Smith, which began in Clerks....
between two of their films: Chasing Amy
Chasing Amy
Chasing Amy is a 1997 romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith. The central tension revolves around sexuality, sexual history, and evolving friendships. It is the third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series....
and Dogma
Dogma (film)
Dogma is a 1999 American adventure fantasy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also stars in the film along with an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Alan Rickman, Bud Cort, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, George Carlin, Janeane Garofalo,...
. The series was written by Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, creator of View Askew Productions
View Askew Productions
View Askew Productions is an American film and television production company founded by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier in 1994. Actors Ben Affleck, Jeff Anderson, Matt Damon, Walter Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Brian O'Halloran and Smith himself are just some of the stars that...
. It was originally published by Oni Press
Oni Press
Oni Press is an American independent comic book publisher based in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1997 by Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack with the goal of publishing the kinds of comics and graphic novels they themselves would want to read...
in four issues as Jay & Silent Bob in 1998 and 1999, and later collected in a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
by Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
.
Plot
Jay and Silent Bob get the idea that if they go to the town of Shermer, Illinois, where most of John Hughes' movies take place, they could get chicks and be the "blunt connection". Along the way they encounter Holden McNeil, wildlifeWildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
marshals, and monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s.
Issue one
In the first issue, Jay and Silent Bob have been evicted from Tricia Jones's ("Trish the Dish," as seen in MallratsMallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
) apartment, where they had lived for the previous six months. Jay causes this to happen after he tries to join Tricia in the shower. Unfortunately, this is all seen by a USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
reporter, hoping to talk to her about her book, Boregasm.
After getting ejected, Jay and Bob go to and are soon told to leave the Eden Prairie Mall (also from Mallrats), Quick Stop/RST Video (from Clerks
Clerks
Clerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...
), and Comic Toast (as seen in Mallrats and a cut scene from Chasing Amy). The two, remembering various John Hughes movies, decide to go to Shermer, Illinois, where many of Hughes' movies are set. They get tickets, meet with Holden McNeil (an interaction depicted in the diner scene from Chasing Amy), and travel to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
via bus.
The issue also features various references to the View Askew films:
- We learn that Willam Black (depicted in the form of Ethan SupleeEthan SupleeEthan Suplee is an American film and television actor best known for his roles as Seth Ryan in American History X, Louie Lastik in Remember the Titans, Frankie in Boy Meets World, Randy Hickey in My Name Is Earl, Thumper in The Butterfly Effect, Dewey in Unstoppable, and his roles in Kevin Smith...
from Mallrats) has yet to see the sailboatSailboatA sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
in the Magic EyeMagic EyeMagic Eye is a series of books published by N.E. Thing Enterprises . The books feature autostereograms , which allow people to see 3D images by focusing on 2D patterns. The viewer must diverge his or her eyes in order to see a hidden three-dimensional image within the pattern...
painting at the Eden Prairie Mall. - Roddy (Svenning's assistant from Mallrats) seems to be working for Channel Surfers at the Eden Prairie Mall.
- While on the bus after they meet with Holden McNeil, Silent Bob is seen reading an issue of Bluntman and Chronic, suggesting he enjoys the comic unlike Jay.
Issue two
The pair are forced to flee the bus to Chicago after smoking a bowlBowl (drug culture)
A bowl, when referred to in drug subculture, can mean three things that differ according to region, context, and personal taste: the indented or 'bowl-shaped' part of a smoking instrument, a pipe used for smoking non-tobacco products, the quantity of material required to fill a smoking...
in its bathroom. Having gotten off in Pittsburgh, the two decide to get a ride to a nearby town. After a near-fatal encounter with Mr. Rogers, Bob decides to get a new hat at a Mooby store. While Jay is waiting, he meets a pornographic actress
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
. He convinces her that Jay and Bob should be in her current project, Doogie Nights. The two arrive at the set, a local hospital, to find that the director is former Doogie Howser television star Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
. Wishing to make a "quasi-indie film", Neil gives Jay the job of fluffer. Jay, being too good at his job, leaves the actor unable to do a scene. Jay and Bob then leave the hospital, unhappy with the gift the porn star gave to him. Meanwhile, wildlife marshal Sam "Big Dog" Gavert starts a full search for the escaped zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
monkey Suzanne (shown in the closing shot of Mallrats). The monkey actually belongs to Provasic Pharmaceuticals, who are hoping to get their test subject back.
- While waiting for Bob to get a new hat, Jay reads Bluntman and ChronicBluntman and ChronicBluntman and Chronic are characters appearing in an fictional eponymous comic book series seen in the movies Chasing Amy and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Actual Bluntman and Chronic comic books based on the fictional movie comic book series were published after the release of Jay and Silent Bob...
#2.
Issue three
Because a slightly modified adaptation of this issue was written into the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back this issue should be considered apocryphal. Chasing Dogma remains in canonCanon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, minus Issue 3.
The two wake up in Indiana to find Suzanne cupping Jay's penis. While Jay rants about how monkeys may eventually destroy humanity and rule the world, Bob ends up bonding with Suzanne. The three of them become hungry, and Jay decides to grab something to eat. Meanwhile, Big Dog and his team of wildlife marshals get a tip that the monkey is at an Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
diner. At said diner, Jay, Bob, and Suzanne eat some grub. The wildlife marshals surround the diner and demand the release of Suzanne. Jay, Bob, and Suzanne (disguised as a kid) decide to come out. Big Dog falls for their disguise, until he smells banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s.
Jay and Bob escape with Suzanne into the sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
, where they are followed by Big Dog. The four end up at a huge dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
pipe, where Suzanne tricks Big Dog into jumping over into the water. Hearing of Big Dog's fate, the team of marshals leave the trio alone when they emerge from the pipe. Jay and Bob hear that a Dr. Ogee at Provasic is offering a reward
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
for Suzanne's capture. The two turn Suzanne in, get two bus tickets to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
as compensation and are on the road once again.
Issue four
The duo finally arrive in Chicago and enlist a cab to drive them to Shermer, Illinois. They end up at McHenryMcHenry, Illinois
McHenry is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. In 2005, its population was estimated to be 24,631. McHenry was at one time the county seat of McHenry County...
High School, where the two crash the Home Economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
classroom and sell some weed to the students. At the school, Jay meets a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
student named Crystal, who sews Jay's catchphrase "Snoogans" onto his hat and explains the fictional status of Shermer. The two rival with the school dealers and end up in a sticky situation. After getting some new clothes, the two talk about going back to Tricia's place, but are distracted by the sounds of the local rock band, Fork'd Tongue. The two praise their playing and Jay buys a shirt from them. After hanging out with the band all night, Jay and Bob eat breakfast at a Mooby's restaurant and decide to stay in Chicago and get laid. They stop by the Planned Parenthood clinic to "meet loose women." After waiting all night, Bob hears something near the parking lot. The two investigate the problem, thus leading into Dogma.
Collected editions
The series was collected into a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Chasing Dogma (120 pages, Titan BooksTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, April 2000, ISBN 1840231688, Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, July 2001, ISBN 158240206X)