“Jayson” Strips At Last

If you’re a gay comics fan, you probably already know that Jeff Krell’s pioneering humor strip “Jayson” debuted in the Philadelphia Gay News in 1983 and graduated to acclaimed runs in Gay Comix and Meatmen.

What you may not know is that, for a number of years, Krell also produced a weekly syndicated version of the “Jayson” strip. Krell often serialized adventures over a span of weeks, which he later submitted to publishers as complete stories. However, he also produced a number of standalone gag strips that have never been reprinted.

In fact, in 2003, all of Krell’s original art went missing, never to be recovered. He kept copies of all his stories, but many of his gag strips were lost forever. Until now.

Issue 5 of Jayson Comics, titled “Jayson’s Joke Book,” represents a years-long effort to track down copies of those missing gag strips. In a few cases, the printed versions were in such poor condition that it was easier to trace and redraw them than to clean them up. In the end, Krell believes he has recovered all but three strips.

Debuting in July 2016 at San Diego Comic-Con, “Jayson’s Joke Book” is a treasure trove of rarely seen “Jayson” strips from 1984 to 1997, including some unpublished strips and brand-new material.

As a bonus, the center spread of this issue contains the “Jayson” board game Krell has always wanted to manufacture. Get together with your friends, pour some smart cocktails, and “Help Jayson out of the closet!”

“Jayson’s Joke Book” (24 pp., $4.00) is available for digital download and print-on-demand through IndyPlanet, as well as through Prism Comics, which represents Krell’s work at comic-book conventions. For more information, visit http://ignite-ent.com.