The Jam (comics)


The Jam, formally known as the Jammer, is a fictional costumed hero, created by the late writer-artist Bernie Mireault, who originally appeared in Canadian comic books published by Matrix Graphics Series. The Jammer made his first appearance in New Triumph Featuring Northguard #2.
The Jammer is the alter ego of Gordon "Gordie" Kirby, an otherwise normal guy who found he enjoyed patrolling the rooftops of his home city of Montréal in a homemade superhero costume. The Jammer is not really a superhero. He often finds himself in the right place at the right time, and is compelled to act heroically. Sometimes he is hired to do good deeds. His personal mission is to "dominate the world with peace, love, and free beer". Through the course of his career, he has battled terrorists, a delusional psychiatrist, and even servants of the Devil.

Publication history

The first published stories of the Jam appeared in New Triumph Featuring Northguard from Matrix Graphic Series between 1985 and Summer of 1986. These stories were collected, along with a new unpublished story, by Matrix Graphics Series as The Jam Special #1 in 1987. A second special, The Jam, Urban Adventure: Super Cool, Color-injected, Turbo Adventure from Hell #1, was published in 1988 by Comico, and advertised a series "bi-monthly starting this summer from Matrix".
Slave Labor Graphics published The Jam, Urban Adventure #1–5 between November 1989 and the Summer of 1991. The Jam, Urban Adventure #1 was an expanded version of the new story found in The Jam Special #1. Tundra Publishing colorized and republished The Jam, Urban Adventure #1–5 between January and May 1992. Dark Horse Comics picked up the title and published issues' #6-8 between October 1993 and February 1995. Finally, Caliber Comics published issues #9–14 between 1995 and 1997, as well as the Jam short story "The Chair" in Negative Burn #25. From then on several mini-series', one-shots and short stories were published.
Bernie Mireault was featured in Demi-Dieux, 40 ans de super-héros dans la bande dessinée québécoise published by Jean-Dominique Leduc at Mem9ire. The Jammer appeared, along with other notable characters, on the cover of the book.
DatePublicationPublisher
1985New Triumph Featuring Northguard #2Matrix Graphic Series
1985New Triumph Featuring Northguard #3Matrix Graphic Series
1986New Triumph Featuring Northguard #4Matrix Graphic Series
1986New Triumph Featuring Northguard #5Matrix Graphic Series
1986Canadian Comics CavalcadeArtworx
1987The Jam Special #1Matrix Graphic Series
1988.05The Jam, Urban Adventure: Super Cool, Color-injected, Turbo Adventure from Hell #1Comico
1989.11The Jam, Urban Adventure #1Slave Labor Graphics
1990.01The Jam, Urban Adventure #2Slave Labor Graphics
1990.03The Jam, Urban Adventure #3Slave Labor Graphics
1990.05The Jam, Urban Adventure #4Slave Labor Graphics
1991.01Amazing Heroes Swimsuit Special #2Fantagraphics Books
1991The Jam, Urban Adventure #5Slave Labor Graphics
1992.01The Jam, Urban Adventure #1Tundra Publishing
1992.02The Jam, Urban Adventure #2Tundra Publishing
1992.03The Jam, Urban Adventure #3Tundra Publishing
1992.04The Jam, Urban Adventure #4Tundra Publishing
1992.05The Jam, Urban Adventure #5Tundra Publishing
1993.10The Jam, Urban Adventure #6Dark Horse Comics
1994.03The Jam, Urban Adventure #7Dark Horse Comics
1995.02The Jam, Urban Adventure #8Dark Horse Comics
1995.07Negative Burn #25Caliber Comics
1995The Jam, Urban Adventure #9Caliber Comics
1995The Jam, Urban Adventure #10Caliber Comics
1995The Jam, Urban Adventure #11Caliber Comics
1995Caliber Comics 1996 CalendarCaliber Comics
1995.12Overstreet's Fan #7 Gemstone Publishing
1996The Jam, Urban Adventure #12Caliber Comics
1996The Jam, Urban Adventure #13Caliber Comics
1997The Jam, Urban Adventure #14Caliber Comics
1998.07Madman/Jam #1Dark Horse Comics
1998.08Madman/Jam #2Dark Horse Comics
1999Madman Boogaloo! Starring Nexus & The JamDark Horse Comics
2007.10Awesome: The Indie Spinner Rack AnthologyEvil Twin Comics
2007The Comic Eye: Comics About ComicsBlind Bat Press
2008.04Modern Masters, Volume Sixteen: Mike AllredTwoMorrows Publishing
2009.10"The Jam Lives"CO2 Comics Comics
2011To Get HerBEM Graphics
2012.10Madman 20th Anniversary Monster!Image Comics
2013.03.15"The Jam 00a"Comic Art of Bernie Mireault
2013.03.21"The Chair"Comic Art of Bernie Mireault
2013.03.25"Team Jam"Comic Art of Bernie Mireault
2014.04Demi-Dieux, 40 ans de super-héros dans la bande dessinée québécoiseMem9ire
2016.03Tesseracts Nineteen: Superhero UniverseEDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
2017.03XVI Short StoriesAbout Comics

Fictional character biography

Major story arcs

''Fun with Flarks''

While vacationing in Montréal with friends, the Blood King hired Jane Marble to protect him from a small but determined army of terrorists who followed in his wake. Jane contracted the Gordon Kirby to be the king's body double.

''Broken Hearts''

The Devil took a special interest in Gordon Kirby when he learned Gordie's happiness ratings were "off the chart".

''"...Said the Madman."''

Jane Marble referred Gordon Kirby to Dr. Andrew Mandigo who was willing to pay the Jammer to talk about his life as a crimefighter.

''To Get Her''

Gordon Kirby and Janet Ditko had been together for 10 years. Gordie had rediscovered his calling as a comic artist. Janet was frustrated and looking for a change.

Multi-issue stories

''Ask Him About the Kinetic''

Gordon Kirby was sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to personally deliver a message to Jane Marble's client Mark Trimble. She offered to tear up Mark's bill if he told Gordie about the Kinetic.

''House of Escher''

Gordon Kirby met Frank Einstein who had traveled to Montréal to uncover the mystery behind a reoccurring dream.

Short stories

''What Are You Doing to My Mother?''

The Jammer happened upon Jane Marble being mugged in an alleyway at knifepoint.

''Fight! Fight! Fight!''

The Jammer spotted a mother and her child being threatened on an adjacent rooftop by an angry man with a gun.

''I'm Gonna Screw Up Your Float.''

Gordon Kirby tried to return bottles to a convenience store when it was robbed at gunpoint.

''Time to Get Rich''

Gordon Kirby called Jane Marble about a job opportunity and overheard an intruder breaking into her office.

''You're Such a Pig, Roger.''

The Jammer happened upon an enraged man dangling another from the roof of a building by a rope.

''The Price Is High.''

Gordon Kirby dreamed he was the Jammer Omniscient, ruler of Hell for Assholes.

''Don't Forget the Rent.''

Gordon Kirby visited his bank and noticed two suspicious men walking in and another waiting outside behind the wheel of a car.

''New Talent Night''

Gordon Kirby and Janet Ditko attended the debut of the Balloons at the Blue Angel Bar's New Talent Night.

''The Mighty Jan''

Janet Ditko dreamed she was a superhero attempting to rescue Gordon Kirby from the clutches of the evil Hell Lord.

''God's Window''

Tony Matootsi was killed in a freak accident. His wife Nina held a religious vigil.

''The Chair''

Gordon Kirby and Janet Ditko scrambled to acquire nice a chair that had been abandoned in an alley across from their apartment building.

''Story Time at the Blue Angel''

Gordon Kirby met his friend Rex at the Blue Angel Bar to talk about an event that had been bothering him.

''Megan's Story''

Gordon Kirby and Janet Ditko were invited to Studio C by Janet's Aunt Zoe for the opening of Klee Shonin's new show.

''Team Jam''

Snuuger Dü, Bug-Eyed Monster, Dr. Robot, and No.1 met the Jammer when they got lost following a storyline.

''Comic Jam''

Gordon Kirby attended a regular drawing workshop and social hour for cartoonists at La Sala Rosa Restaurant. The attending artists produced a collaborative comic.

''A Secret Bowman''

witnessed a man being shot with an arrow by a bowman from an adjoining rooftop.

The works of Gordon Kirby

''Mayhem in Alphabet Town''

"Mayhem in Alphabet Town" was a bedtime story created by Gordon Kirby for his nephew Ronnie. It is a murder mystery wherein the residents of Alphabet Town come together to determine who killed Q.

''Internal Dialogue''

"Internal Dialogue" is a 16-page comic written and illustrated by Gordon Kirby about a man who is held ransom by his mistreated organs.

''Hi-hat''

"Hi-hat" is a series of newspaper-style comicstrips written and illustrated by Gordon Kirby that serve as an allegory to his struggles as an artist.

''Asshole''

"Asshole" is a 10-panel newspaper-style comicstrip about a clown asking for a handout from a disillusioned good samaritan.

Powers and abilities

The Jammer is athletic and in good physical shape, regularly leaping between rooftops when patrolling his neighborhood. The Jammer is a capable hand-to-hand combatant, having knocked armed assailants unconscious, subdued a religious fanatic who was assaulting a woman in the street, easily defended himself against two opponents in the back of a police wagon, and performed an impeccable tomoe nage on a man who attacked him with a cane. The Jammer has also displayed a resistance to hypnotic induction.

Equipment

Costume

The Jammer's costume consists of a loose-fitting dark-green hooded jogging suit ; a white belt; and dirty white cavalier-style gloves and boots. Bits of orange material were added to the hood to form a mask with large square eyeholes; and an inverted orange triangle was sewn onto the chest. The clumsy hand stitching shows plainly. Gordie's sister Nancy made the costume for him as a joke in reference to his early superhero comic habit and his devotion to the original Batman television series.

Futility Belt

The Jammer's "futility belt" is a jury-rigged tool belt that features four small tubes on either side of a rectangular interlocking buckle. From this belt, he has produced a smoke pellet, a business card, a dog whistle, a notepad & pen, and a plastic pet-waste bag.

Reception

Larry Snelly reviewed The Jam in White Wolf Inphobia #53 and stated that "After reading this funnybook, you can't help but have a wonderful, warm feeling. It's always funny, down to earth and refreshingly upbeat."