Canon
What's your favourite quote from your husbando?
Oh, tough one! He's got some zingers. It's hard to pick which one is my favorite though...This one's pretty good, especially as a reaction image:
But every now and then Nny says something thoughtful and provocative...I especially like this bit from Johnny's final die-ary entry, in the back of the Director's Cut...
"There's nothing terribly wrong with feeling lost, so long as that feeling precedes some plan on your part to actually do something about it. Too often a person grows complacent with their disillusionment, perpetually wearing their "discomfort" like a favorite shirt. I can't say I'm very pleased with where my life is just now...But I can't help but look forward to where it's going."Funniest moment with your husbando.
'Nuff said.
Saddest moment?
The “descent” comic of issue 4...
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Coolest moment?
The disemboweling of Jimmy is pretty epic. Oh, and when he goes to the mall and rips that child molester’s brain out of his skull and throws it against a wall! That was so satisfying!
Warning: Graphic cartoon brain removal under the cut!
Cutest thing he has ever done?
This question is hard, if only because Nny himself is so skewed as a character, that...well, his version of "cute" will always be a bit twisted. But he does have his moments! I'm a sucker for his sick flavor of moè...
I'll present these in something of a list...not in any particular order, but I feel like I should provide more than one example--if only because I always feel like I have to explain myself when it comes to JTHM, LOL. Like, hear me out!! I swear he's cute sometimes!!!
The brief moment where Johnny is happy during his date with Devi, the way he cries "bunny" at Nailbunny, this goofy strip where he drills a hole in a guy's head and then offers to make him a sandwich... (you just gotta trust me on this one, okay?)Are there any scenes you would change?
It's not so much that I want certain scenes completely rewritten, but more that I want them expanded on.
Sure, there’s maybe a line or two somewhere in the comics that hasn't aged well in our very PC culture, but...Oh, I dunno, that’s just the beauty of JTHM being a product of its time, haha. It feels like a bit of shame to take that away--it's part of the charm...?
But I do have a slight issue with how the plot is presented. Like, just from a writer's standpoint. There isn't that much of a plot to JTHM to begin with, but when there is some Lore™ woven in, it's so brief that it's easy to pass over...I feel like it just needs a little push to drive certain points home, ya know? Like the important dialogue just needs another page or two......Because it's rather troubleseome to explain the logic of the "sickness" and the wallmonster stuff by having to look at a completely different comic...! I don't know if Jhonen came up with this important plot info later, like after publishing JTHM, or if he was just using the story of I Feel Sick to expand over those old ideas that his teenage self wasn't able to capture properly...And maybe it's all by design--Johnny is too stupid and self-absorbed to fully figure out how these monsters are using him as a food/energy source until he's dead and Satan himself has to spell it out for him, lmao~ But while I do enjoy the tug-of-war the plot of JTHM has between "This is a story about a crazy person who kills people" and "Oh, the crazy stuff this guy has been rambling about the whole time is actually real"....I can't help but feel that the comics would have a much different tone if all of this was just spelled out a bit more clearly. Like, another page of dialogue added here and there, before the big reveal of Johnny being a "flusher". The ideas are there--and they're good!--they just need a little more explaining!
But I don't want to fault Jhonen so much, especially when he was so young when making JTHM, but I just wish we could add that flashback scene with Johnny and Devi to the Director's Cut, because it would add so much to the plot...or better yet, maybe I Feel Sick and JTHM need to be sold together. That'd be neat!
And the first, say, two issues aren’t as high quality in art/plot, but the author was so incredibly young when he made them that I can't be too bothered by it. While I wouldn't mind seeing some of those scenes redrawn, the roughness has a sort of punk zine vibe…
...All this rambling is me trying to say: I like JTHM just the way it is, in all of its (cringe) glory! Getting some kind of remake would be fun (and I ramble about the potential of that further down on this page) but...I can appreciate the original comic for what it is. It isn't perfect, but I like the earnest mess that it spits out.What scene from before or after canon would you like to see?
I've had to rewrite this answer twice, because I have such mixed feelings on it. The truth is...I'm not even sure what I want! I want everything!!! Or, well, anything that I can possibly get my hands on--but also...I feel like I should respect the creator's wishes, who's expressed that he doesn't want to give Johnny a proper backstory, in order not to make him too sympathetic...
...But I can't help myself from wondering. What was Johnny like before he became a homicidal maniac? Jhonen's thrown us a few hints here and there--We know that he used to be a painter, and his character bio in the Director's Cut says that his parents were murdered, which set the course of him becoming some kind of anarchist crime fighter. (...Sort of.) Just this info alone is enough to get the cogs in my brain turning with crazy theories!
But then there's Devi's side of the story in I Feel Sick, and her own experience with the parasitic "sickness" that took over Johnny... Sickness hints about Johnny, saying "Your friend though he could fight too...And he ended up introducing us...to you"... Pair that with the line where Sickness pressures Devi into giving into its whims, saying "...We'll protect you. You can walk through this world like you're God. Without fear, without damage. You can do whatever you want. Anything. Even kill..." ...It's not hard to imagine that Johnny eventually caved to that sort of offer, especially if what he wanted most was revenge on the world that wronged him...
I don't think Jhonen would ever write this, but...oh my god, all of that delicious angst! I'd love to see it, no matter how much it would hurt my heart...I'm soft for him as always, but Nny's pain would be so, so delicious...
But, if we're not looking at Johnny's past, there's still plenty of room to think about his future. I think it would be pretty easy to write a whole new arc for him, set after the plot of the original series--the ending for the comics was left very open-ended, so there's plenty of room to dream~ We could pick up where Johnny left off with Reverend Meat--who didn't even get a name until the behind-the-scenes stuff was published in the Director's Cut--and figure out where that subplot was meant to go.Who does your husbando get along with?
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Does he have any enemies?
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Does he have a canon love interest? How do you compare?
The universe of JTHM (and any of Jhonen Vasquez's works, really) is hardly romantic, but...yes, Johnny does have a love interest: Devi D! And she's got her own spin-off comic, I Feel Sick. I did have some feelings of jealousy when I first read the comics back in the day...but not in a "get her off my man" possessive sort of way, moreso because...she's actually just really fucking cool!!! I wish I was that cool...
How do Devi and I compare...? Well, I'd say we're both artistically inclined. (Her moreso though, she actually has enough talent to paint professionally, lol) We're both wary of the world and all of the darkness in it, and we both prefer our solitude over everything. But Devi is a really strong-willed person--the sort of person who isn't afraid to speak her mind.
.....It's really sort of a pity that I didn't waifu her. If Johnny didn't exist, and this story was about Devi the Homicidal Maniac, I think I would have been just as obsessed with her as I am with him.Do you ship your husbando with anyone?
Sure! I used to have my doubts about a few ships, but nowadays I see the appeal in (almost) everything.
DevNny is always good. Nny and Edgar is easily the most popular ship in the fandom--which is a bit baffling, because the guy is only alive for like, 4 pages, tops...But the never-ending creativity of the fandom (and it's ability to make new storylines out of nothing) is what makes it strong, so I can never bring myself to be a hater! Jimmy and Nny is a ship I only grew to like in the past few years...Jimmy is a completely nauseating character in the comics, but I've seen some fujoshi give him a decent enough rewrite. And, let's face it--
Johnny having angsty, angry relations with his weird fanboy clone is attractive. The tension there has this certain...spice....What's your husbando NOTP?
The only thing I have strong feelings against is SqueeNny. Don't fucking do that. Ya'll are nasty...
...Do I really have to explain why? I suppose I should, for those out there reading who don't know these characters. Ah, well...Squee is the little boy that lives next door to Johnny.
Are you envious of any of his canon relationships?
It's hard to say. I could easily just say "Yeah, I like what he has(had?) with Devi" but, also...Devi and Johnny were doomed from the start, no? Like I said before, the world of JTHM isn't very romantic. You'd have to be some kind of sicko and squint really hard to see the romantic tragedy in all of it...
....Thankfully, I am that kind of sicko!!!! :)
So, even if I can't pinpoint a specific canon relationship for this question, I just like the bitterness of them all. Heh.How do you feel about your husbando's character arc?
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What are some of his strengths and weaknesses?
Johnny's biggest strength is the way he’s 100% passionate about whatever he’s saying or doing. Second guessing comes later, the intrusive thoughts are always winning and any emotion that he’s having will spill out of him like an erupting volcano, whether positive or negative...This is also his biggest weakness, too.
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What's a question you want answered about him?
Oh gosh, I want really awkward and personal details about him. Like what does he smell like? Does he even shower? (My personal headcannon is that he’s actually kind of a neat freak so...hoping he’s not stinky, haha) How does he pay rent in that house, are his expenses covered by supernatural entities too? Many things to ponder...
Do I dare use this space to just write a laundry list of invasive questions for someone to pester Jhonen with...? Ah...
Share an interesting canon fact or detail.
Uhhh....Johnny has a small scar over his eyebrow, that he shares with his creator! It's mentioned in this Twitch clip, here. It's easy to miss--It's subtle, but it's there. It's just a tiny triangle over his eyebrow. You can see it from the very first issue!
There's a lot of cheeky little bits of trivia thrown about JTHM and Jhonen's other comics...too much to even list here, really. JTHM especially is seeped in pop culture references ("Nine Inch Heels" instead of "Nine Inch Nails" is my favorite~)...but this list that's been compiled of movie references throughout the series is especially good--especially if you know what a movie buff Jhonen Vasquez is. Give it a look and see if you caught them all! (I surprised myself by not catching some of the more subtle ones...)
What is the most important part of his characterization?
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What are some common misconceptions about your husbando?
That he’s not really meant to be a sympathetic character. “I’m the fucking villain of this story” and all that...but I guess the comics kind of failed at that, because...some idiot fell in love with him... (It's me. I'm the idiot.)
I do find it incredibly interesting how other fans interpret and imprint themselves on this work. Like what they walk away with after reading it...There's so many different flavors of viewpoints, that I can't help but find it so fascinating. Even my own read-throughs end up having different results--the feelings I experienced with the series at 15 are completely different than the ones I had at 25...
The ones that simply glorify all of the violence make me sad, though--Like, seriously, I think if you read these books and thought Johnny's point of view was “just like yours”, then…I’m just praying you’re only 13 and have the time to do some massive soul searching.How would you describe his outlook on life/personal philosophy?
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If he was real, is your husbando the kind of guy you could get along with?
...Absolutely not. And I wouldn’t dare test my luck with him, either. (This is the sort of relationship that needs to stay strictly in a fantasy, I'm afraid...) I don’t want to get murdered in a weird guy's basement!!!! lmao~
....But!!! But...(This is whispered quietly into your ear) If I could somehow catch Johnny before the wall monster and the sickness got to him, when he was still a quiet artist painting weird monsters, than maybe we’d get along better than expected....
Which official artwork is your favourite?
Oh! Oh god--this has got to be the hardest question in the whole survey! How to decide... (HAZE FROM THE FUTURE, PHONING IN: I absolutely couldn't decide. This answer is super long, I'm sorry...)
Well, when it comes down to it, I think the "expressions" poster is some of my favorite art of Johnny ever--my guy is making goofy silly faces at me?! I just can't resist~
I love how his hair looks a bit on the longer side, here...I want to play with it and figure out which direction his part grows in, and mess it up a bit. Based on the collar, he's in one of his sexy coats, which I just love~ All of his faces are so cute--from silly, to scary, to sexy, heehee~ The tiniest detail that I love in this poster are all of the lines in his face. I have to wonder if this is an older version of Johnny from after the comics--I'd like to think this is after he's aged a bit, and his face is maturing...Little details like this make him feel more alive, ya know? And we get a clear view of his eyebrow scar here, too~!
Anyway, I had this poster taped over my bed in highschool, and it followed me off to my college dorm room...It's pretty battered--it has some water damage because of a leak in my childhood bedroom, and it's creased in some spots. As of now, I have it next to my computer desk. I look over at it often~As for other pieces of art, I think my favorite cover out all of the single issues would be the cover of issue #2...But it's a hard tie between that and the cover for #3 though, which I have a poster of. I've already made a collection of my favorite panels from the comics, which you can look at here. [NOTE: still haven't finished that page yet, check back later!] I also have to give a shout out to Nny's cameo in I Feel Sick...the dialogue here totally re-contextualizes the plot of JTHM, and we get to oogle Johnny in full color!
You can't tell me that Johnny isn't wearing eyeshadow here. I just know he's rocking some smudged messy eyeliner when he wants to look good when he's going out! He got himself dolled up for Devi, ehehehe~
What do you think of his theme music?
...Ah, to have a husbando with theme music...
(I'm working on some JTHM-themed playlists that I'd like to share on the site eventually...check this space to see if I've finished them!)
Which husbando outfit/form do you like best?
Ohhh, this is a tricky one! Nny has so many fun little outfits that it’s hard to decide...but I’m extra partial to whenever he wears gloves~ I really like this outfit from issue 3, when he's arguing with the doughboys over his existential crisis. It doesn't have his usual funny slogans that change in every panel, but it's still memorable to me--the subtle stripes, the cool shape...And the fingerless gloves. I've had a thing for those since forever.
......I want to tug on his necklace...ehehe...ehehehehe....
But my second favorite outfit is most defnitely from when he's in Hell and finds that snazzy trenchcoat. It's just the perfect outfit that screams "Johnny"!! The stripes, the boots, the silhoutte...!!! Wah~~
Has your husbando appeared in crossovers?
Uhh...apparently he had a little cameo in a 90s comic called "Cyblade", according to this obscure fan wiki that I found. He's also got cards in The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls Requiem! (I have never seen or played either of these things.)
But Jhonen's comics, and even Invader Zim (to some extent), are all connected in the same universe. JTHM, Squee, and I Feel Sick are in the same world with the same re-occuring characters--and Nny shows up in both Squee and I Feel Sick. And there's a monster version of Johnny in the Invader Zim Halloween episode! Look at his stripes, they're cute~!!
Does he have merchandise? Do you own any?
Yes, I do! Besides the books themselves, Johnny has had a few bits of merch released over the years, and I'm proud to say that I own quite a bit. There's always things I'd like to add, of course--but I'm reliant on second-hand hunting on Ebay for the real old stuff, so it's slow going. I have a page dedicated to my entire Jhonen Vasquez collection, here. [NOTE: I haven't made the page yet, sorry lol]
....But, as for some of my favorite pieces of merchandise, getting my grubby mitts on a shirt from the elusive Commes des Garcon x JTHM collab is my crowning fangirl moment. It was the most money I've ever spent on a fucking tshirt, and I'm kind of ashamed of it...But also it kind of feels like a blend of a bunch of my most special interests (fashion and my dearest husbando) so maybe it was just meant to be...?! The printing is nice and the fit is comfy--I feel really cool when I wear it!
What's a little known secret about your husbando?
He does actually have a neck. He's just not really ever drawn with it showing much, because he's constantly hunched over and slouching.
...The way I've had this character as a husbando for 10+ years and never noticed his lack of neck in the comics. But then I read a comment somewhere where someone mentioned it--"Johnny the homicidal maniac has no neck"--and I was never able to unsee it...!!
Which fan theories about your husbando seem most likely to be true?
I like when fans rip into what a nerdy loser Johnny is. Let's face it, he's a massive fucking dweeb, hahaha~ Quoting movie lines at his victims and all that. Sometimes his Twitter references internet things--stuff like Nny being aware of AMVs made with his image...and that might just be Jhonen venting through his avatar, lol--but I kind of like the idea that Nny is actually chronically online....because I am chronically online.
I'm certain that Nny plays videogames. He's never mentioned any specific games in the comics, but he laments that Squee doesn't own any, lol. Since his comic is set in the 90s, I think an era-appropriate game he might enjoy would be Harvester! (Jhonen streamed it once, it's his kind of dark humor, ha.)
Johnny would love to excitedly show someone his favorite movies, rambling about the director and any trivia he knows the entire time...it would just happen at knife point...If you could make one headcanon into canon, what would it be?
I like the idea that he actually builds a lot of his own torture contraptions. I think the house supplied some of it, he just added to his own personal collection...like a crazed little inventor. I think he’s better with his hands than what we’re told in the books. ;)
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Do you have any wishes for your husbando's character or source material?
Oh, I could pray for so many things...It's a bit of a pipe dream, wishing for anything to do with a piece of old media like this, but I do yearn...Even just some new pieces of merch would be nice: A new poster and few tshirts, maybe. An official figure would be incredible. There was a design made for one that was just awesome (but then Jhonen just slapped the drawing on a shirt? Not sure what happened there...) If they actually produced an official statue or something like that, I would buy it and stare at it all day...
But besides that, do I dare just write down a laundry list of the things I want for Nny...? Oh, fuck it--
Okay, in a perfect world, this is what I’d hope to see:
• Either a spin-off comic or a complete rewrite of the original series. There are so many scenes that have so much potential but don’t quiiite capture the supernatural plot that I think Jhonen was going for. Stuff that you can tell was written by a goofy teenager that might be approached differently when written by an adult. I’d love for Jhonen to try to tell that story again with his adult sensibilities--just to see how different it would be.
• An animated anything. Movie, TV show, some kind of short...I don’t even care if it’s just a 10 second cameo in that Squee short that was teased all of those years back. I will literally accept anything. I would like him to speak at least one line though--please, give my boy a voice...I want to know what he sounds like...
• Some kind of JTHM collab that produces some really crazy merch. Some shoe company needs to make Johnny's hoof boots, goddammit! Or produce some replica knives--that was actually considered at one point..!
.............I know that deep down in my heart that these are all very unlikely. And I'm okay with that, for the most part--my precious memories with the original comics is something that I'll always cherish, and that's enough for me~