So you want to read JTHM, huh...?!

While it doesn't take much to just pick up a book--especially a comic--I think some folks might be a little intimidated to pick up such an old series, so I thought I'd put together my personal recommendations for someone who's completely new to it. Please keep in mind that these are all my personal opinions! There's no right or wrong way to go about reading comic books...I'm just here to spoonfeed anyone who might be on the edge about it. And to start a cult of Johnnyfuckers. Maybe.

Director's Cut or Single Floppies...?

The JTHM series is 7 issues long, but has been compiled into an omnibus called the "Director's Cut"...Slave Labor Graphics still prints some of both of these versions, but it's much easier to either A.) track either version down at your local bookstore/library, or B.) find them second hand online.

(...And there's always the piracy option, of course. Not hating on that method either, the comics are an easy Google search away on the open web...Just be wary that you'll most likely be reading the single issue versions on those websites! As for my own reccs, this Tumblr blog has some of the best scans I've seen in my search so far. )

Cut Content...?

The most important difference between the Director's Cut version and the single issue floppies is that there's slightly different content between the two.

Which one is better...?

I'm reluctant to suggest either form as the superior option, just because I think they each serve their own purpose...but my personal preference is the Director's Cut--mostly just because each issue is such a quick read imo, it's just nice to sit down and read them all in one go. That, and the hardcover edition is just too stylish~

That, and, well...some of the stuff that Jhonen cut for the re-release of the Director's Cut was deserved, imo. He gets pretty whiny in the introductions of those single issues... Confession: I never liked Wobbly-Headed Bob!

If you're missing out on the strips that didn't make it into the Director's Cut, everything got gathered and printed in the back of the Squee omnibus, so you can find it there!

Other notes?

Please go into this with an open mind! Regress back to your edgiest teenage years for this one, it'll make the humor more palatable if the "zOMGs RANDUMZ" jokes are too much for you. This whole series is a time capsule of 90s goth/alternative culture (even if the author likes to be tsundere and deny it), which may be a plus for you, depending on what you're into. The art will look completely different by the end of the series, so if you're not vibing with the aesthetic in the first issue, try pushing a little further. Flip the book around and try to read Jhonen's secret messages in the margins. S'fun.

If you read JTHM and enjoy it, I highly suggest you follow up with I Feel Sick immediately after! It's a spin-off story about Devi, Johnny's date and unrequited love interest...it's very short, only two issues long, but it's a fantastic little thing.

......NOW GO READ JTHM, MOTHERFUCKEEEEER....!!!
(And tell me how you liked it, maybe. If you want.)