Jhonen Vasquez, creator of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Invader Zim, has posted a new, cryptic image of Johnny to his Twitter page, and it’s got his fans squeeing.
Posted late last night and pinned to Vasquez’s Twitter profile, the image is a pixelated .gif of the titular Johnny’s silhouette, standing still and silent and holding a blade behind his back. The accompanying text reads: “Murder comes in a handful of pixels. #JTHM”
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Though the .gif could mean literally anything, from a tease for an upcoming project or merely new art from the creator, many Johnny the Homicidal Maniac fans seem to be of the belief that Johnny could be coming back as a pixel game. Vasquez is, after all, bringing back Invader Zim, and was responsible for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles short a few weeks back.
Vasquez has not commented on the .gif, and, in interviews for his upcoming TV movie Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, the writer and artist has made no mention of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac being rebooted or revisited in any way.
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Following the murderous exploits of a young man named Johnny C., Johnny the Homicidal Maniac began as a comic strip in the 1990s, in goth zine Carpe Noctem, before moving to Slave Labor Graphics as a limited series comic book in 1995.
Jhonen Vasquez is a comic book writer, cartoonist, and music video director. In addition to Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, he’s the creator of spin-off titles Squee! and I Feel Sick, as well as the cult-favorite cartoon Invader Zim. His upcoming TV movie, Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, should be premiering on Nickelodeon soon.