Bluntman and Chronic are characters appearing in a fictional eponymous

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

series seen in the movies ''

Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee. The film is about a male comic artist (Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian woma ...

,'' ''

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the fifth to be set in his View Askewniverse, a growing collection of characters and settings that developed out of hi ...

,'' and ''

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot ''Jay and Silent Bob Reboot'' is a 2019 American satirical buddy stoner comedy film written, directed, edited by, and starring Kevin Smith. Referring to his 2001 comedy ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', Smith has described the film as a remake/ ...

''. Actual ''Bluntman and Chronic'' comic books based on the fictional movie comic book series were published after the release of ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back''. Both the movies and the comic books were created by writer and actor

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...

. Comics creator

Mike Allred Michael Dalton Allred is an American comic book artist and writer most famous for his independent comics creations, ''Madman'' and ''iZombie''. His style is often compared to pop art, as well as commercial and comic art of the 1950s and 1960s ...

designed the costumes for the characters.

Movies

In the film ''Chasing Amy'',

Banky Edwards This is a list of major and recurring characters in Kevin Smith's fictional universe known as the View Askewniverse. ''Clerks'' (1994) Dante Hicks Dante Hicks, played by Brian O'Halloran, is 22 (33 in ''Clerks II, 49 in Clerks III''), works at ...

(played by

Jason Lee Jason Lee may refer to: Entertainment *Jason Lee (actor) (born 1970), American film and TV actor and former professional skateboarder *Jason Scott Lee (born 1966), Asian American film actor * Jaxon Lee (Jason Christopher Lee, born 1968), American v ...

) and Holden McNeil (played by

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educationa ...

) create a comic book series based on their infamous stoner friends,

Jay and Silent Bob Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively, in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, a fictional universe created and used in most of the films, comics, and television programs written and produc ...

. The first three issues of the series sell out quickly. At one point,

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

offers Banky and Holden McNeil the option to make an

animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...

. Banky is willing to do it, but Holden McNeil declines for "artistic reasons". Soon after this, Holden passes the reins of power over the comic to Banky, and their partnership is disbanded. In the film ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', Banky Edwards has sold the rights to ''Bluntman and Chronic'' to

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a leadi ...

, who begin production of a film adaptation of the comic due to the recent success of ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

''. Miramax's production is directed by Chaka Luther King (played by

Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best come ...

) and stars

Jason Biggs Jason Matthew Biggs (born May 12, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Jim Levenstein in the '' American Pie'' comedy film series and Larry Bloom in the Netflix original series '' Orange Is the New Black''. He al ...

as Bluntman (referred to as the pie fucker throughout the film),

James Van Der Beek James William Van Der Beek (; born March 8, 1977) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in the WB series ''Dawson's Creek'' and Johnny "Mox" Moxon in '' Varsity Blues'' (1999). He played a fictionalized version of hi ...

as Chronic, and

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...

as the villain Cock-Knocker. However, filming is interrupted by the comic's inspirations, Jay and Silent Bob, who arrive hoping to stop the film, as they worry that it will damage their reputation (after having been upset by comments made by

Internet trolls In slang, a troll is a person who posts or makes inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, a online video game), or in real life, with the int ...

on a movie gossip website about the film and the characters). Mistaken as Biggs' and Van Der Beek's

stand-in A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and television production. Stand-ins a ...

s at one point, Jay and Silent Bob are filmed in some of the scenes. Months later, the movie is released. One character in the film, Hooper X, referred to the movie as "a ninety-minute long gay joke," and felt it was "just like watching '' Batman & Robin'' all over again." Jay and Silent Bob then use their royalties to track down and beat up everyone who bashed them on the internet. In an extended scene in ''

Clerks II ''Clerks II'' is a 2006 American comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the sequel to his 1994 film ''Clerks'', and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. The film stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawso ...

'',

Dante Hicks This is a list of major and recurring characters in Kevin Smith's fictional universe known as the View Askewniverse. ''Clerks'' (1994) Dante Hicks Dante Hicks, played by Brian O'Halloran, is 22 (33 in ''Clerks II, 49 in Clerks III''), works at ...

and

Randal Graves This is a list of major and recurring characters in Kevin Smith's fictional universe known as the View Askewniverse. ''Clerks'' (1994) Dante Hicks Dante Hicks, played by Brian O'Halloran, is 22 (33 in ''Clerks II, 49 in Clerks III''), works at ...

were wondering where

got the money to loan them to reopen the

Quick Stop ''Clerks'' is a 1994 American black-and-white buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith (in his feature directorial debut), produced and edited by Smith and Scott Mosier, and starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghiglio ...

, and Jay asks "Doesn't anybody remember they made a movie using our likeness?"—referencing the Bluntman and Chronic movie made in ''

''. Bluntman and Chronic also appear in the 2013 animated comedy ''

Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie! ''Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie!'' is a 2013 American adult animated comedy film written by Kevin Smith, directed (and co-animated) by Steve Stark, and produced by Jason Mewes and Jordan Monsanto. The film's script was adapted from ...

''.

Comics

Trade paperback

A comic book based on the fictional movie was published in trade paperback form by

Oni Press Oni Press is an American independent comic book and graphic novel publisher based in Portland, Oregon. In 2019, it became an imprint label following the company's merger with Lion Forge Comics. The merged company, Oni–Lion Forge Publishing Grou ...

in 2001. The book is portrayed as a collection of the three issues written by Banky Edwards and Holden McNeil in ''Chasing Amy''. It was written by Kevin Smith with art by

Michael Avon Oeming Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. Career Oeming is a fan of ancient mythology, having written or drawn several projects centering on the Norse gods. He frequently collaborates with long-time fr ...

and Neil Vokes. In the first issue, after encountering several comic book references, Jay and Silent Bob win the lottery and decide to become

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

es. After Bob handles most of the gadget work, the two don the names Bluntman and Chronic. In the second issue, some of the nemeses of Bluntman and Chronic, such as Cock-Knocker and Dickhead, reveal their origins to fellow

supervillain A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero. Supervillains are oft ...

inmates The Inmates are a British pub rock band, which formed after the split of The Flying Tigers in 1977. In 1982, they had a medium-sized international hit with a cover of The Standells' "Dirty Water", and a UK Top 40 hit with their cover of Jimmy M ...

and a

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

. The psychiatrist turns out to be the Lipstick Lesbian, a newer supervillain, who helps the criminals escape. The five villains, consisting of the aforementioned three along with the Diddler and Newsgroup, form The League of Shitters. In the third and final issue, Chronic nearly throws out his costume, feeling that he's become "the sidekick". He changes his mind, however, when he realizes Bluntman "has all the weed". Meanwhile, the League of Shitters discover that the Doobage Duo's Bluntcave lies beneath the RST Video/Quick Stop. The five arrive at the stores, only to have Cock-Knocker go into the Quick Stop and buy some snacks. The four others, however, are crushed to death after RST's front wall falls over, allowing Bluntman and Chronic to ride the Bluntmobile into the Bluntcave. Cock-Knocker then exits the Quick Stop, only to step in Dickhead's spleen. Cock-Knocker breaks into the Bluntcave, where he slices Chronic in half with a Bluntsaber. Bluntman slays Cock-Knocker and weeps over his dead friend. The cover of issue three features Bluntman holding Chronic's corpse the same way Batman held Jason Todd's in ''

A Death in the Family ''A Death in the Family'' is an autobiographical novel by author James Agee, set in Knoxville, Tennessee. He began writing it in 1948, but it was not quite complete when he died in 1955 (with reputedly many portions having been written in the hom ...

''.

Other comics

Two other Bluntman and Chronic comics were published, both with art by comic book artist and Madman creator

. The first was seen in the opening titles of ''Chasing Amy'' and was published in the Clerks/Chasing Amy screenplay book. The second was published in Oni Double Feature #12. Both have a design style that is very different from that which is seen in the trade paperback. Their style echoes the comics of the 1940s and is visually more similar to the comics seen in ''Chasing Amy''.

References

External links