Jim (comics)

Jim is a comic book series by Jim Woodring. Begun in 1980 as a self-published zine, it was picked up by Fantagraphics Books in 1986 after Woodring was introduced to Gary Groth by Gil Kane. The publisher released four magazine-sized, black and white issues starting in September, 1987. A comic book-sized continuation, Jim Volume II, with much color, began publication in 1993 and ran for six issues until 1996.

Jim, which Woodring described as an "autojournal", contained comics on a variety of subjects, many based on dreams, as well as surreal drawings and free-form text which resembled Jimantha automatic writing. Besides dreams, the work drew on Woodring's childhood experiences, hallucinations, past alcoholism, and Hindu beliefs. It also included stories of recurring Woodring characters such as Pulque (the embodiment of drunkenness), boyhood friends Chip and Monk, and, in Volume II, his signature creation Frank.

Most of the contents of the first Fantagraphics series were reprinted in the book collection The Book of Jim (ISBN 1-141-29836-8).

The title JIM appears in all-caps in the indicia of all issues.

Vol. I

 * 1) (Sep. 1987)
 * 2) (Jan. 1988)
 * 3) (Jan. 1989)
 * 4) (Oct. 1990)

Vol. II
Retelling of a dream in which Woodring was the central character but, unlike in his earlier dream comics, the main character was not drawn in Woodring's likeness.
 * 1) (Dec. 1993)
 * 2) *Manhog Beyond the Face (color)
 * 3) *Quarry Story
 * 1) (April 1994)
 * 2) *untitled Frank story (color)
 * 3) *untitled
 * 4) *untitled Pulque story (color)
 * 5) *untitled Big Red story
 * 6) (July 1994)
 * 7) *untitled
 * 8) *Authorized Only (digital color)
 * 9) *The Reform of the Apple
 * 10) (Dec. 1994, printed Nov. 1994)
 * 11) *Frank and the Toy without Pity
 * 12) *untitled Frank story (color)
 * 13) *Frank in the Cave of his Ancestors
 * 14) (May 1995)
 * 15) *Dive Deep
 * 16) *Peeker (color)
 * 17) *The Stairs
 * 18) *Frank and the Sugar of Vengeance
 * 19) *Echo (inside back cover)
 * 20) (May 1996, printed April 1996)
 * 21) *Obviously Not
 * 22) *untitled Chip and Monk story
 * 23) *Boyfriend of the Weather