Migraine boy
Encyclopedia
Migraine Boy is a comic strip
created by cartoonist
Greg Fiering, which has been published in several mainstream printed media and TV.
Usually presented in black and white six-panel strips, the comic is set in a typical American suburban neighbourhood backyard, and deals with a bad-tempered kid suffering from chronic migraine
, and his interaction with his neighbour who constantly approaches him trying to befriend him.
The stories have a grim, sometimes absurd or surreal sense of humor, and often end up with Migraine Boy reacting violently to the irritation produced by his neighbour.
Over the course of the years, it was also published in other printed media, such as the Spy
magazine, Flagpole Magazine
, the Village Voice, UTNE Reader
, The Baffler
, Rolling Stone
, and Entertainment Weekly
.
In 1994, the US
rock band R.E.M.
chose Fiering to create the album cover for their album titled "Monster", after lead singer Michael Stipe
saw Migraine Boy in the Flagpole magazine. This ultimately resulted in Flagpole introducing Stipe and Fiering to each other, and Migraine Boy being featured in the album's inside booklet.
A year later, in 1995 a 64-page book, called "Migraine Boy's Fairweather Friends" (ISBN ), was published in the US by St. Martin's Griffin, featuring an introductory text written by Stipe.
In 1996, animation studio GreenHead Media produced a series of twelve thirty-second short clips
for MTV
, animated by James Dean Conklin, which were aired as fillers
over the duration of that year.
Later, in year 2000, a second book, titled "I Don't Love You!: The Best of Migraine Boy" (ISBN ) was published by Slave Labor Graphics
.
In 2001, Fiering and Conklin independently produced an animated short film called "Migraine Boy: The Bet", technically superior to those aired on MTV, which featured colored 3D graphics.
, in the "Art and Design" category.
Migraine Boy's neighbour: Appearing in mostly all of the strips, Migraine Boy's overjoyful neighbour is the most recurring character besides Migraine Boy himself. Despite his name never being mentioned, he has unofficially come to be known as Aspirin
Boy. His interventions in the comic strips often consist of him trying to cheer up Migraine Boy, most frequently by trying to play games with him (usually dress-up ones), or trying to find ways to relieve him from his headache. He is also shown to frequently have the necessity to love and be loved by Migraine Boy. In numerous episodes, suggestions are even made that his feelings for Migraine Boy go beyond those of friendship and sometimes tend towards homosexual love, which disgusts Migraine Boy even more than usual.
Tylenol: Tylenol
, named after the popular painkiller often used to treat migraines, is Migraine Boy's shih tzu
pet dog. Although he is rarely seen, he has been shown to be able to perform human-like tasks such as talking or weightlifting.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
created by cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Greg Fiering, which has been published in several mainstream printed media and TV.
Usually presented in black and white six-panel strips, the comic is set in a typical American suburban neighbourhood backyard, and deals with a bad-tempered kid suffering from chronic migraine
Migraine
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, and nausea...
, and his interaction with his neighbour who constantly approaches him trying to befriend him.
The stories have a grim, sometimes absurd or surreal sense of humor, and often end up with Migraine Boy reacting violently to the irritation produced by his neighbour.
History
The comic strip made its first appearance in 1992 in the Seattle-based Hype magazine.Over the course of the years, it was also published in other printed media, such as the Spy
Spy (magazine)
Spy was a satirical monthly magazine founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter, who served as its first editors, and Thomas L. Phillips, Jr., its first publisher. After one folding and a rebirth, it ceased publication in 1998...
magazine, Flagpole Magazine
Flagpole Magazine
Flagpole Magazine, often abbreviated to simply Flagpole, is an American alternative newsweekly that focuses on the cultural scene of Athens, Georgia and its surrounding communities. It was founded by Jared Bailey and Dennis Greenia in 1984 and is currently edited and published by Pete McCommons...
, the Village Voice, UTNE Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
, The Baffler
The Baffler
The Baffler is a left-wing magazine of cultural, political, and business criticism that was founded in 1988 and published until the spring of 2007. It was revived in 2009, with the first issue of Volume 2 published in January 2010...
, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
.
In 1994, the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
chose Fiering to create the album cover for their album titled "Monster", after lead singer Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
saw Migraine Boy in the Flagpole magazine. This ultimately resulted in Flagpole introducing Stipe and Fiering to each other, and Migraine Boy being featured in the album's inside booklet.
A year later, in 1995 a 64-page book, called "Migraine Boy's Fairweather Friends" (ISBN ), was published in the US by St. Martin's Griffin, featuring an introductory text written by Stipe.
In 1996, animation studio GreenHead Media produced a series of twelve thirty-second short clips
Media clip
A media clip is a short segment of media, either an audio clip or a video clip.Media clips may be promotional in nature, as with movie clips. For example, to promote upcoming movies, many actors are accompanied by movie clips on their circuits. Additionally, media clips may be raw materials of...
for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, animated by James Dean Conklin, which were aired as fillers
Filler (media)
In media, filler is material that is combined with material of greater relevance or quality to "fill out" a certain volume.-Early television:...
over the duration of that year.
Later, in year 2000, a second book, titled "I Don't Love You!: The Best of Migraine Boy" (ISBN ) was published by Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics is an independent American comic book publisher, well-known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics.-Company history:...
.
In 2001, Fiering and Conklin independently produced an animated short film called "Migraine Boy: The Bet", technically superior to those aired on MTV, which featured colored 3D graphics.
Awards
The Migraine Boy website was nominated for the 1997 Webby AwardsWebby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
, in the "Art and Design" category.
Characters
Migraine Boy: Bearing gritted teeth and a permanent frown, Migraine Boy is the main character of the strip, and the one that gives it its name. Although his real name is never clearly stated, it is suggested to be "Joey" in the episode named "Blossom". He appears as a bad-tempered young boy with his migraine symbolized in the comic strips as wiggly lines around his head. In MTV's animated version, the migraine is also accompanied by a pulsating low sound, and the appearance of the wiggly lines and the intensity of the sound apparently respond to Migraine Boy's level of irritation.Migraine Boy's neighbour: Appearing in mostly all of the strips, Migraine Boy's overjoyful neighbour is the most recurring character besides Migraine Boy himself. Despite his name never being mentioned, he has unofficially come to be known as Aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
Boy. His interventions in the comic strips often consist of him trying to cheer up Migraine Boy, most frequently by trying to play games with him (usually dress-up ones), or trying to find ways to relieve him from his headache. He is also shown to frequently have the necessity to love and be loved by Migraine Boy. In numerous episodes, suggestions are even made that his feelings for Migraine Boy go beyond those of friendship and sometimes tend towards homosexual love, which disgusts Migraine Boy even more than usual.
Tylenol: Tylenol
Tylenol
Tylenol is a North American brand of drugs advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The active ingredient of its original, flagship product, paracetamol , is marketed as an analgesic and antipyretic...
, named after the popular painkiller often used to treat migraines, is Migraine Boy's shih tzu
Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu is a breed of dog weighing with long silky hair. The breed originated in China and is among the earliest breeds. Shih Tzu were officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1969...
pet dog. Although he is rarely seen, he has been shown to be able to perform human-like tasks such as talking or weightlifting.