Alex Robinson claims that he doesn’t remember drawing this, but the kid’s t-shirt brings it all back to me.
There was an Insane Clown Posse merchandise table set up at SPACE in 2001. About an hour after the convention opened, a huge crowd of Juggalos (i.e., the line stretched all the way out the door) filed in, bought t-shirts, and left en masse. The merch guys packed up shortly after. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since.
Afterward, a bunch of cartoonists took over their table and started a big jam comic.
I’ve participated in countless jams over the years. I just really like doing them, and I’m fortunate to know so many cartoonishly inclined peers who will pick up a pen and jam with me; any time, any place.
I was in my twenties before I ever visited a comic book shop. I preferred TV to comics when I was a kid. My big childhood dream was to join an improv troupe or sketch comedy ensemble. I prepared for this by trying out for every school play. Whenever I flunked an audition, I’d mope around the theatre until someone gave me something to do. This typically ended up involving laying out program booklets or designing posters. Ultimately, I failed enough auditions to become a professional graphic designer.
Eventually, it clicked that I didn’t have to go onstage to do comedy, I could draw comics instead. Jam comics satisfy my desire to improvise within a group of funny people. The gang of regulars turn out for jam night each month is an improv troupe of sorts. We just draw instead of act.
