Love Letters to Jane’s World

The cover of Love Letters to Jane's World

One of the first pages in Love Letters to Jane’s World, a twentieth anniversary collection of Paige Braddock’s long-running comic recently published by Lion Forge Press, is a star network topology diagram that literalizes the strip’s title with Jane at the center and her supporting cast radiating out from her. It provides the reader with a handy guide for the next couple hundred pages on how the characters are related to each other and establishes the tone in one fell swoop.

Jane Wyatt loves donuts and coffee, has a terrible diet, is self-obsessed and sarcastic, but has a clear sense of loyalty to her friends, even if it’s mostly guilt. More than a collection of setups to easy jokes, though, she is the perfect center to what she calls, “My own little communist country called Jane’s World.” As Alison Bechdel is quoted, “Jane is one of the most endearing heroines in comic history.”

Those orbiting Jane are full of personality, including her lovable dog, Rusty. Her roommate Ethan, on-again/off-again romantic partner Chelle, and assorted friends and trysts all shine. There’s also a level of diversity that comics still needs, with characters of different religions, ethnicities, body types, and abilities depicted. Their misadventures usually begin with typical friendship woes like grudging obligations, new pets, going to therapy, and dealing with the fallout from relationships. As Howard Cruse notes in his introduction, “Everyday humanity seen through a prism of humor is the enviable hallmark of Jane’s World…Paige is no prisoner of punchlines. Her creation resembles real life.”

Each chapter is filled with charming diversions about family, job woes, and relationships. There are plenty of moments of slapstick and outrageous circumstances, but more often the humor is quietly observant. Even when the characters are being abducted by aliens and one is transformed into a chimp or a bike race turns into an exploration of the secret headquarters of the Log Cabin Republicans, the characters stay grounded and how they interact remains recognizable. As Ms. Braddock writes as part of her acknowledgements, “Jane’s World is about friendship and figuring out life.”

The fantastic elements and relatability work both ways; a storyline about learning a character is a secret agent has moments of truth about human nature, while one about an artistic collaboration climaxes with an anvil being dropped on someone’s head. Many strips end with a rueful look at the fourth wall from Jane, and at one point the characters debate changing the name of the strip itself. Introductory pages for each chapter fill in any blanks, making this read like the abridged version of the title character’s quest for love. The arrangement of the whole volume provides a very satisfying character arc and conclusion.

Jane’s World debuted on March 25, 1998. Ms. Braddock originally conceived it in 1991, but didn’t publish it until 1998, partly due to her being a self-taught artist. It was syndicated by United Media (then United Features) in 2001. Ms. Braddock has her own publication company, Girl Twirl Comics, which she has described as a one-woman show, which has printed manga-sized collections. The covers by guest artists are included in Love Letters.

That title refers to more than the care of Lion Forge’s reproduction or how beloved the strip is. Fan mail from people from all perspectives is included at the end. In a 2007 interview, Ms. Braddock explained part of her reason for seeking such mass appeal: “I always wonder…every time I run into Alison Bechdel…if she thinks I’m…shallow. But I’m not! I do think sometimes you get further by being more humorous and less political, because then you seem approachable to people who wouldn’t normally read different content will read the book.”

Paige Braddock was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Humor Writer/Artist in 2006. Love Letters to Jane’s World is available online and should be at your local comic shop.