Jenny Everywhere
Encyclopedia
Jenny Everywhere aka "The Shifter" is an open source
, public domain
character
. She was specifically created to be as such, when her creators could not find any other truly open source
, public domain
characters.
Jenny Everywhere is described both as existing in every reality and being able to shift between realities. This gives the character the ability to be inserted into the continuity of any existing or new work, such as various comics
or webcomic
s. The concept may be extended to other media as well. She was originally created by Canadian comic book artist Steven Wintle, who uses the internet alias Moriarty, and co-developed by members of the Barbelith
online community.
In the post where he first proposed the character, Wintle described her as:
For reference, a comprehensive art collection of Jenny Everywhere character renditions and interpretations can be found on The Shifter Archive Project website.
The "license" is self-explanatory. However, it should be clarified that it does not mean everything with Jenny Everywhere is free-use and uncopyrighted. People may still maintain copyrights on their own unique characters and character styling, story, artwork, and title.
The name, the character herself, and the idea of the character is uncopyrightable, because she already belongs to everyone. That is what is meant by the "All Rights Reversed" portion.
Nelson Evergreen, artist of A Damn Fine Hostile Takeover Part 1 and Part 2, had released Part 2's idea of the "Jenny Nowhere" character to the same open license as Jenny Everywhere. Originally intended as a sort of antagonist to Jenny Everywhere, Nelson says the Jenny Nowhere should open to just as much accessibility.
character with no official site or publication, it is up to the creators of any story involving The Shifter to decide if they want to link to the continuity of other peoples' work or not. For example; in the story by Alex Hernandez (writer)
, Soulless Mate, a prominent character is one of Jenny's boyfriends from the My Bloody Valentine story. In someone else's story, this connection may not have happened.
Jenny has even appeared as a presenter for the 2008 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
, presenting the category for Outstanding Character Rendering.
In 2008, The Shifter Archive and WAGON Webcomic Battle lined up a drawing contest with Jenny Everywhere. Entrants were to compete for one of three official Jenny Everywhere game cards to be used in the WAGON Webcomic Battle Trading Card Game. Third Place was awarded to Zack Holmes, whose card was place with the Beta Deck. Second Place was awarded to Jacob Burrows, whise card was placed in the Alpha Deck. First place was awarded to Benj Christensen, whose card was deemed a Rare and Promotional Card. These cards have been put into print in November 2008.
Soon after, The New York Times
picked up on The Shifter, and an article was published in the September 14, 2003 issue. In an article titled Ideas & Trends: The Sharing Society; In the Age of the Internet, Whatever Will Be Will Be Free, journalist Steve Lohr wrote:
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
, public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
. She was specifically created to be as such, when her creators could not find any other truly open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
, public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
characters.
Jenny Everywhere is described both as existing in every reality and being able to shift between realities. This gives the character the ability to be inserted into the continuity of any existing or new work, such as various comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
or webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
s. The concept may be extended to other media as well. She was originally created by Canadian comic book artist Steven Wintle, who uses the internet alias Moriarty, and co-developed by members of the Barbelith
Barbelith
Barbelith is an online forum, named after an element in the comic book series The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, initially conceived of as a space for the discussion of Morrison's works.-The Invisibles:...
online community.
Description
According to the character's website:She has short, dark hair. She usually wears aviation gogglesLeather helmetA leather helmet is a form of protective headgear fashioned primarily out of leather .People have manufactured leather clothing, including headgear, for millennia....
on top of her head and a scarfScarfA scarf is a piece of fabric worn around the neck, or near the head or around the waist for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons. They can come in a variety of different colours.-History:...
around her neck. Otherwise, she dresses in comfortable clothes. She is average size and has a good body imageBody imageBody image refers to a person's perception of the aesthetics and sexual attractiveness of their own body. The phrase body image was first coined by the Austrian neurologist and psychoanalyst Paul Schilder in his masterpiece The Image and Appearance of the Human Body...
. She has loads of confidence and charismaCharismaThe term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
. She appears to be AsianAsian peopleAsian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
or Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. She has a ready smile.
If I had to compare her to anything, it would be like if TintinTintin (character)Tintin is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. Tintin is the protagonist of the series, a reporter and adventurer who travels around the world with his dog Snowy....
listened to Le TigreLe TigreLe Tigre is an American electroclash band, formed by Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman in 1998. It also featured Sadie Benning from 1998 until 2001, and JD Samson for the rest of the group's run...
and joined the Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
. She's excitable, passionate, attentive, curious, and caring. Like Captain MarvelCaptain Marvel (DC Comics)Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
, she's just a really powerful kid.
For reference, a comprehensive art collection of Jenny Everywhere character renditions and interpretations can be found on The Shifter Archive Project website.
The "License"
The character of Jenny Everywhere is available for use by anyone, with only one condition. This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Jenny Everywhere, in order that others may use this property as they wish. All rights reversed.
The "license" is self-explanatory. However, it should be clarified that it does not mean everything with Jenny Everywhere is free-use and uncopyrighted. People may still maintain copyrights on their own unique characters and character styling, story, artwork, and title.
The name, the character herself, and the idea of the character is uncopyrightable, because she already belongs to everyone. That is what is meant by the "All Rights Reversed" portion.
Nelson Evergreen, artist of A Damn Fine Hostile Takeover Part 1 and Part 2, had released Part 2's idea of the "Jenny Nowhere" character to the same open license as Jenny Everywhere. Originally intended as a sort of antagonist to Jenny Everywhere, Nelson says the Jenny Nowhere should open to just as much accessibility.
Stories and continuity
Being that Jenny Everywhere is an open sourceOpen source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
character with no official site or publication, it is up to the creators of any story involving The Shifter to decide if they want to link to the continuity of other peoples' work or not. For example; in the story by Alex Hernandez (writer)
Alex Hernandez (writer)
Alex Hernandez is a Cuban-American writer of indie webcomics based in Hialeah, FL. He is best known for his work on the open source character, Jenny Everywhere. He also has an extensive list of creator-owned work such as Eleggua, Thoth Boy, Kobuta, Children of Mars, The Mantis, The Magnificent...
, Soulless Mate, a prominent character is one of Jenny's boyfriends from the My Bloody Valentine story. In someone else's story, this connection may not have happened.
Independent stories
Most of the stories for Jenny Everywhere exist strictly as webcomics. In 2003, Nelson Evergreen and Joe Macaré had made a limited 50-unit self-publication of their stories, Name's Not Down and Damn Fine Hostile Takeover. A list of all known, independent comic stories of The Shifter can be found below:- Name's Not Down
- Damn Fine Hostile Takeover Part 1 Part 2
- By the Book
- Jenny Everywhere vs Hell
- The Freak Issue
- Say The Word
- My Bloody Valentine
- Bacterial Lunarversity
- Soulless Mate
- The Death of Jenny Everywhere
- Beauty as a Beast
- Graveyard Shift
- Holiday Pandemonium
- Jenny Everywhere and the Crossing Over Worlds
- The Nipped Nap
- Infinity Apartment
- When Casting Calls
- The Jenny Everywhere Chronicles
- New York Chaos
- Jenny Everywhere Gets Around
- Narcissist
- March of the Monerans
- Jenny Everywhere and the Golden Key
- Rail Shift
- Jenny Everywhere's Infinite: Quark Time
Cameo appearances
The character of Jenny Everywhere has not been limited to independent stories. She has also appeared in a number of existing webcomics as cameos and crossovers. A list of all known such appearances are listed below:- Dressed In Black Comics
- Loxie & Zoot (Mature Content: Contains non-sexual Nudity)
- He Is Just a Rat
- Scandal Sheet
- The Adventures of Vindibudd: Superhero In Training
- Samwise and Friends
- World's Worst Webcomic
- BetaPwned
- Kaspall
- Dark Red
- The Nineteenth Century Industrialist
- The Repository for Dangerous Things
- Too Many Authors
- Evil Overlords United
- A Pessimistic Sense of Inadequacy
- Paper or Plastic?
- Touhou Nekokayou
- Question Duck
- Reality Experiment
- Times Like This
- The Apple of Discord
- Jazz and Jess
- Life and Death
- The Easy Breather (Mature Content: Contains Nudity)
- Quad Space (Mature Content: Contains Nudity)
- Mac's Life - A Graphic Novella
- Comic
- The Crossover Thingie (Mature Content: Contains Nudity)
- Insert Comic Here (With various appearances after that.)
- The Apple of Discord: The Apple of Chaos
- Webcomic TV (Frequent cast member.)
- Magical Misfits
- Union of Heroes (With various appearances after that.)
- Special School
- Flicker Flame
- Crossoverlord
- Kiwi Day N
Jenny has even appeared as a presenter for the 2008 Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards
The Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards are annual awards in which online cartoonists nominate and select outstanding webcomics. The awards have been held since 2001, were featured in a The New York Times column on webcomics in 2005, and have been mentioned as a tool for librarians.The WCCA represent a...
, presenting the category for Outstanding Character Rendering.
Written stories
- John Dee, Jenny Everywhere: Round One by Woody Evans
- Paperback Writer (Mature Content)
- PencilJack Story Round #3: Jenny Everywhere
- Untitled Jenny Everywhere Adventure by Tom Miller
- Untitled Jenny Everywhere Origin Story by Tom Miller
- A Trip to the Moon An open source "ficlet".
Contests
There have been several one-time, single strips as well that have appeared as entries to Strip Fight contests. Strip Fight is a website that host bi-monthly contests in which people are invited to create a single comic strip, based on a given theme. Jenny Everywhere has been the subject of two different Strip Fight contests. The first one was Strip Fight: Round 5 in April 2004, and the second one was Strip Fight: Round 136 in October 2007.In 2008, The Shifter Archive and WAGON Webcomic Battle lined up a drawing contest with Jenny Everywhere. Entrants were to compete for one of three official Jenny Everywhere game cards to be used in the WAGON Webcomic Battle Trading Card Game. Third Place was awarded to Zack Holmes, whose card was place with the Beta Deck. Second Place was awarded to Jacob Burrows, whise card was placed in the Alpha Deck. First place was awarded to Benj Christensen, whose card was deemed a Rare and Promotional Card. These cards have been put into print in November 2008.
Critical acclaim
After several complete webcomics and the original launch of www.jennyeverywhere.com, The Shifter received much praise in niche online communities. Soon the character became recognized and praised in the September 2003 issue of the Canadian publication of Exclaim!. In an article titled Jenny's Everywhere: A Hero For The People, No Strings Attached, writer Tony Walsh wrote:
"The pinstripe world of corporately-owned superheroes is about to get shattered by a time-bomb named The Shifter. This sassy superheroine was born in a colossal explosion of energy like many of her copyrighted cousins, but unlike Superman or the Hulk, she belongs wholly to the people."
Soon after, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
picked up on The Shifter, and an article was published in the September 14, 2003 issue. In an article titled Ideas & Trends: The Sharing Society; In the Age of the Internet, Whatever Will Be Will Be Free, journalist Steve Lohr wrote:
"In [Canada], a small group of artists and editors has set up a Web site for Jenny Everywhere, an increasingly popular open-source cartoon.... What all this means for the future of intellectual property, and some businesses, is as unpredictable as the open-source revolution itself...."
External links
- Jenny's birthplace on the BarbelithBarbelithBarbelith is an online forum, named after an element in the comic book series The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, initially conceived of as a space for the discussion of Morrison's works.-The Invisibles:...
.com community - The Late Shift, a comic introduction to The Shifter.
- The original Jenny Everywhere website ( Archive.org's last backup of this site)
- The Shifter Archive Project, a comprehensive archive of Jenny Everywhere appearances
- Infinite Worlds GURPS Character Sheet
Articles
- Ideas & Trends: The Sharing Society; In the Age of the Internet, Whatever Will Be Will Be Free New York Times, September 14, 2003