Jack (webcomic)
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| Jack | |
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 The JACK Logo |
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| Author(s) | David Hopkins |
| Website | http://www.pholph.com/ |
| Update schedule | Updates thrice weekly, typically on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. |
Jack is a furry webcomic by David Hopkins, began in March of 2001. It is divided into a number of arcs (subplots) that last from 5 to over 50 pages. It updates thrice weekly, typically on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It is in both black & white and color, depending on the story arc. It is written as a Bangsian fantasy. There are also two books compilations of Jack, with a third soon to be published.
Contents
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[edit] Characters
Although Jack has a number of recurring characters, the focus of the comic is very strongly on its subplots. Hence, Jack and the other main characters are usually secondary characters within these.
[edit] Sins
- Jack
- Represents the sin of Wrath. The main character, it is his job to collect the souls of the dead and lead them to their final judgment as the Grim Reaper. He does not enjoy this duty, but it is apparently part of his punishment for sins committed while he was a living being. Little of his past is known, as forgetting his past life is also part of Jack's punishment in Hell. Though he has stated he is blessed to not remember his life, he has sought out the help of the angel Farrago in restoring his memories. The only sin who follows the rules, he is also the only sin on reasonably friendly terms with the angels of heaven, which changes for better or worse through events that happen throughout the comic. He is portrayed as a wizened green rabbit, wearing a ragged, brown cloak and most often seen carrying a scythe.
- Drip Tiberus Rat
- Represents the sin of Lust. Depicted as a monstrous blue rat with distinctive black eye markings. In life he was a rapist and murderer. His punishment in Hell is that though he can reenact his sins in life in Hell, he cannot feel any pleasure from what he does, unless those he has sex with give themselves to him. This is augmented by the fact that he can remember perfectly everything in his life, with special clarity around the memories of his rapings. This does not stop him from terrorizing a number of Hell's denizens however. Drip and Jack get along poorly.
- Vince van Morrison
- Represents the sin of Greed. In life, Vince founded a destructive cult in order to satisfy his greed for power. Raising a small army, he conquered countries, forcing the citizens either to join his cult or be killed. But he grew too greedy, demanding sacrifices and the right to decide about everything, including the life or death of his followers. He made many enemies, and was eventually assassinated. Arriving in Hell, he met some of his former followers, who then put out his eyes, cut off his nose and genitals and then set him on fire. He "survived", now a bloated and scarred image of his former self, and started a new cult in Hell, based on slaughter and sacrifice, claiming this would appease God and allow his followers to enter Heaven - but of course it was only another way for him to get followers and thus power. Kane and Vince despise each other, as both compete for power in and over Hell. Although most Sins seem to be able to respawn, it appears that Vince's post-death injuries are permanent. Along with his thousands of fanatically loyal followers, Vince also commands an army of demonic creatures and large dinosaur-like beings called "Supernaughts".
- Dr. Kane
- Represents the sin of Envy. He and Jack are the two most ancient of the Sins, and lived at the same time and were at the least tangentially aware of one another. For a very long time, Kane is only seen as a strange silhouetted creature. However, at the end of the "Frightened Virgil" story arc, he emerges from the shadows and shows himself to be human, a race apparently extinct in the modern "Jack" world, though time does not seem to run in a totally linear fashion in the afterlife. He commands an army of "Rework" zombies, and has expressed a great deal of interest in the angel Farrago for unknown reasons. He is the only sin shown to be actively plotting against the powers of heaven and anyone who is sided with them, though what he is plotting is still largely a mystery. He often uses those sins who have little power in hell as his pawns. Strangely, Kane seems to know and be a match for Reckonin, the Angel of God's Fury.
- Bob Vorsh and Lisa Svaloe-Vorsh
- Collectively, they represent the sin of Gluttony. Cannibals in life, their punishment in hell is that, though they can devour their fellow denizens of the netherworld, their hunger can never be sated for long. To make their torment worse, everything in Hell has a strong sulfur taste. Though the two were apparently lovers in life, their relationship is often a raucous one, and both have cheated on the other and possibly have been responsible for each other's death. Separate, they appear as mortals, but they can combine to form their horrific hell form, a monstrous distortion of their normal raptor (really Compsognathus ) forms. Only one of them is in control of the body at any given time, and the monstrous form varies in appearance depending on that.
- Sloth (no other names given)
- Represents the sin of Sloth. The Sin of Sloth suffers from one of the most curious punishments in Hell—he is damned to, while actually never having to move or work, not getting one moment of peace or rest, as he is the ground of Hell itself and feels every step each inhabitant makes. Sloth is also, as he is the ground of Hell, aware of everything that happens in Hell, including the location of any being in Hell; an ability of his often utilized (against his will) by those seeking a specific person. Otherwise nothing is known about the Sloth or his actions in life. Despite his omnipresence in Hell, he has the least prevalent role of all the sins.
- Emily (name not given in the comic, but was revealed at a Furbid auction)
- Represents the sin of Pride. Her backstory is unrevealed but it's assumed that she was an extremely vain woman in life. In death, she lost all her beauty, gaining a horrifying appearance, but also the ability to mimic the appearance of other people (by wearing their face-skin as a mask). It is her punishment that she can look as beautiful as the most beautiful person ever in existence (as long as she can steal their skin), but she always knows that her own, real appearance is more horrible that anyone else's. Outside from that, her powers are limited. Pride does, however, command an army of "shades". They are copies of people who died (be they good or evil), but they have no souls and their appearance is "aged" beyond belief. Most of the other sins think of Pride as being pathetic.
[edit] Angels
- Farrago
- A junior angel who first met Jack when the two of them tried to prevent an airplane from crashing as the result of the interference of another Sin. Becoming fast friends, Farrago restored some of Jack's memories accidentally with a kiss, sparking his change from a formally apathic attitude to the moody and more questioning character. Farrago is kind and trusting. She often visits hell and confers with Jack, a relationship her superior angel Central initially disapproved of. Unlike the other angels, at the beginning of the comic Farrago appears with only bloody stumps for wings, having lost them to Drip.
- Not much is known about Farrago's life before she died, but what is known is that she was in "her majesty's royal armed infantry in the days before guns and ammunition".
- Central
- A senior angel who has little fear of the Sins. Central lived in the same time period as Jack, and initially has a very antagonistic relationship
with Jack post-death, however her relationship with him changes throughout the comic. She has a great deal of faith in God, and follows the rules to the letter, unquestioningly, often appearing as a symbol of duty. Central lived at the same time as Jack. She is believed by the fan base to be a lioness, however it has not been confirmed by the author.
Central
- Reckonin
- The Angel of God's Fury. His weapon is a sword. He often appears in Hell to punish damned souls for blasphemy, and also acts as an enforcer and warrior under the direction of Central.
[edit] Other Major Characters
- Fnar
- The Unborn is one of Jack's few friends in hell. A fetus whose pregnant mother was killed, Fnar wanders around in Hell, but because he died before he was born, he is innocent and pure, and therefore does not comprehend the pain that surrounds him (a crow ripped off his nose when he first arrived in hell, and Fnar didn't feel it at all) - according to Jack, the only people that can harm him in Hell are his own father and mother.
- Though he died as a fetus, he appears mature physically, though mentally he is a rather simple creature, and very trusting. Fnar's name is an acronym for the phrase "For no apparent reason". Apparently, Fnar is able to manifest himself in Heaven and Earth (and presumably Purgatory as well), despite his nature of being locked in Hell. Fnar's father was revealed to be Drip, who was featured extensively in the artist's previous body of work, and from this, is known to have had an abusive relationship with Fnar's mother, Jink.
- In recent story arc "Fnar Reborn," a traumatic encounter with Drip (Who, as Fnar's father, was one of the few souls who could hurt him, and did this as an act of revenge against Jack) resulted in Fnar's pinpoint eyes being "opened," suggesting that he is no longer innocent or pure and consequently, he is no longer immune to the effects of life in Hell. In addition to his new awareness, he now sports black eye-markings, a distinguishing feature of his father, Drip. The markings, however, were quickly removed by Purgatory's guardian, Skye Bluedeer, who escorted Fnar back to Earth.
- The closing page of "Fnar Reborn" hints that Fnar had manifested on Earth as the yet-to-be-born child of Karma and Pepe.
- Skye Bluedeer
- Skye was originally on the side Satan when he was cast out of Heaven, but later asked for forgiveness. As a result, he is now living in Purgatory, neither an angel (though he presumably once was) or a sin. Instead of wings, he has antlers on his back and head. Skye describes Purgatory saying, "It's much like Earth, tho no death, no torture, no plague, no war. But it's not perfection. When you stub your toe, it's still going to hurt."[1]
- His job is to keep an eye on the people living in Purgatory. Once a person feels they are ready, they can leave it, and return to Earth to live their life again, but this time righteously. Once everyone from Purgatory has left, then Skye and the other guardians of Purgatory may leave and enter Heaven.
- Interestingly Skye's mouth never opens when he speaks, also his word bubbles themselves are surrounded by bubbles.
[edit] Plots
The comic's subplots cover subjects related to the attitude a person can lead in life and its consequences to them and to the people around them.
Frequent themes are disease, rape, murder, bereavement, suicide and redemption. Most events take place on Earth or in Hell, although some are in Heaven and Purgatory.
The time period of the comic is always different because in heaven and hell there is no concept of time. The arcs that are set on earth take place during different time periods, the majority presumably taking place between what appears to be the 1970's to the present. There have also been arcs set in the Dark Ages, World War I, and the far future.
[edit] Arc I: Fnar the Unborn
The first arc of the strip begins with and focuses on the stillborn baby Fnar and how he and Jack meet. Interestingly, Fnar's first question after learning Jack's name is whether or not the Sin would like to play. Jack declines and explains that, since he died at birth, Fnar will have to join his mother in Hell. Jack assures a nervous Fnar that nothing can hurt him in Hell, since he died without knowing evil and is still innocent. Afterward, Jack takes Fnar to see his mother, who is trapped within a rock wall, her throat slashed and her side cut. She thanks Jack for doing what he can for the boy and Jack ushers Fnar away, after which he clothes him and Fnar asks him what he looks like under his hood. Upon seeing the green rabbit's grizzled countenance, Fnar says he sees the need for the hood as Jack is a tad on the ugly side. Jack's only reply is I get that way.
[edit] Arc II: Angry Brian
An angry social outcast named Brian, who believes his classmates are mocking and laughing at him, takes his father's 'war souvenir' to school when he can stand it no more. After mowing down those unlucky enough to be in the office, Brian makes his way to a classroom, killing a curious boy who sticks his head out into the hallway along with several others. Upon leaving the classroom, the juvenile vigilante is himself shot between the eyes by another student whom he refers to as 'the NRA Preacher'. He is at first unaware of his own death, but not for long as Jack soon comes to claim him. A terrified Brian flees into the bloodied classroom...only to be confronted by the souls of those he murdered. They seem intend on thrashing him but are stopped by Jack, who takes him to Judgment where his his found guilty and sentenced to Hell, where he is impaled upon rocks and is eternally damned to the sound of mocking laughter.
Notes: This short arc bears a disturbing resemblance to the [Columbine] school shootings that occurred in a similar fashion - it is even implied that Brian asked one of his victims whether or not she believed in God seconds before he murdered her, just as one of the real-life murderers was reputed to have done.
[edit] Short I: Dolphins
A one-page interlude in which Jack visits Fnar in Hell. The Reaper reveals to Fnar that, though Brian, the last soul he sent here, is very deserving of the punishment, it still weights upon his heart. When asked, Fnar tells Jack he's getting along fine, but that there are some very crazy people around. He then asks Jack if they are like this when they get to Hell or if Hell causes them to behave so. Before he can answer, Jack is approached by a boy who asks him if he can stop two dolphins from raping him. As Jack and Fnar take their leave, Jack tells the youngster that he thinks that it is the people in Hell who make it such a crazy place.
[edit] Arc III: Trixi and Tet
A folf named Tet suffers from an anxiety attack when his wife Trixi (a rabbit) is hospitalized and won't even allow him to kiss her goodbye when he's asked to leave so she can rest. After a tearful night, Tet returns to find his wife hasn't slept either and is drawing something on a sketch pad. When he asks to see it, she hurriedly pulls it away, not wanting to show him until it's complete. Despite his curiosity, Tet agrees and the two talk of their friend Pepe before Trixi tires and Tet leaves her to rest, promising to return tomorrow.
Afterward, he goes to a flower shop and buys a bouquet for Trixi from a florist (Jack in flesh-and-blood form) who comforts the nerve-racked vulpine when he has somewhat of a breakdown over possibly missing his last chance to confess his love for his wife. A caring Jack tells him that just his presence is enough to display his love for her and, given the chance, he would choose to confess his love for her one last time before all is said and done. Grateful for the advice, Tet is surprised then delighted when Jack gives him the flowers free of charge on the grounds that he likes the young fox, leaving Tet to scamper back to Trixi's side.
His happy mood does not last as, upon his arrival, a nurse arrives to inform him that Trixi has gone into what appears to be a coma. Depressed, exhausted and totally nonplussed, Tet drowses off watching over her. In his dream, he sees Trixi, playing on a playground swing and goes to her. When he finally notices Jack sitting on a park bench off to the side, Trixi tells him not to worry about it; they have more important matters to discuss. Jack, it turns out, has arranged for them to meet so that they can be together one last time before she has to go. The two lovers share a tearful goodbye and Jack assures Tet that they will meet again but warns him not to resort to suicide, lest he be sent to Hell for taking his life so that he might be with Trixi once again.
Upon awakening, Tet is hastily pushed outside so he doesn't interfere with the doctors who're trying to save the quickly fading Trixi. After an agonizing wait, Tet is told that the worst has indeed come to pass; Trixi is dead. Crying and sobbing, he goes to her bed and cradles her body in his arms, uncovering the picture she'd been working on as he does so. He is reduced to tears once more as he sees the message 'Always know I love you Tet - Trixi'.
After some time, Tet moves on. Over the course of forty years he writes what appears to be a diary in the form of letters to Trixi. He writes that his life has been empty without her by his side, but his time on earth is growing short. Jack appears and reveals to the now aged fox that the reason it was so hard for him to get out of bed this morning was because Tet never got out of bed at all. In regard to Tet's comment about his lateness, Jack explains he had to go on a three hour soul chase. Tet accuses him of being late not by three hours, but an unmerciful forty year period during which he had to live without his lover. Infuriated, Jack rounds on the vulpine, telling him he has no business taking to him about mercy, for the Reaper doesn't get to choose who to take and Tet has no idea how hard this job is for him.
Somewhat ashamed, Tet follows Jack to Judgment, where it is revealed Trixi made it into Heaven easily but can't say for sure if Tet will be so fortunate. When Tet notices he looks younger, Jack says that he thought Tet might enjoy looking as he did when he met Trixi. Tet asks Jack to come visit him and Trixi in heaven if he makes it, but Jack regretfully says the sins committed in his past life will not allow him to do so. Tet doesn't seem to mind though, saying he owes Jack one for helping him be with Trixi. When Tet is finally judged, he is sorrowfully resigned when he is sent what looks to be the entrance to Hell. He is led within by a robed figure into a realm of what looks to be complete darkness, hardly how he expected Hell to look. When he voices this observation, the robed figures first giggles, then pushes back her hood, revealing herself to be none other than Trixi, who says she just couldn't bear to start building their heaven without Tet by her side as the two are happily reunited.
Notes: While waiting in line for Judgment, it is revealed that the soul responsible for Jack's being so late is none other than the nefarious serial killer Richard Speck, who asks the Reaper if he thinks he will be admitted into Heaven, to which Jack replies that he highly doubts it.
[edit] Short II: Starfish
Another one-page interlude in which Fnar asks to tell a joke to a wolf who is being slowly cut apart. The wolf tells Fnar that he wouldn't be being punished this way if they would only let him yiff the otter. The wolf agrees, but the joke - 'What do you call a really famous fish? A starfish!' - fails to amuse the agonized lupine, for his tormentors are ironically a pair of knife-wielding starfish.
[edit] Short III: Drip's Lust
Again, another one-pager. This time, we are treated to a monologue from Drip, who goes on about how he wants a beautiful female whom would never give herself to him freely. This doesn't bother the rat in the slightest, as he would not take pleasure from her unless he had to take her by force. In the end it proves to be only Hell messing with his mind, much to the fiend's displeasure.
[edit] Short IV: Nobody
Fnar encounters a young raccoon kit who goes on to explain how he was once very popular and had many 'important friends' despite the rampant 'lies' that he was an annoying pest and womanizer during his lifetime. He is surprised he was sent to Hell, where, as punishment, no one will ever talk to him. When he asks Fnar if he'd like to be friends, the youngster thinks on it for a few seconds, then declines his offer, much to the raccoon's dismay.
Notes: At the end of the hard copies of "Jack" the raccoon was revealed as one of Katie's (the wife of David Hopkins, writer of this strip) ex-boyfriends'.
[edit] Arc IV: Falling Angels
Jack is approached by the wingless angel Farrago, who tells him that the disastrous event that will kill the many souls he is awaiting is not supposed to happen. Jack is rather taken aback by this revelation, but is interested when she tells him it will be the result of an unearthly force rather than the will of God. Smelling some foul plot from Hell afoot, the Reaper is willing to help do whatever he can to avert the coming disaster, much to her relief.
Meanwhile, at an airport, a dog named Raini and her husband Harik board a plane with several of their friends. Harik is somewhat nervous about flying, but is reassured with a few kind words and a kiss from his wife. Despite her reassurances, Harik is still queasy during takeoff, fearing the plane will crash. Raini does her best to calm him by saying they will not crash simply because she herself forbids it, making him smile and chuckle. A few minutes after takeoff, however, his fears bear wicked fruit as the engine in the right wing explodes, sending shrapnel into the plane which kills several passengers and maims several more. Miraculously, both Raini and Harik are unscathed, despite the fact that they were sitting right next to the wing. Shortly thereafter, before the tower can clear a runway for them to land on, the plane splits in half, sending the plane plummeting towards the ground. Much to Raini's sorrow, she fails to be able to hold onto a little girl who is then thrown into space with the other passengers. Harik holds her and they say their goodbyes as they prepare for impact.
Raini comes and discovers, incredibly, she has survived the landing but finds Harik's seat empty. Panicked, she searches frantically and soon finds him alive and well. He reveals that the plane crashed nose-first into a cliff, killing those in the cockpit and most of the first class passengers. While searching the wreckage for survivors, they come across a young boy, pinned by shrapnel and unable to move his legs and, after rescuing him, join the other survivors.
Unbeknownst to them, the young girl whom Raini tried to save is there among them, though no one can see or hear her, for she is already dead. Jack arrives, and asks the girl, Melissa, why she ran from him to which she replies that she was scared because she knew what her seeing him meant had befallen her. Jack does his best to comfort her, assuring her she will never hurt again. Jack sends Fnar to escort her to Judgment, saying he needs to stay behind and look into something. Farrago comes to his side and wishes they could've saved more lives. Jack comforts her by saying they saved as many as they could then asks her to accompany him to the crash site, saying they're looking for something out of place.
It doesn't take but a minute or two before the two discover the Sins Bob and Lisa, the collective representatives of the Sin of Gluttony. A horrified Farrago asks why they caused the crash to which Jack replies that they did it for the only reason they do anything: to eat. The two admit to the deed openly, saying that the living taste better than the sulfur-polluted waste they are subject to in Hell. When an enraged Jack demands they return to Hell at once, the two flatly refuse, forcing Jack to cut off their collective head which automatically sends them back.
Away from the scene of the crash, Farrago repays Jack for his help with a kiss to the cheek. Jack at first demands to know why she did it, as there are rules and laws against such behavior, but falters as memories of Jill, his lover who died before him, resurface. When asked how this can be, Farrago explains that the affection she has shown towards Jack inadvertently healed part of his memory, which before had been wiped clean as part of his punishment in Hell. Jack admits he can't even remember what Jill looks like and Farrago tries to help him by kissing him once more, this time on the lips. Instead of restoring memories of Jill, her kiss grants Jack a glimpse of himself standing before a podium and flatly declaring his plans to murder all those present. Horrified, Jack pushes himself away, saying he is blessed not to remember his sins in life. As he retreats back to Hell, he thanks Farrago for her services, but asks that she do him no more.
[edit] Short V: Fnar's Father
Back in Hell, Jack visits Fnar who, having wet himself, is forcing Jack to dry his pants over a fire. Jack suggests Fnar should be getting back to his mother or she'll worry, but Fnar says she sent him away because his father was coming. Fnar then explains that his mother won't let him meet his father and asks Jack if he knows him. Jack responds to the affirmative and says that the boy's mother is right to keep him away from his father; he is not a good man. Having dried his pants, Jack hands them back to Fnar, only to have him wet himself again.
[edit] Short VI: The Chalkboard
A young boy named Timmy Roberts writes a letter to God asking why he won't stop wars where children kill each other and put an end to hunger. Farrago - who watched him write it - responds by erasing his question and writing one of her own, asking Timmy why God should stop people from doing something they are perfectly able to do themselves?
[edit] Arc V: Dinner at Arloest's
This arc focuses mainly on the exploits of a clairvoyant panda named Arloest who is on temporary leave Hell due to an agreement she made with the Sin of Lust, Drip. In exchanging for a second chance to live once more so that she may use the gift of foresight (that Hell dealt her as part of her punishment for suicide) to help whoever she can, she grants Drip the right to do whatever he wishes to her (and thus experience actual pleasure from raping her) once she is returned to Hell. She runs her own Diner and writes fortunes for the fortune cookies served there. The only difference is that hers are based on what she's seen of what fate has in stall for those she writes them to. For example, she wrote 'It's a boy' on the slip of paper sealed within the cookie an expectant mother received.
On her last night on earth, she writes one last fortune for two couples, advising them to not take the Highway home. Both couples initially shrug it off, but once in the car, one of the girls manages to convince her boyfriend to drive them up to the lake instead of going home so they can fool around. The second couple chooses not to heed the advice and are part of what a reporter on the scene calls 'the largest traffic disaster in American history.' Jack watches the scene from above, remarking that it looks like the work of his fellow Sin, Kane, when it is in fact the fault of the truck driver who started the whole mess by running off the overpass and onto the road below. Jack observes however, that there are two souls missing....
At that moment Drip arrives, much to Jack's annoyance, saying he knows where Jack's lost souls are hiding. Jack agrees - somewhat reluctantly - to play along with Drip for the moment, but says he must first take the souls of those who were killed in the crash to Judgment. Meanwhile, a horrified Jatter tells Arloest that she was right about the accident to which she responds that only one of the couples survived the ordeal. In the meantime, Jack and Drip have tracked down the couple at the lake where Drip reveals to Jack that Arlost, the soul he helped escape from hell, is the one who saved them. When an angry Jack demands to know why, Drip explains his reasons, saying that six out of the seven sins in Hell don't care about the rules that forbid what he's done and Jack, as the Grim Reaper and the only one to follow the rules, knows that he's honor-bound to return Arloest to Hell in any case.
Back at the Diner, the three friends have gathered together to wait for Jack, whose presence is announced by the sudden chill in the air. Though Jatter and Datum, Arloest's lover, cannot see him Arloest can and admits she is afraid to go with him but only asks for a chance to say her goodbyes before the two take their leave. Once in Hell, Arloest asks Jack why he remained silent. Jack replies that her friends will question what they've seen later in their lives and he did not wish to add to their doubt by having them see her talking to someone they could neither see nor hear. She thanks him for his kindness and asks him to remove his hood for her. Jack does and she comments on how sad he looks. Jack explains that he does not want to hand her over to Drip. Arloest tries to tell him that she knows what she's getting into, but Jack knows better. Drip appears and gloatingly asks Arloest to tell him about those she was forced to leave behind, and, to her horror, Arloest finds she is unable to even remember their names while Drip promises not to allow her to remember anything save for the fact that she promised never to forget them. The Sin then promises Jack he will sodomize Arloest in his name that night to which Jack replies that he will never again allow himself to be an instrument of Drip's perverted desires.
On earth, the male half of the couple who was not killed shows up at what is now Jatter's, asking for Arloest and demanding to know what happened the previous night. Jatter tells him Arloest is forever gone and not to question his blessing but rather to live life to the full. Though having saved them has ruined his life, Jatter has no regrets about what he helped to do and would do it all over again if given the choice.
[edit] Short VII: Now I'm Nothing
A bizarre one-shot interlude focused on a man with a paper bag on his head and his strange tale of how he continually told his wife he was doing 'nothing' while he was cheating on her with various other women. As a result, his punishment in Hell is to literally have become 'nothing' more than his appearance: clothing and a paper bag, no person.
[edit] Short VIII: Never Dreamed You Would Leave In The Summer
The wife of a depressed man asks Jack to delay taking her to Judgment just yet so as to see her husband visit her grave and be sure that his depression won't drive him to kill himself rather than live without her.
[edit] Short IX: Central
Farrago goes to see her superior, an angel named Central. The ferret expresses her puzzlement over Jack, as he is not like his diabolical counterparts in that he follows the rules and seems to genuinely care about his charges. She wishes to help him, but Central cautions her against doing so, reasoning that Jack is a Sin for a reason, even if he is worth the effort of trying to lead to the path of redemption. Also, Central reminds her, he is in the company of other, far less friendly brethren, and she begs Farrago not to forget how she lost her wings.
[edit] Arc VI: For No Apparent Reason
This surprisingly light-hearted story follows a rabbit named Cotton and his cat friend Gene, both of whom are from the webcomic Gene Catlow, as they help Fnar try and evade Vince, the Sin of Greed. The two kind-hearted mammals spirit Fnar away from Vince to an abandoned warehouse in an attempt to try and throw him off their trail. Despite their best efforts, Vince soon catches them. As Cotton and Gene steel themselves for a killing blow, Fnar fearlessly approaches Vince, who is revealed to have been playing tag with Fnar as a favor to Jack to whom he owes some undisclosed debt.
Notes: At the start of this arc, Cotton and Gene have a conversation remarkably similar to the one shared by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in the beginning of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Cotton himself even says 'Okay, enough Pulp Fiction'.
[edit] Short X: Hell on Earth
A humorous interlude in which Jack and Fnar are depicted in stereotypical chibi form and have a conversation at the end of which they decide the DMV and Hell are interchangeable places.
[edit] Arc VII: All Work and No Play
What started out as a normal day for office worker Shanna goes from bad to worse as a deranged shotgun wielding psycho named Klvis abruptly storms into the complex, killing the young hedgehog and two of her coworkers - Ted (a panda) and John (a bear) - before sealing off the floor, saying that the police have until ten o'clock to remove the 'demon' corrupting his mind and warning them that anyone who tries to make a break for the nearby exit will be shot. The three newly dead souls meanwhile, are quickly rounded up by Jack, who does his best to console them, but shocks Shanna by saying he will take them all to Judgment when everyone is ready - meaning, of course, that more people will die before all is said and done.
While trying to give comfort to a somewhat shellshocked John, Shanna inquires as to what's wrong with their killer. The Reaper replies that nothing's wrong; Klvis has finally started to believe the story he's told himself over the years and is now using it as an excuse to exact revenge upon the company. This information does little to soothe the stricken Ted, as the panda quickly becomes enraged, calling death to strike down upon the homicidal psychopath. Ever the realist, Jack tells him to cool it; after all, what good is vengeance to him now that he's dead?
The sharpest point of his anger dulled, Ted moves to stand unseen behind his killer who is looking out at the gathering of police below with mild trepidation. Shanna, meanwhile, laments that she will never be able to have a family of her own. Ted returns, a smile now gracing his furry face, prompting Shanna to ask what he has to smile about, to which Ted replies that he's feeling rather daring and abruptly confesses to her that the hot purple sweater she's wearing is quite a turn on. Before she can comment on this latest remark, Ted spies his boss cowering under his desk 'like a pussy.' He then goes into a speech about how his employer once drove a girl Ted happened to like to take her own life after first offering her a promotion if she would agree to sleep with him, then promptly firing her the next morning. In the grips of a terrible rage, Ted tries to strangle him, reasoning that, even if it doesn't do any real harm, it still feels good to try.
A confused Ted suddenly asks Jack why he still feels the need to take a leak if he's dead, to which the Sin replies that it's only natural since they four are still on Earth. A sudden mischievous smile spreads across Ted's face and he gleefully turns and relieves himself on Klvis' pantleg, prompting Jack to remark that, even though Klvis can neither feel nor see Ted, it still feels good to watch him do it. Shanna asks the aged rabbit if he knows what Heaven is like, to which Jack replies that he has never been there. Their conversation is interrupted as the madman suddenly decides to make an example out of a young woman he apparently found hiding under her desk. Desperate, Ted and Shanna beg their otherworldly escort to intervine in some way. When a glum Jack tells him that he doesn't have that kind of power, an incredulous Ted refuses to believe it, thinking Jack is an Angel sent by God and therefore has the power to do whatever He wants. Jack is quick to correct the panda's assumption of his divinite origins.
Their debate is abruptly settled as the young woman (Kimberly) is murdered, resulting in total chaos. Shanna is able to restore calm by voicing the question that's been on all their minds; how many more will die? Jack tells her that Klvis will eventually go on a killing spree when he sees the SWAT teams moving in to take the building, leaving only one lone survivor. When a shaken Ted asks if the lunatic himself is killed, Jack explains that the murderer is indeed shot, but survives only to be found too insane for trial by a jury who instead sentence him to time in an asylum which he escapes from in three years time, only to write a bestselling book and then live out his life in a secluded hilltop home. Incredibly, John - who has up until this point only been heard to continually mutter the phrase 'I'm dead' in a kind of horrified disbelief - is the first to comment on the monumental unfairness of this outcome, much to the surprise of everyone else.
As Klvis begins to mutilate the body of the newly dead Kimberly, Ted demands once again to know how he can put a stop to this madness if Jack himself can or will not. After finding several holes in Jack's simple explanation that there's simply nothing they can do, the Reaper finally reveals that they can return the favor if they so choose, but warns them that they are still being judged. If they kill him to keep safe the ones they hold dear, there will be no reprisal...but if they kill out of a desire for vengeance (which Jack says at least one of them will) then that soul will damn itself to the flames of Hell. Despite this warning, the four souls converge on the unfortunate Klvis, turn his weapon against him and pull the trigger, effectively decapitating him and allowing a disgusted and enraged Jack to send him first to Judgment and then straight to Hell. Soon after it is revealed that John will be joining him as, near the very end, he pulled the trigger out of the desire for revenge rather than retribution.
Later, Jack asks Heaven for Farrago but receives Central instead, who says Farrago's been too keen to learn more about the Sin as of late. While they have their conversation, 2 children are shown playing in the background. Jack confides in the Angel his feelings about sending both John and Arloest to Hell. Though he knows his deeds were justified, he can't help feeling bad and needs to hear Heaven's logic as to why the two were dealt what seems to be unnecessarily strict sentences. At first, Central is unwilling to answer but relents, telling Jack that feelings and logic are often in conflict in matters such as these. She believes that John's killing of Klvis was justified, but in the end, his intentions were simply to cold-hearted to be overlooked. As for Arloest, while she used her gift to help many during her reprieve from Hell, she bargained with a Sin to gain that second chance, making the quality of her deeds null-and-void. While her heart goes out to both of them, she maintains that they must stick to what know is right rather than what the feel, as 'following one's heart' is ofen used as an excuse for following one's feelings rather than obeying the word of God. Jack makes some remark about the road to Hell being paved with good intentions, to which Central replies to the affirmative but why should Jack care? After all, his life revolved around death, so he must be loving all that's been happening recently. At this moment an offscreen vehicle hits one of the boys playing, killing him instantly and revealing that Jack was waiting for this to happen so he could take the soul of the boy to judgement. Jack then replies sarcastically and bitingly that Central is right and that he loves how "fucked up" his duties are. He then assures Central he will see her again.
[edit] Short XI: Farrago in Hell
Fnar is busy smelling the 'flowers' that are actually severed arms sticking up out of the ground when Farrago appears, much to Fnar's delight and the annoyance of Mr. Smith, a talking top hat perched on the boy's furry head. The angel asks Fnar if his father is a Sin like Jack after hearing him refer to the Reaper as 'Uncle'. Fnar says that he doesn't know, since Jack keeps the two of them separated, giving the ferret reason to believe that Jack really does care deeply for the youngster. Mr. Smith suggests that, if Fnar is going to be talking to Farrago that he should at least exchange this information for whatever he can get from her body. The innocent Fnar - totally misinterpereting the hat's advice - requests 'cuddles' instead of sex, much to Farrago's amusement and the disgust of Mr. Smith, who promptly flops away. The two talk about Jack, during which Farrago learns that Fnar thinks very highly of the Sin, even going so far as to pretend Jack is his father rather than just an affectionate uncle figure. He then asks Farrago about her missing wings to which she will only say that someone hurt her a long time ago and that you don't necessarily need them to be an angel. She in turn asks him if he's excited about his soon-to-come second chance on Earth and learns that Jack has neglected to even tell him about it. Somewhat puzzled she takes her leave while, elsewhere, Mr. Smith reports his encounter to Bob who appears to be intriguiged by Farrago's questions regarding Jack....
Notes: Mr. Smith's story appears in the first hard copy volume of Jack.
[edit] Arc VIII: Games We Play in Hell
A rabbit named Silverblue goes throughout her daily rountine of her job at Vince's Necropolis Colosseum, where sadistically twisted games are held so that Vince's followers may 'honor' God by watching everything from feeding the Supernaughts to public executions and finally a bizzare and thoroughly disturbing game invented by Drip called 'Musical Holes' in which fifty males and fifteen girls are crowded into the ring, and made to copulate with one another until the music stops... then the gaurds come out and butcher any male not engaged and remove five females from the playing field. The process continues - even when the men are forced to commit sodomy to survive - until only one remains. This unfortunate survivor is then promptly kidnapped and assumeably raped and killed by Drip. When all the hubub has died down, Vince completes the evening's festivities by calling the members of his sizable cult down from the stands for the purpose of collectively blaspheming God's name... which brings Reckonin, the messenger of God's Fury down upon them. Almost all are killed, whith the exception of Vince, as the crafty trickster makes good his escape well before the arival of the avenging angel.
Meanwhile, after leaving the Colosseum in a fit of disgust, Silverblue encounters the wandering Fnar - well, trips over him actually. She learns he is down here to deliver a letter to 'the Oblong Tomb' (one of the Twin Towers which collapsed in the 911 Terrorist Attacks and decides to deliver the letter in Fnar's place to repay Jack for bringing an early end to Vince's games whenever he is invited. After a somewhat nerve-racking elevator ride with a crazed victim of the Tower's fall, Silverblue delivers the letter then promptly leaves. The door is opened by none other than Arloest who is asked by Jack to look after both Fnar and a fellow soul living in room 307 as a personal favor to the Sin. When Arloest does as Jack bids, the room's occupant is revealed to be none other than John (from Arc VII All Work And No Play)
On her way home, Silverblue is kidnapped and nearly killed (again) by Bob and Lisa, but is rescued at the last moment by a furious Central, who preccedes to administer a mighty beating to the two sated Sins. After fleeing, the unlucky bunny runs into more trouble with Emily, the Sin of Pride but is rescued once more by a now bloodied and even more short-tempered Central. After driving Emily away, the angel attempts to talk to Silverblue but the conversation goes sour long before she can learn of the way out of Hell that Central wished to reveal to her.
As it turns out, all these run-ins are more than mere coincidence. Jack reveals that Silverblue and her friend Fealt were attacked and raped on their way home from school one day by some two-bit punks and that, while the Police arrived in time to save her, Fealt was not so lucky. Jack tries to get through to an increasingly uncooperative Silverblue, who does not want to remember what happened but is told by the Reaper that she must or continue to be forever trapped in the reenactment of the horrible fate that befell her. Eventually Silverblue does embrace the fact of her suicide and in so doing recalls that Jack opened her eyes for her... and she hates him for it. Soon after departing, she encounters the shadow-shrouded Sin of Envy, Kane, who convinces her to restart the cycle all over again by slashing her wrists, just as she did on the night following Fealt's death.
The next morning, Silverblue awakens to the sight of Jack who immediately 'opens' her eyes, permanently breaking the cycle to which she has been subjected to for countless years. Newly revitalized, she accompanies her fellow employee Sepka to the coloseum where she rallies the other would-be victims for Vince's revolting atrocities to overthrow the guards and escape. Once all is settled, Silverblue turns to talk to Fealt... only to learn that the girl standing next to her is only part of her friend, as the other half of her went to Heaven, but left a small part of herself to help Sliverblue join her there. An elated Silverblue seeks out Jack, who asks her if she's not going to end the game early after all, to which she replies that she'll stick around to see what happens next this time around. After all, she says, tomorrow is another day.
[edit] Short XII: Don't Mention His Member
A denizen of Hell enjoys a brief but satisfactory laugh at Drip's expense over the latter's shriveled and damaged member, the punishment for which is disembowelment by an embarrassed and angry Drip.
[edit] Short XIII: Babysitting
A somewhat weary Arloest is watching over Fnar who asks her if she will be his friend. the panda replies that she had friends once before but can remember nothing about them. Their conversation is abruptly halted by the arrival of Drip who is at first intent on raping Arloest once again but is distracted by the sight of Fnar, who, in a true display of child-like innocence, shows nothing but kindness to the monster. Drip speculates on how it would be fun to play with the boy but holds back, as there are powerful forces working to protect Fnar, forces which Drip doesn't quite dare to tango with... just yet.
[edit] Short XIV: Guess What Movie I Hated Last Year?
A nonsense one-page babble in which Drip holds a conversation with two empty skulls - making fun of the horrible dialogue in the movie Jeepers Creepers, which Hopkins reportedly disliked.
[edit] Arc IX: The Mark Has Been Made
A young female wolf goes to clean the dust off a mirror and sees the message NOMIPPAN apparently written on the wall behind her...as well as catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure lurking behind her near some boxes. Though she sees nothing there, it becomes harder and harder each time she looks over her shoulder. She turns and glances at the mirror just in time to see a goblin-like figure holding a wicked-looking dagger half-materialize out of the darkness beyond. She spins around, sees nothing and turns toward the mirror once more and so does not see the shadow-form of the goblin creature come at her with a knife. She awakens... only to discover the whole thing was a dream, brought on by the anniversary of Drip's death in the real world.
[edit] Short XV: Why?
Jack gives a monologue while watching a family go crashing through the gaurdrail to plummet to their deaths and wonders if all the death he is forced to privy to occurs merely out of his jealousy of those in whom he sees either himself, his lover, or a future that could've been his had he been raised under different circumstances. He goes on to question why the cycle can't be stopped... and why no one ever looks happy to see him.
[edit] Arc X: Suffer
A bear named Aurthor is signed on as the assistant doctor to Dr. Thalmus, who is in the process of developing a revolutionary cure for cancer. An elated Aurthor vists his cancer-riden wife Sue (a rabbit) in her room, and promises to cure her before she dies. After a short heartfelt confession of love, Aurthor asks Sue what book she reading but politely interupts her attempted plot synopsis, saying he doesn't share her love for the author David Hopkins who, in his opinion, is always either too gorey or too preachy for his liking. Later, Dr. Thalmus takes Aurthor on a tour of the facility, reminding him that the records room where Aurthor will be primarily stationed needs to be kept neat and tidy. Dropping his professional manner for a moment, Thalmus suggests that, since they are now working together in a way, they should refer to one another as Art and Riggs. 'Art' agrees and Thalmus leaves him in the care of Dr. Dee, saying he has an urgent appointment.
After commenting on Dee's striking resemblence to Thalmus, the older doctor remarks on how Aurthor looks to be a well-read man and inquires after whether or not the he's a fan of David Hopkins. Aurthor, after laughing at how similiar this kind man is to ihs wife, is quick to assure him he doesn't care for the gentleman's style. After a shared laugh, the two enter the children's ward where they are greeted by the somber sight of so many infected youngsters. Aurthor comments on how sad they all look to which Dee replies that he might feel the same way if he were dying as they are. Aurthor is then approached by a young bear named Flerp who responds to the other's inquiry as to what he can do to make him feel better by asking him to read them a story, which Aurthor is only too happy to do.
Later, Aurthor returns to see his wife, who confesses her worries over his tardiness, and tells her how fullfilling if felt to read to the group of kids. The two embrace and she secures a promise from him to never change, no matter what. Afterward, Dee offers to let Aurthor give a news crew a tour of the facility which the newcomer readily accepts. The walkthrough is cut short, however, when Dr. Thalmus calls them to a halt, saying that he's with a patient at the moment and must protect him from media exposure. A somewhat embarrassed Aurthor is forced to say goodbye to the camera, much to his chagrin when he views the video later that evening on the TV in his wife's room. He thinks he was horrible, but she is quick to assure him otherwise, but he is still unsure. He bids her goodnight, saying she needs her rest and he has a bit more late night work to do.
Aurthor returns to the main building and, after wishing Glen the security guard a happy birthday, goes to seek out Dr. Thalmus. He wanders into the doctor's office and is confused when he finds the doctor in absence. However, he hears Thalmus's voice coming from a room somewhere close by and follows it... only to discover, to his horror, that the rhino has been sexually assaulting the children under the pretense that it will 'make them all better'. Disgusted, Aurthor moves to call the police but is swayed by the manipulative Thalmus, who reasons that he can't help Aurthor's dying wife from jail, seeing as all his notes are commited to memory instead of hard copy. Reluctatnly, Aurthor decides to play along with Thalmus, but not before extrating a promise from him that it won't happen again and that, if he's serious, he'll go see Dr. Bara in Psychiatric first thing in the morning.
First thing next morning, Aurthor goes in and visits the young boy who was with Thalmus last night. He notices the boy is reading Watership Down and confides in the boy that he likes the book a great deal. In response, the boy asks why Hazel wanted to die, to which Aurthor replies that he simply must've felt it was his time to go. The boy says he doesn't think it's time for him to die but Thalmus has said something to the contrary last night. A caring Aurthor tells him that what went on last night was an awful thing that should never have happened in the first place and that Thalmus is the only one who has any right to feel guilty. He tells the boy that if Thalmus tries to do anything like that to him or any of the other children, he should come tell him.
Later that night, before going home to his wife, Aurthor confronts the orderly Scotty and asks him if he can keep an eye on the kids tonight, saying he just has a hunch that something might go wrong...both of them completely unaware that Thalmus is eavesdropping from just around the corner. When he gets home, Sue comments on how glum her husband looks, but he chocks it up to problems at work he'd rather not talk about at the moment. After a brief conversation in which Sue becomes increasingly worried about her husband's exhausted state, she goes to bed, while Aurthor retires to spend the night preparing for a speech he is supposed to give tomorrow.
The next day, an exhausted and world-weary Aurthor gives his speech with great success. Afterward, he is summoned to the children's ward, where the young boy whom Thalmus previously assaulted informs him that the doctor has been up to his perverse tricks once more, having assaulted a young kit. Practically foaming at the mouth, Aurthor seeks out the monster and proccedes to beat the living snot out of him, thrashing him unmercifully until a desperate Thalmus threatens to turn himself in, thereby inadvertently killing Aurthor's wife. He goes on to explain that Mason Reasearch knew something was going on so they made him hire an assistant to keep an eye on him and Thalmus chose Aurthor because, out of all the apllicants, he was the only one who had something the doctor could use to his advantage if it ever came to this, namely his wife. As he speaks, Aurthor - in a grip of a terrible agony - is able to briefly see Drip crouching behind Thalmus and whispering into his ear. Before he can react, Scotty suddenly appears; Sue's doctor just called and Aurthor needs to come right away. Aurthor leaves in a rush, leaving Thalmus to implicate him as the child molester to a concerned Scotty....
At the hospital, Aurthor is told his wife is fading in and out of consciousness and isn't expected to survive the night. Shaken and completely out of sorts, Aurthor breaks down completely. He is comforted by a young rabbit (who is really Jack in flesh and blood form for the second time). Aurthor confides in him, saying he doesn't know whether to pray for God to spare her life (which he knows in his heart is selfish) or to ask for God to take him in her stead, leaving her to live in an often heartless world. Jack offers a happy median; pray for her death to be as painless as possible.
Notes: Watership Down is reputed to be one of Hopkins favorite animated films.
The character Scotty has a much larger role in Hopkins previous body of 'zombie'-related comic Rework the Dead.
[edit] Symbolism
Jack is based in Christian tradition (with influence from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy), but the world and its rules are not totally consistent with the typical Christian views. The angels are the forces of good, and the sins are evil personified. Many of Hell's denizens seem to enjoy inflicting pain on one another, though many seem to be decent people. However, there are a number of shades of gray in the world. At times, people who were essentially good ended up going to hell, and a number of good people appear in hell, beacons of light in the darkness. The most notable of these is Jack, the only one of the Seven Sins who seems to be anywhere near the road to redemption, as opposed to his brethren, who delight in their darkness. The unfairness of the fates of many of these people, and the observations of Jack on the unfairness of life, are central themes in this rather dark comic.
