In Jayson Comics #7, a brand-new lead story
sets the stage for the return of Ed Rosenblatt, ex-lover of both Jayson and
Arena, followed by a retrospective of pivotal Jayson stories that featured the
series’ most notorious heartbreaker.
Unlike the main characters
in the early Jayson strips, Ed Rosenblatt was not based on a real person. For a
while he was the Jenny Piccolo* of the strip, often mentioned but never seen.
Andrea Jartman, the inspiration for Arena Stage, did have a sometime boyfriend
named Ed, who we agreed was slovenly and obnoxious, and bore no resemblance to
the character who finally emerged as Robyn’s discovery and Arena’s high school
sweetheart in the pages of Meatmen Vol. 6.
Ed was established as a
porn star trying to pay his way through medical school. With the backdrop of
the AIDS crisis, he justified his choice as a way to promote safer sex. Then
again, over the years Ed has justified many dubious choices: tossing Jayson
aside for the allure of Hollywood; knocking up Arena’s sister for the sake of
appearances; and returning to medical school when all else failed. With a
Jewish father and a Venezuelan mother, the duality of Ed’s nature – Ed
Rosenblatt vs. Eduardo Rivera, gay vs. straight, Jew vs. Gentile – was
established early on. Blessed with brains, beauty, and charisma, Ed adapts
easily to whatever situation he finds himself in – prompting the eternal
question, WHO IS ED ROSENBLATT?
Jayson Comics are
available for digital download and print-on-demand at IndyPlanet.
*Google
it.
