Tear Jerk (Someplace Strange dimension)

tear_jerk-ss-front TEAR JERK

Real Name: Apparently Tear Jerk

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Someplace Strange realm) humanoid

Occupation: Unrevealed; he cried a lot

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Encountered Edward (Captain Zebra) and Joy from Earth

Enemies: Joy was semi-hostile to him, but she was pretty hostile to everyone

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Fat Blobby Disgusto Sack of Blithering Blubbering Waterbag" (more of a series of insults from Joy)

Base of Operations: Someplace Strange dimension

First Appearance: Someplace Strange (1988) tear_jerk-ss-side

Powers/Abilities: The Tear Jerk has superhumanly powerful lachrymal glands, allowing him to cry massive volumes extremely rapidly, enough to flood the ground around him by several inches, so likely hundreds of gallons.

He suffered no dehydration, and it is unrevealed whether he had human needs to survive, such as air, temperature, food, water, etc.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 3')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 100 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed (a small black dot within a white background that may indicate either a white iris or no visible iris)
Hair: Dark (perhaps dark brown vs. black)

History:
(Someplace Strange - BTS) - After brothers Edward (aka Zebra) and James (aka Spike) and their new acquaintance Joy were transported to the Someplace Strange realm, Zebra and Joy were separated from James.

(Someplace Strange) - As Zebra noted that he was so depressed he felt like crying, Tear Jerk, who may have come into existence at that moment and was seated on a tree branch above them, began weeping and the tears poured down on them. Joy initially told Zebra that his being so miserable had made the sky cry. As they looked up and saw Tear Jerk above them, he fell down on top of them, noting that he had lost his balance while wringing out his hands. Zebra asked where he was from, and Tear Jerk said he didn't know but that he thought he had just been born and that no one had asked him if he wanted to be born but he wanted to go back in. Joy asked if he was wetting his fat pants and/or if he was wearing diapers.

    After Joy noted her mistaken belief that her parents were going to get rid of her, Zebra asked Tear Jerk to stop crying before he washed them all away. Apologizing, Tear Jerk noted that their stories were sad and that he had to cry a few gallons. When Zebra noted his concern that Tear Jerk would drown them, he again apologized and assured them that after a couple more buckets he would stop gushing.

    After Joy manifested wings, Zebra expressed excitement, and Tear Jerk noted that these happy moments made him want to cry. He also advised Joy that she could fly if she could flap, and when she shouted her disgust with the wings, he remarked that she had a temper.

    When Zebra announced that he was going to jump off the ledge, Tear Jerk bade him farewell, and when Zebra actually leapt off, he stated, "brave kamikaze souls, such sweet sorrow."

    And I don't believe that Tear Jerk was seen again...

Comments: Created by Ann Nocenti and John Bolton under the creator-owned Epic imprint.

I don't see any reason why this series could not have taken place on Earth-616, with Someplace Strange being an alien realm to which they traveled. There were the two brothers, Edward and James (aka Spike), and their parents, and Joy (and her parents), plus a couple others mentioned, like Mean Matt, but the kids and story were concerned with the same issues that Ann Nocenti had kids like Bullet's son Butch be concerned about on Earth-616, the environment, nuclear war, the government, etc.
Someplace Strange was an alien realm, and there's not anything that would contradict them trio from having traveled to Someplace Strange and then returned to their own world. They discussed super heroes, which at least existed in comic books, just as they do on Earth-616. The presence of such comic book characters as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, etc., might contraindicate it from having taken place at the time of publication, rather than being part of the Modern Era's sliding timescale.

My images are from the Dark Horse reprint of the series.

This profile was completed 04/04/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Tear Jerk should be distinguished from:

JERKWEED (Jerry Weiderman) - drug dealer, captured by Captain America --Captain America I#375
TEAR of HEAVEN - magic gem used in ritual on Koma Kai near the end of each century to summon either an age of enlightenment or darkness, sought by Coven to being about final dark age of man, hidden by the Temple of the Sun who duped the Coven into revealing their presence, then destroyed them--Marvel Comics Presents#132 - BTS, 136
SISTERHOOD of TEARS Earth-928 circa 2099 A.D. (Sister Lucia, Lachryma) - vampires of 2099--2099 Unlimited#4
TEAR of NITOCRIS - housed spirit of former Stygian queen, held by Rosina, melted down after Nitocris' spirit was released and took crystalline form and was destroyed while destroying crystalline form of Kha Semblor--Savage Sword of Conan I#216
LACHRYMA of Earth-928 circa 2099 AD - (Becka McBride) - vampire, Sisterhood of Tears, transformed by Sister Lucia--2099 Unlimited#4
other "Tear" or "Jerk" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

images: (without ads)
Someplace Strange, labeled pg. 29, panel 3 (seated, lateral);
pg. 31, panel 2 (seated; front)

Appearances:
Someplace Strange (1988) - Ann Nocenti (writer), John Bolton (artist), Jo Duffy & Mark Chiarello (editors), Archie Goodwin (Editor-in-chief)

First posted: 09/10/2026
Last updated: 04/04/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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