THE HISTORY OF "DENISE & JACK"
Denise and Jack were superheros. Literally. Five comics books were created for a storyline known as "Denise's World". It featured Denise and Jack (as well as Matt and Sean) traveling through a warp to an alternate reality. They would all fight an "evil twin" of Jack, named Mega-Jack. The entire basis of the alternate reality ripped off The Terminator. The story explained that Denise gained her ability to speak English from the warp travel, though in 2001 it was due to a freak planet alignment. Crystal, T.J., and Rex were created at this point, in the fifth issue of "Denise's World". The sixth issue was started but never completed.
Now that "Denise & Jack" was off to a good start, there were new comics almost every few days. Denise and Jack were written to be in sixth grade, and the roots of their ignorance began here. There were many notable moments in 2001 for the series. One that brought both good and bad reviews had Denise and Jack meet Bill Cosby and Malcolm-Jamal Warner from "The Cosby Show." They would all watch a segment on TV known as the "Lake Wobegon Moment", hosted by NPR-great Garrison Keillor. All three of them appeared in the one-year anniversary comic on April 30, 2001. The comic was a substantial disaster and was disliked by everyone who read it. It was clear that these three guest stars had been overused, after appearing in three comics already within two months.
Another notable series was the famous "Survivor" mini-series May of 2001. It featured Denise, Jack, and MANY other people that haven't appeared in a comic since. Readers were allowed to vote off which character they wanted off of the mini-series. A sub-plot involved the "Executive producers" of the show to come in and destroy the set. Both Sean and Jack were removed from the mini-series following a mishap with the "laser fences" that surrounded the O'Connor house, where the show took place. In the end, Rex won the show, after duking out the final two weeks with Denise. The mini-series came to a close in August 2001, right on the 100th comic.
Two more mini-series' followed in late 2001, making this the busiest year for "Denise & Jack". First, "Little Denise & Jack" was written, which showed Denise and Jack in their earlier years, from 1993 to 1996. Denise was a hyperactive little puppy who sported a bib, rattle, and diaper, and trotted around saying the one word she knew, "Boo". Jack took her to kidnergarten, where he proved that, even at five-years-old, he was still a moron. The second mini-series, "U.S. Space Cramp", saw Denise and Jack going to Space Camp. They manage to cause enough havoc to have them sent to the Peer space station, just to get out of the Commander's hair. Instead, they manage to "land the space station" (i.e., send it to Earth in a ball of fire) and have their guide, Russian Bob, subjected to their lunacy. They left NASA a smoking heap when they were finished.
2001 proved to be one of the most event-filled years for the series. It also introduced many great characters, such as The Director and the 6th grade teachers.
The most noted comic was the two-year anniversary comic, which pretty much "made up" for the previous year. It was short and sweet, and was liked by many of the readers. The big thing for 2002 was the three non-comic stories released this year: "Denise & Jack's Stupid Adventure", "Denise & Jack's Mardi Gras", and "Denise & Jack's World War". Each story was short, though the third one was never really released. The basic plot of the story had Denise and Jack leading an army of students against their own teachers in the school, creating a Columbine with paintball guns.