Jar of Fools

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title = Jar of Fools


caption = Cover art for the 2003 Drawn and Quarterly edition of "Jar of Fools".
schedule = Weekly
format = Comic Strip, then Collected Graphic Novel
publisher = Drawn and Quarterly
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past_current_color = background:#ff9275
main_char_team = Ernie Weiss
Esther O'Dea
Al "The Great" Flosso
writers = Jason Lutes
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"Jar of Fools" is a once-weekly comic strip by Jason Lutes that was compiled, first into a two-part anthology, and then a graphic novel. The work has received praise from the New York Times book review, Spin Magazine, Wired Magazine, and acclaimed comics creator Chris Ware [http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shopCatalogLong.php?item=a3e569ce18a183 "Jar of Fools"] webpage at Drawn and Quarterly's website.]

"Jar of Fools" is the story of a tormented magician named Ernie Weiss (likely based on Harry Houdini, whose name was originally Ehrich Weiss [http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/05.09.96/comics-9619.html "Fools of Wisdom"] - An article on Metroactive Books about "Jar of Fools".] ). His brother, Howard, has died and he has become estranged from his girlfriend, Esther O'Dea. The story of the comic retells Ernie's struggles to get himself back on track and find himself, in part through the guidance of Al Flosso (likely also based on a real magician of the same name [http://www.magicdirectory.com/Magicians/Al_Flosso/index.html "Al Flosso"] at the Magic Directory.] ).

The strip first ran weekly in "The Stranger", a weekly Seattle alternative newspaper. Jason Lutes self-published a collection of strips at first, but in 1994, Black Eye Productions released the series in a two-part collected anthology. The book was then released by Drawn and Quarterly in 2003, where Jason Lutes releases his "Berlin" series.

"Jar of Fools" was one of Jason Lutes's first mainstream successes, earning him praise from many publications. Chris Ware, one of the most popular alternative comics writers, said of "Jar of Fools": "Reading Jar of Fools is like getting a slow motion punch in the face. There’s plenty of time to get out of the way, but something compels you to wait and find out of it’s actually going to hurt as much when it hits. And, of course, it does." [http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shopCatalogLong.php?item=a3e569ce18a183 "Jar of Fools"] webpage at Drawn and Quarterly's website.]

The success of "Jar of Fools" came as something of a surprise to Lutes. On that subject he says: "I think it was well-received partly because I set out specifically to tell a story that could be picked up and read by people who did not usually read comics, and partly because the reader could in some way participate in the same process of discovery I went through in its creation." [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/smallpress/98144619120449.htm "An Interview with Jason Lutes"] at Silver Bullet Comics.]

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