I Feel Sick



A duo of comic books by Jhonen Vasquez, the guy who did Invader Zim. It's a spin off of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, exploring Devi's life after the main series and the start of her own mental sickness at the hands of a deranged painting of hers known as Sickness, as well as the start of serious anti-social behaviors as a result of stress from her work for a publishing company.

Tropes in this work include:
"Devi's Boss: "I'M GONNA RAPE YOU UP THE BUTT AND THROW YOU OUT THE WINDOW!" Jhonen Vasquez: "Um...""
 * Call Back: "He shit in his fucking pants! It was practically shooting out of every orifice! It was like watching an outhouse explode! It ruined dinner!"
 * Also, to Devi's date with Johnny. We get to see (via flashback) Devi and Johnny's conversation on the hill immediately preceding the part we see at the start of Johnny volume 2.
 * And Sickness appears to be  brought back in a new form to do to Devi what they once did to Johnny. One has to wonder about what happens after the series ends with that in mind...
 * The Cameo: Eric the vampire (pre becoming an actual vampire) shows up as the impetus for one of the unfortunate social incidents in Devi's flashbacks in the first issue.
 * Can't Get in Trouble For Nuthin': Sickness offers this ability to Devi in exchange for her mind.
 * Character Blog: In-universe, as each volume starts with Devi's journal writings charting the events that lead up to the comic proper. Doubles as an Info Dump.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Tenna.
 * Crapsack World: Shared with Johnny and Squee.
 * Creator Cameo: Jhonen Vasquez appears briefly in the second issue, then suffers Death by Cameo when Devi's boss throws him out a window.
 * Creepy Doll: Sickness.
 * Crowning Moment of Funny: Devi's boss's appointment with Jhonen Vasquez.

"Nny: "Or maybe you'd turn into some hideous, madness plagued lunatic bent on performing ghoulishly obscene acts of murder from which there is no conceivable redemption?" Devi: "Nope!" Nny: "Damn, so that's just me, huh?" Devi: "What?" Nny: "Nothing.""
 * And one of Nny's lines to Devi:


 * Executive Meddling: In-universe. Devi finally quits in protest.
 * Filler: Fillerbunny, and to a lesser extent the bad date flashbacks. (The word "Meanwhile" even pops up in reference to the latter.)
 * Imagine Spotting: "That's bullshit! And why the fuck am I wearing a bear suit?!"
 * Meaningful Name: Sickness.
 * Mr. Exposition: Sickness is this entirely against her will. No matter how hard she tries, she just can't stop. The exposition tends to double as a Motive Rant, making things worse.
 * Mythology Gag: "Meanwhile some years back."
 * Pinocchio Syndrome: Sickness.
 * Reality Subtext: This was written back when Vasquez was still working for Nickelodeon. Read both issues with that in mind and you will find a whole new meaning in the suffering of Devi at his work.
 * Vampire Vannabe: Eric the Vampire.
 * Weirdness Magnet: Devi is one. Tenna lampshades this.
 * Your Answer to Everything: "You need to get out more" is Tenna's.