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Summary: Jim is an existential everyman
Review: Even though "Jim's Journal" is written by Scott Dikkers, editor-in-chief of "The Onion," it has none of the nasty wit of that publication. There's nothing nasty about Jim at all, and some would argue that there's no wit involved, either. It's a bunch of comic strips that, as often as not, don't contain any sort of punchline, but just read like snippets from the journal of one person's uneventful life. That might sound boring, but it's strangely engrossing and comforting to read. Jim's a nice guy who coasts through life seemingly oblivious to the world around him, and getting into his head through "Jim's Journal" is an excellent escape from reality. Words can't do it justice- you have to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Always puts a smile on my face - like Ruth!!
Review: I find this comic strip absolutely hilarious, as well as charming, poignant, life-like, and sometimes a little melancholy. College students will relate to many of Jim's mundane life experiences, but so will many others simply growing up and living day to day. Jim himself is definitely an observant little fellow, who quietly finds humor in the cliched, sometimes obnoxious sentences his surrounding workmates and friends constantly spew out: it's these moments within the strip where I can't stop laughing. Mostly, though, Jim relates more sober moments about walks, work, eating, his cat, daydreaming, sleeping, and the life and times of his handful of friends. Jim is just a normal guy who probably unconsciously holds back his real emotions in his journal, with the result that the other characters come across much clearer. Speaking of Jim's "handful of friends," here they are:Tony: the funniest dude in the strip. Where Jim is quiet, Tony is louder and more obnoxous; where Jim simply observes life passively, this guy has an opinion about everything, and is sure to tell anyone within his path how he feels. Tony is famous for going through phases and boasting about how smart he is (drinking 6 glasses of water a day; collecting coupons to save money; attempting jobs to conquer the world, etc., etc.). Steve: this guy also has his funny moments; he's kind of like a much less aggressive Tony, perhaps somewhere inbetween Jim and Tony in terms of personality. He has academic problems at first, but seems to eventually find his niche. Ruth: Jim meets Ruth at McDonalds, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ruth is cheery, fun-loving, somewhat non-descript, and sort of in the background most of the time, even when she's hanging around with the rest of the crew. Also of note is Mark, Joel, Julie and Hal, all workmates of Jim, and all very distinct personalities. It's hard to say who would latch onto Jim's Journal and who wouldn't, but I know I liked it from the very beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Someone Like You
Review: Who is Jim? For ten years, readers of selected daily newspapers wondered that same thing. Even more, though, they wondered, "Why is Jim?" "Jim's Journal" was a ten-year-running comic strip which revolved around some average guy living an average life. He had average friends, worked average jobs, and did pretty much less than you or I do on your slowest day. Only, Jim kept a journal, where he would write all about what he did. "I made some brownies today," he would write. "They were pretty good." "Mr. Peterson [Jim's cat] ran into the other room," would be another typical entry. "Today, I took a nap. I woke up at 6 o'clock and wondered whether it was day or night." And those were the punchlines. There were no jokes to speak of. Only snippets of a boring day. However, there was something redeemable about Jim... He was the pinnacle of Anti-Humor! He wasn't funny, he did nothing remarkable from day to day (although he did get married, in a three-strip special entry)... and yet, this collected edition of all the published "Jim's Journal" cartoons is tremendously difficult to find without paying a premium price, even though it is less than 10 years old! Readers fall in love with Jim, despite himself.
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