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GHM Online Columnist - Steve Higgins |
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| LATEST NEWS .: |
.MAY 2003.
Steve's Column Debuts! |
| COLUMN PICS & LINKS .: |
.Jar.of.Fools.
by Jason Lutes
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Feedback is always appreciated!
E-mail me at vacuumboy9@hotmail.com
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June 13, 2003
"JAR OF FOOLS"
Not to be hyperbolic, but Jar of Fools is quite literally one of the best realistic graphic novels ever produced. Yet for some reason, very few people have heard of the work, which is quite a shame. Its creator, writer/artist Jason Lutes, has been brilliant in his recent series Berlin, in which he explores the characters of an ensemble cast in the historical setting of Germany between the two World Wars. Jar of Fools should be similarly noted and acclaimed for its fantastic characterization, albeit in a more modern setting.
Currently published through Drawn and Quarterly (as is Berlin), Jar of Fools revolves around failed stage magician Ernie Weiss. Ernie's life has been headed downhill since an unfortunate "accident" involving his brother's act as an escape artist. Now alcoholic and destitute, Ernie feels trapped by his past and is unable to overcome the demons that plague him. At the same time Ernie's former girlfriend Esther is stuck in a relationship that's going nowhere and in a dead-end job she hates, while Ernie's mentor Al Flosso tries desperately to escape both his nursing home and his memories of brighter days.
The revelations about each of these characters as the narrative unfolds are both heartbreaking and, paradoxically, uplifting. These characters have each metaphorically "lost the magic" in their lives and long to be free from the problems they face in their daily lives: their sexual dysfunctions, their inability to form relationships, their lack of self-worth. Yet the story focuses not on the endless tragedies they must endure but instead on how, by coming together, each of these people are able to conquer difficulties that overwhelmed them when alone. This is not a story about hitting rock bottom, but one about climbing back up again, about the hope that we draw from even the simplest contact with our fellow man.
These themes are explored with such power and subtlety through Lutes's inspired use of symbolism. For example, the ball and chain Ernie's brother wore as part of his escape act repeatedly appears and represents how Ernie is weighed down by his past, as does the top hat Al Flosso constantly wears. Dreams also play a large part of this narrative and reveal a great deal about the characters, especially Ernie's recurring dream remembrances of the day of his brother's death.
Rich in symbolic meaning, rife with very human characters, and permeated with thematic exploration, Jar of Fools is the epitome of what graphic narratives can offer. I have used the book in my classroom and would use it again, for it is not just a brilliant comic. It is a brilliant work of fiction, standing up to any work of literature in any other medium. It deserves to be studied alongside those other great works, to have a place not only in the classroom but on your bookshelf.
All Content ©2003 Steve Higgins, All Rights Reserved.
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| :. ABOUT STEVE |
Steve Higgins is an English instructor who loves comics so much he offers a class on them in the spring. His wife Sarah hates comics with a passion and wishes Steve would stop spending so much money on them each week.
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| :. ABOUT STEVE ( CONTINUED) |
Favorite Comics: Doom Patrol, Y the Last Man, Alias, Queen and Country, X-Statix, 21 Down, Paradigm
Favorite Movies: The Fisher King, Heavenly Creatures
Favorite Bands: Radiohead, Counting Crows, Weezer
Favorite Writers: Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, Russell Banks
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| © 2003 - Gray Haven Magazine & All Authors. |
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