"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stranger."
— Subtitle
Johnny Optimism
is a Cut-and-Paste webcomic that presents a darkly humorous look at the everyday life of a horribly ill, wheel-chair bound boy who is trying to remain optimistic despite his limited chances of survival. His only true friend is his dog, Lance.
This comic provides examples of:
- Back-Alley Doctor - Well, he doesn't seem to be running an overtly shady business, but Johnny's doctor certainly nails the "incompetent" part of this.
- Beat Panel - Used frequently.
- Body Horror - Some of the doctors more...creative diagnosis fall into this category.
- Canine Companion - Johny's dog Lance is with him all the time, as a side-effect of the strip's Cut-and-Paste nature.
- Cute and Psycho - Hinted at with the little girl with the toy duck.Girl: I don't have any parents. I'm an orphan.Johnny: I'm sorry. What happened to them?
- The Disease That Shall Not Be Named - We never learn what exactly Johnny's got. We just know that it's terrible.
- Jerkass - The girl with the leg braces.
- Kick the Dog - Most of the girl with leg braces dialogue.
- The Dog Bites Back - occasionaly
Girl: Hey Johnny, the doctor said you have athletes foot. Do you know what "irony" is?Johnny: Yeah...your legs. - Littlest Cancer Patient - Played for Laughs
- Maniac Monkeys - Johnny receives a "helper monkey" in an early strip that looks and acts more like some kind of goblin].
- The Pollyanna - Johnny never loses hope, although unlike most examples of this trope he is keenly aware of the horribleness of his situation.
- World of Pun - A good chunk of the strips are pun-heavy.