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Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (also known as JTHM) was a black-and-white comic book series by Jhonen Vasquez, published in seven issues by Slave Labor Graphics between August 1995 and January 1997. Before this it had been published as short strips in the goth magazine Carpe Noctum, and later had two spin-offs, Squee! and I Feel Sick. It has been particularly popular within goth and other subcultures that it actually tends to parody.
The main character, Johnny, is a deranged young man who believes that he must keep his walls covered in fresh blood to trap in a monster who lives behind them. To do this, he murders individuals in elaborately cruel manners who do things that slightly irritate him. Occasionally, however, the monster (allegedly) gets out and kills people. Like his creator, Johnny is a comic book artist of a manic comic strip called Happy Noodle Boy.
Notable characters
Johnny C.
Also known as Nny. The protagonist, Johnny lives in a decrepit single-story old house that apparently has the underground equivalent of a skyscraper for a basement. The basement exclusively holds torture rooms, dungeons, and a wall that binds...something. Nothing is known of his family. He possesses an old car that can still run. Completely devoid of a conscience.
Squee
Also known as Todd, but nicknamed Squee, the namesake originating from the sound the child makes when scared. Johnny's semi-friend and next-door neighbour, Johnny likes to scare him. Squee's mother and father have no idea he exists and blame him for a wasted life, respectively. Squee has a fairly disturbing-looking teddy bear named Shmee, who is conscious in Todd's own psyche. Vasquez later authored a comics series, Squee!, with this character as the protagonist.
Nailbunny
Also known as Spooky Floating Bunny Head. Johnny's first and last pet, a rabbit whom he nailed to the wall. Now it is Johnny's voice of reason, guiding him in certain situations. Only the preserved head remains, the rest of the body apparently unnecessary for the afterlife. It is unknown whether the disembodied head was given the ability to levitate by the supernatural force that permeates the house, or that Johnny is simply hallucinating.
The Doughboys
Based on the mascots for a certain company that produces muffins. There are two of them: Psycho-Doughboy and Mr. Eff. Originally repainted by Johnny, they were given personalities through supernatural means by the Wall Monster. They strongly hate Nailbunny, and are constantly at odds with each other.
Psycho-Doughboy is Johnny's mentally unstable depressive side, and wishes for nothing more than to successfully induce Johnny to commit suicide and end his existence, thereby returning to the void as nothingness.
Mr. Eff, Johnny's manic side, is a psychopathic sadist who inspires Johnny to commit some of his most gory and prolific murder sprees (such as massacring an entire cafe.) Unlike Psycho-Doughboy, he desires to exist as a singular entity, free of both Johnny and the supernatural force that created (or at least gained control of) the Doughboys.
There is some confusion about which is which. Confusingly, Psycho-Doughboy's body is labeled with the word FUCK, while Mr. Eff's has a "Z?" (Question Sleep) painted on his chest. Mr. Eff's eyes are spirals, while Psycho-Doughboy's eyes are blank with a black outline.
Devi D.
Also known as the one that got away. A woman who befriends Johnny and a potential love interest, she is unaware of his more antisocial behavior. She works in a book store for half the duration of the comic, the other half is spent painting in her apartment. She was later the subject of a doubleshot comic by Vasquez called I Feel Sick.
Jimmy
Also known as Mmy. His infatuation with Johnny's hobby began when he witnessed the destruction of a "Taco Hell" outlet by Johnny, from a "CD Cesspool" store across the street. He is the only known person successful in tracking down Johnny's home on his own volition. He decided to mimic Johnny's work, to the extent of assembling a suitcase full of surgical equipment. Unfortunately for him, his attempts at mimicking Johnny are an abomination in Nny's eyes (for reasons left unmentioned). He doesn't live for long.
Tonja
A friend of Devi's. She possesses a squeaky toy shaped like a cute skeleton called Mr. Spooky. Her role in JTHM is fairly insignificant. She is not to be confused with Tenna from I Feel Sick, who also possesses the said squeaky toy, and lives in the same apartment complex as Devi.
Mr. Samsa
Named after the main character of Franz Kafka's short story "The Metamorphosis", Mr. Samsa is a seemingly immortal cockroach that lives in Johnnys basement. To Johnny, the insect represents complete desensitization and unemotional thinking, a state which Johnny begins a quest for at the end of the first series.
Reverend Meat
The complete opposite of Mr. Samsa, Reverend Meat is a Bub's Burger boy who constantly urges Johnny to give into his every urge and desire without thinking.
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