JET Fool

Here's the deal: I'm an ALT on the JET program. I'm a CHO (meaning I work for my town, town=cho) rather than a KEN (meaning I work for the prefecture, prefecture=ken). I want to make a comic highlighting the subtle differences between life as a CHO and life as a KEN.

My first effort was ... less than perfect:


First, the title. "The CHOsen One", while cleverly including CHO, implies elevation above others, whereas life as a CHO is more like getting your face stomped on. Repeatedly. Forever.

Not that I'm complaining.

I changed the name to JET Fool, which sounds a bit (but not really) like 'jet fuel', which is also the name of the FJET newsletter in which I will be inflicting these on my fellow JETs. Also, it more clearly defines the main character (based on myself) as a bit of a dumbass, whom we can make fun of without feeling guilty. But more than just the title needs fixing.

Another problem is that it unfairly portrays my co-workers in a negative light. This is actually the opposite of true; my co-workers are awesome, and a joy to work with.

A third problem is the crude drawing. I'm no artist, and I have neither tools nor talent. I sketched that one out in Paint.

But, the most important problem is this: it's not particularly funny. I mean, I 'get' the humor; the first three panels set it up as being a horrible day and at the end the twist is that, even with all that happened, it was still a better day than average.

Har har.

But, if you don't care about the main character (and, if you're not ME, why would you?), why would you care if he had a bad day or not? If you're not a JET, you can't relate to similar experiences. In short, it doesn't have broad appeal.

And that's where you come in...