The Jam Special #1 [1987] (Random Comics Theatre)

Random Comics Theatre

The Jam Special #1 [1987] 

This comic is the first solo outing for Bernie Mireault's offbeat hero, The Jam, consisting of four reprints seen in the back of Matrix Graphic's NEW TRIUMPH series from 1985-1986, plus a new 13-page story. It was meant to lead to an on-going series from Matrix in early 1988, but instead we got a colour one-shot from Comico later in 1988, and then the on-going series eventually came from Slave Labor in 1989, eventually seeing 14 issues (plus colour reprints of #1 to #5) from various publishers ending in 1997. There was then a 2-issue crossover with Mike Allred's Madman. As far as I know that's the last the character was seen.

I started reading with the on-going series, it was a few years before I finally got the colour special, and even longer before I got this special. It's pretty interesting, very different from what the series would become, although most of the elements are there from the start. The Jam, aka Jammer, is Gordon Kirby, a regular guy in a homemade costume who goes out and tries to fight crime. Gradually his actions bring him into contact with a detective named Jane Marble and a group of fanatics called Flarks.

Mireault's writing and artwork starts off a bit raw, but always energetic, and quickly grows in skill so by the end of the book he's pretty much at the mature level seen in his later work.