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Jack (comic)
Encyclopedia
Jack is a furry
webcomic
by David Hopkins
. It is set in a world
populated by anthropomorphic
animals.
Jack focuses on its title character, a wizened green rabbit
who lives in Hell. He is the embodiment of the deadly sin
wrath
, whose punishment is being the Grim Reaper
. In life, the unfairness of some deaths, particularly towards the ones he loved, made him angry. In his position as Grim Reaper, he now has to witness more death, the cause of his wrath. Jack attempts to remember the sins he did in life in order to be forgiven for them. This is hard for him as his other punishment is having no memory of his life on Earth.
Jack was joint winner for the "Best Dramatic Comic" award at the Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards in 2004.
, rape
, murder
, suicide
, bereavement
and redemption. The comic is divided into a number of arcs (subplot
s) of varying length. Artwork style and presence of color differ from arc to arc. Arcs take place on Hell
, Earth, Heaven
and Purgatory
. Arcs set on Earth take place during different, not always consecutive, time periods. In Heaven and Hell there is no concept of time. The eyes of characters symbolize their status in the Jack universe: sins have no pupils; living souls and angels have full pupils; the souls of deceased persons have "pin-prick" eyes as long as they do not recognize their sins.
Jack is based on Christian tradition, but the world and its rules are inconsistent with typical Christian views
. The angels are the forces of good, and the sins are evil personified. Many of Hell's denizens enjoy inflicting pain on one another. However, there is confusion at times, with people who were good in life end up going to Hell. The unfairness of the fates of many of these people, and the observations of Jack on the unfairness of life, are central themes to the comic.
The comic has since made references to other comics in the furry fandom, including guest art from furry fandom such as Albert Temple and Candy Dewalt, and also appears in other furry webcomics such as A Doemain of Our Own and Gene Catlow.
Jack
Fnar
Drip Tiberius Rat
Farrago
Central
Others
Currently, there have been four comic book
s containing collections of Jack comics (also referred to as the "dead tree versions") have been published by Furnation Multimedia. These include bonus story arcs not available online
. There are also comic books by Hopkins and guest writers set in the same universe
as Jack. These are Cliff (2 issues) and Long Island (1 issue). The former is a joint project with Roz Gibson, the latter is with Katie Hopkins. There is a fan-made freeware
platform game
based on Jack.
) at the Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards in 2004. It was also nominated in 2002, 2003, and 2005. In the same ceremony, it was nominated for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic" in 2002 and 2003. It was also nominated for "Best Environment Design" in 2003 and "Best Story Concept" in 2005. Jack was nominated for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book or Strip" at the Ursa Major Awards for 2001 and 2003, and as "Best Graphic Story" for 2009.
Furry fandom
Furry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes...
webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
by David Hopkins
David Hopkins (comic artist)
David Hopkins is a webcomic artist who works in the realm of furry cartoon comics and webcomics. He has created several independent storylines, some of which he has stated he plans to integrate some time in the future.- The Artist :...
. It is set in a world
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
populated by anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
animals.
Jack focuses on its title character, a wizened green rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
who lives in Hell. He is the embodiment of the deadly sin
Seven deadly sins
The 7 Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of objectionable vices that have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin...
wrath
Anger
Anger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
, whose punishment is being the Grim Reaper
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
. In life, the unfairness of some deaths, particularly towards the ones he loved, made him angry. In his position as Grim Reaper, he now has to witness more death, the cause of his wrath. Jack attempts to remember the sins he did in life in order to be forgiven for them. This is hard for him as his other punishment is having no memory of his life on Earth.
Jack was joint winner for the "Best Dramatic Comic" award at the Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards in 2004.
Overview
Jack covers subjects related to the attitude persons can exhibit in life, as well as its consequences to them and to the people around them. Frequent features are diseaseDisease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, bereavement
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
and redemption. The comic is divided into a number of arcs (subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
s) of varying length. Artwork style and presence of color differ from arc to arc. Arcs take place on Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, Earth, Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and Purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
. Arcs set on Earth take place during different, not always consecutive, time periods. In Heaven and Hell there is no concept of time. The eyes of characters symbolize their status in the Jack universe: sins have no pupils; living souls and angels have full pupils; the souls of deceased persons have "pin-prick" eyes as long as they do not recognize their sins.
Jack is based on Christian tradition, but the world and its rules are inconsistent with typical Christian views
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. The angels are the forces of good, and the sins are evil personified. Many of Hell's denizens enjoy inflicting pain on one another. However, there is confusion at times, with people who were good in life end up going to Hell. The unfairness of the fates of many of these people, and the observations of Jack on the unfairness of life, are central themes to the comic.
History
David Hopkins, a minor furry comic artist, previously created comics such as Rework the Dead. After creating a comic entitled "Trixi and Tet" (which later became the third story "Arc" of Jack), his then girlfriend (and later wife) Katie suggested that he should break out to a bigger audience. Initially hesitant as he was used to a smaller audience, he then expanded. After "Trixi and Tet" was published, he had around 5,000 readers. Jack has four published comics books, spin-off comic books, and a growing fan base.The comic has since made references to other comics in the furry fandom, including guest art from furry fandom such as Albert Temple and Candy Dewalt, and also appears in other furry webcomics such as A Doemain of Our Own and Gene Catlow.
Characters
- The embodiment of wrath, Jack is a wizened green rabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
, wearing a ragged, brown cloakCloakA cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...
and carrying a scytheScytheA scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
. His job is to collect the soulSoulA soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
s of the dead and lead them to their final judgmentDivine JudgmentDivine judgment means the judgment of God or other supreme beings within a religion. The concept is prominent in Abrahamic religions, most significantly in the Last judgment.-Objective and subjective judgment:...
as the Grim ReaperDeath (personification)The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
. The plot revolves around his attempts to recollect the sins he committed during his life, which have been removed from his memory as part of his punishment. Due to his lack of memory, little of his life on Earth is known, but he does remember parts when angels from Heaven allow him to. It is known he was created by humans as part of an experiment, and his anger was triggered by the death of another similar experiment called "Jill". He was born without genitalia for fear that he would reproduce. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that most of the embodiment of his sins are related to the falling out of mankind sometime between Jill's death and the beginning of the comic, possibly through direct killing, by way of incurring the "wrath" of Jack.
Fnar
- Fnar, who died while still in utero, appears as a child dressed in a blue and green sailor suitSailor suitA sailor suit is a uniform traditionally worn by enlisted seamen in the navy, and other government funded sea services. It later developed in to a popular clothing style for children....
. He is missing his nose, because when his form in hell was being created, a crow tore it off. Although Fnar died without sin, he was sent to Hell, primarily to keep him close to his mother. Curious, trusting, and always smiling, Fnar is unaffected by the horrors of HellHellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
because he died innocent and ignorantVincible ignoranceVincible ignorance is, in Catholic ethics, a moral or doctrinal matter that could have been removed by diligence reasonable to the circumstances. It contrasts with invincible ignorance, which can not be removed at all, or only by supererogatory efforts Vincible ignorance is, in Catholic ethics, a...
. He spends much of his time exploring Hell's riotous and fascinating landscape, while occasionally providing companionship to the reaper, Jack, or reuniting with his Hell-bound mother. His name is an acronym for "For No Apparent Reason".
Drip Tiberius Rat
- The embodiment of lustLustLust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
, Drip is a monstrous blue ratRatRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
with distinct, black scars around both eyes. In life, Drip was a serial rapistRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and murderer. In death, Drip perpetuates these sins and shows no regard for his own redemption, making him a terrific threat to anyone who ventures too near. Jack, in particular, is tormented regularly by Drip. As part of his punishment, Drip is unable to feel any sort of gratification for his sins in Hell. Drip appears in other projects by Hopkins and functions as his nickname.
Farrago
- A young angelAngelAngels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
who often struggles to make sense of the politics of Heaven and Hell. She is portrayed as a ferretFerretThe ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...
with bloody stumps protruding from her back, suggesting that her wings have been violently removed (she "earns" their regrowth later following a battle in which she helped Jack). A sympathetic character, Farrago develops an affinity for Jack upon their first meeting. She and Jack collaborate against injustices on numerous occasions.
Central
- A senior angelAngelAngels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
who adheres strictly to God's rule. A hybrid, her breed has been described as a "Hodge-Podge." It was revealed that Central and Jack were close during life but currently have a difficult relationship. Although Central outwardly expresses a disdain for the reaper, she is, by nature, deeply dedicated to his redemption. She often struggles with her conflicting feelings for him.
Others
- Other characters include the other five sins, Vince Van Morrison (Greed), Dr. Kane (EnvyEnvyEnvy is best defined as a resentful emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."...
), Bob and Lisa Vorsh (GluttonyGluttonyGluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste...
), Emily (PridePridePride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
) and the unnamed Sloth (SlothSloth (deadly sin)In the Christian moral tradition, sloth is one of the seven capital sins, often called the seven deadly sins; these sins are called sins because they supposedly destroy the charity in a person's heart and thus may lead to eternal death.-Definition:Sloth is defined as spiritual or emotional...
). There are also denizens of Hell, Heaven, Purgatory, and characters living on Earth.
Merchandise
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...
s containing collections of Jack comics (also referred to as the "dead tree versions") have been published by Furnation Multimedia. These include bonus story arcs not available online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
. There are also comic books by Hopkins and guest writers set in the same universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
as Jack. These are Cliff (2 issues) and Long Island (1 issue). The former is a joint project with Roz Gibson, the latter is with Katie Hopkins. There is a fan-made freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
based on Jack.
| Name | Published | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Jack: Issue #01 | September 2004 | 32 |
| Jack: Issue #02 | October 2005 | 32 |
| Jack: Issue #03 | May 2006 | 32 |
| Jack: Issue #04 | June 2007 | 36 |
| Cliff: Issue #01 | January 2005 | 32 |
| Cliff: Issue #02 | October 2005 | 32 |
| Long Island: Issue #01 | May 2006 | 32 |
Awards
Jack was joint winner of "Best Dramatic Comic" (alongside Demonology 101Demonology 101
Demonology 101 is an online graphic novel written and drawn by Faith Erin Hicks from August 1999 to June 2004.It tells the story of Raven, a 16-year-old demon being raised by a human in ordinary human society...
) at the Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards in 2004. It was also nominated in 2002, 2003, and 2005. In the same ceremony, it was nominated for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic" in 2002 and 2003. It was also nominated for "Best Environment Design" in 2003 and "Best Story Concept" in 2005. Jack was nominated for "Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book or Strip" at the Ursa Major Awards for 2001 and 2003, and as "Best Graphic Story" for 2009.
External links
- Jack
- Furplanet - Publishers of Jack comic books
- Jack Wiki
- Review of Jack, September 2009
- Jack in Russian