So I had a random thought while watching the new Eminem music video of all things. His crazy alter ego Slim Shady enters the modern world through a portal. It made me think of characters who are crazy but also not so crazy when you consider the world around them. They often tend to be voices of brutal honesty and agents of chaos.
Consider…
Spider Jerusalem character from Warren Ellis' graphic novels
Hunter Thompson's Raoul Duke.
The Joker character from Batman…
Tyler Durden from Fight Club…
Mayyyybe Doc Sportello from Inherent Vice?
I also thought of novels like Notes From Underground, though that may be moreso about a misanthrope rather then a person who is a wild reaction to their environment.
Anyway, what else addresses this subject matter and this archetype?
by TheHouseofJack