Among the strangers who befriend and beleaguer Jimmy are a band of circus freaks led by a foulmouthed midget, a Hindu ice cream and curry vendor, a club of raving Chinese American mud wrestling fans, a surly Chicano biker with a heart of gold and, in a game stab at "Pee-wee's Big Adventure"-style absurdism, a busload of robotically cheerful cultists trekking toward their charismatic leader.

The Chicago Tribune, first cousin of the News, has long made it a point to beleaguer venereal quacks.