25. Jar of Fools

By: Jason Lutes

Found this book at Unnameable Books, the little indy bookstore downstairs from my sister's apartment. I'd read about it in Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, and although I'd forgotten the title, I immediately recognized it from the illustrations. McCloud had used JoF to illustrate how comic artists are able to create a sense of space and time.

What I found exceptional about Lutes' story is that there is virtually no exposition, and very little information given about the main characters. In fact, virtually everything you come to know about them is through their interactions and facial expressions. However, you quickly begin to feel as if you know them. Scott McCloud talks about this phenomenon that is unique to comics- the more simply that characters are drawn, the more of yourself you see in them. Lutes' characters are simply drawn, but are given enough personalities of their own to create believable people. This seems to me to be a very difficult trick to pull off as a comic artist- you want the characters unique enough to be interesting, and simple enough to identify with. Lutes pulls this off perfectly.

Jar of Fools is the story of a floundering magician, his estranged girlfriend, his aging mentor, and a con-man and his daughter. A simple twist of fate draws them all together at once, and through this meeting they come to different place in their lives and are able to move forwards. A very simple, and a very effective story.