The Complete Jack Survives by Jerry Moriarty
Moriarty is probably best known today as a painter, but more than 20 years ago, he debuted Jack Survives, a collection of little painted comics vignettes on the lives of his father in the 1940s and early 1950s. These short stories—none longer than four pages and the majority merely one—are typically little tales concerning Jack’s struggle to maintain his honour. Although he is at the mercy of his surroundings, he is equipped with the tools of his time, including coffee, a business suit and hat, and the politeness of everyday small chat.
The Complete Jack Survives by Jerry Moriarty
Amazon.com
Jack Survives is nonetheless full of life for a book with a main character who has such a negative attitude toward life. It perfectly expresses the fleeting feelings of futility, rage, and perplexity as you watch life go past. The majority of these are “feel” pieces that offer a fleeting view into Jack’s universe. Even though the stories are all quite brief—many are only one page—they yet portray a rich, nuanced world. This collection is now on its second iteration. Black and white line art with great contrast was used in the first. Since you can see the underlying pencils, whiteout, smudging, etc. that give the pages a painterly appearance, it appears that the original art pages in this more recent edition were scanned and then reproduced.
In this book, his powerful lines and understated storytelling were exquisitely beautiful at a time when the aesthetic of mainstream comics was starting to lean too heavily toward the ugly. The book was soothing and incredibly motivating. I was left wishing for more. Years later, this exquisite compilation is released, and it is priceless. It’s beautiful to see the newly scanned art.
