Mrs Zirma (comic story)
Mrs Zirma was a standalone Jenny Everywhere comic story created by David LoTempio. It is believed to have been the third of the original Barbelith Jenny Everywhere stories to be released.
Contents
Plot
Jenny Everywhere is sent by Nigel to confront an old lady living in a trailer park. “Mrs Zirma” is not what she appears; she is not just a doddering old grandmother with a penchant for storytelling, but a living, breathing alternate history who tries to seep into the mind of whoever listens to her tales and replace their world with hers. Forewarned, Jenny is able to use a mental resistance technique to kick Zirma out of her head and force her to reveal her true, eldritch appearance. She then uses a Laudomite hand-grenade to kill the creature.
Worldbuilding
Jenny
- This story focuses on one universe's native Jenny Everywhere, who has the "default look" — vaguely Asian with black hair, a ready smile, a scarf and goggles.
- Jenny refers to herself as "an Everywhere" and states that she "became" one, suggesting that in this universe it is some sort of rank or job-title rather than her birth surname. Though unconfirmed, Nigel appears to be one as well.
Universes
- This story takes place all in one, urban universe, although Nigel refers to the false history that Zirma sucks people into as Mrs Zirma's Storyworld.
Other
- Nigel notes that Mrs Zirma killed Bruce, presumably another Everywhere, and laments this fact, as Bruce was apparently "a good kisser".
- Zirma appears in "many reports," including Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
Continuity
to be added
Behind the scenes
The story was completed by David LoTempio and sent to Steven Wintle some time before its actual publication, as Wintle noted when linking to the story from his blog:[3]
| In other Shifter news, here's a story I received awhile ago but had no means of putting anywhere is finally up, thanks again to the kindness of Queer Granny. It's called Mrs. Zirma by Dlotemp, and is quite funny. Oooh, it brought me back some. |
| —Steven Wintle |
Background
This story and its eponymous antagonist are named after the city of Zirma which appears in Invisible Cities, a 1972 book by Italian writer Italo Calvino.
Read online
All original uploads of Mrs Zirma now being offline, we reproduce the six pages of the story here.
Page 1/6
Page 2/6
Page 3/6
Page 4/6
Page 5/6
Page 6/6
