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 used in I Feel Sick include:
- 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 Psychodoughboy and Mr. Fuck 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.
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Devi's Boss: "I'M GONNA RAPE YOU UP THE BUTT AND THROW YOU OUT THE WINDOW!" |
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- And one of Nny's lines to Devi:
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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?" |
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- 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.