Category Archives: cultural

contributors, cultural, raowantstoknow

Top 5 Religion & Comics Posts of 2016

From JLA (2015)A multitude of issues pertaining to religion and comics have filled the media and the Sacred and Sequential site in 2016: Islamophobia, superhero gods, idolatry and blasphemy, proselytizing, memorializing. Below are the five most-read articles from our pages; in toto, they all seem to orbit concerns of the medium’s essential alignment with either Christianity, Judaism, or the far, far more esoteric. Is there battle for the “soul” of comics amassing?

5. Four-Color Christ Jesus
10/31: Ron Edwards of Comics Madness penned this birthday reflection on Jesus, comics, Jack T. Chick, and The Cross and the Switchblade (along with eye-opening comments from his readers).

4. Jack T. Chick dies at 92
10/25: Jack T. Chick likewise headlines this post by Martin Lund, who explores the difficulty of Chick’s impact and legacy.

3. Jews and Comics: The Decade in Review
2/2: The Jewish Comics Blog‘s Steven Bergson addresses the flaws in religion & comics reportage, particularly by a January Haartez article.

2. Questioning Frank Miller and Superman’s “Jewish Essence”
10/13: Lund approaches the “Judaism and comics” issue from a new perspective, this time triggered by Frank Miller’s comments to CBR.com.

1. Sacred Texts: Lovecraft, Alan Moore, and Religion in Providence
2/9: Bobby Derie of Facts in the Case of Providence gives S&S readers a tour of Alan Moore’s latest (and last?) comics series along with its deep linkages to the study of religion.

contributors, controversy, cultural, events, from the Internet

Ms. Marvel and the Good Business of Democracy

msmarvel_13_election_5Marvel Comics’ Ms. Marvel #13 not only displays a determined, patriotic Muslim-American superheroine on its cover, but it also dedicates much of its page content to the titular hero pushing a “get out the vote effort.” In a U.S. Presidential election that has featured intolerance widely and Islamophobia specifically, having the Jersey-born Pakistani character campaigning for democratic action feels heartening, coming, even as a does, from a mega-corporation-backed publisher like Marvel.

The comic hits retail stores on November 30th, three weeks after the election.

Ethan Sacks, writing for the New York Daily News, sounds befuddled about this timing:

The timing of “Ms. Marvel” # 13, however, is a little puzzling. By the time the issue hits stores on Nov. 30, the presidential race will (hopefully) have been long decided.

First, Sacks is either naive about the comic book industry or, worse, willfully ignorant: there are any number of reasons to have this issue come out after Tuesday, November 8th. Not the least of these reasons is the very point he embeds parenthetically in his comment, namely that we can only hope Nov. 8th concludes the ugly, vicious election season. Yet, many suspect/fear a even nastier fight than the Bush/Gore debacle of 2000 — and, in that scenario, the release of Ms. Marvel #13 will feel particularly wise, prescient, and rightfully scolding.

Continue reading Ms. Marvel and the Good Business of Democracy →

controversy, cultural

New Charlie Hebdo Threats, Outrage

Image by Osama Hajjaj (@osamacartoons)

Just two weeks ago, the online English-language French news site The Local reported on a new “series of death threats” aimed at the offices of Charlie Hebdo via their Facebook page. The French satirical magazine made worldwide headlines when nine of its editorial staff were killed in 2015 in a terrorist attack spurred on by their portrayal of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Sacred & Sequential explored this event in previous posts.

These latest threats, though, serve not only as reminders of an ongoing peril but also highlight the more recent content from Charlie Hebdo, including the disturbing cartoon of Aylan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian boy, growing up to be a lech (also covered by The Local). Has Charlie Hebdo remained on task and undeterred by their tragedy or, conversely, are they continuing to engage in objectionable, detestable cartooning?

Queen Raina of Jordan had her own response to Charlie Hebdo‘s depiction of Aylan:

cultural, from the Internet

Superpowered, Mormon, and Gay: Brian Anderson’s STRIPLING WARRIOR

Cover to STRIPLING WARRIOR #1Last week, The Advocate provided coverage on the third in the Stripling Warrior comic book series, a superhero title featuring gay Mormon protagonists. As Advocate writers Neil Broverman and Jase Peeples note, Elders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints generally do not recognize the existence of homosexuals in their membership; while the attraction may be acknowledged, a committed relationship based on such impulses constitutes apostasy. QED: no homosexuals. As the lyrics to the Broadway stage show Book of Mormon quip, “It’s a cool little Mormon trick.”

Stripling Warrior creator Brian Anderson, on the other hand, feels that being gay and being Mormon (as well as being partnered, as he , “are not mutually exclusive.” And, his Kickstarter-supported series, with art by Jame Neish, “steeped within the mythology of the Mormon Church, depicted with healthy, queer sex lives” is intended to “be provocative and impactful.”

More information on the reception and future of the series can be found at Anderson’s So SuperDuper site.

Cover to STRIPLING WARRIOR #3

art, cultural, events

New Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art Exhibition on Comics

“House of El” by Joel Silverstein

Beginning Tuesday, October 15th, the Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art (along with the Jewish Art Salon) will be featuring a new exhibit: JOMIX – Jewish Comics: Art & Derivation. The show promises a showcase “of cutting-edge creators, reinvestigating traditional genres like superhero, political satire, romance, horror, science fiction and confessionals through a Jewish lens.”

Guest speakers are scheduled to include Joel Silverstein, Richard McBee, and Aimee Rubensteen, Exhibit Curators from the Jewish Art Salon. Introductions will be provided by Yona Verwer, President of the Jewish Art Salon, and Participating Artists include

Shay Charka, Howard Chaykin, Leela Corman, Jessica Deutsch, Aliza Donath, Dorit Jordan Dotan, Josh Edelglass, Zev Engelmayer, Liana Finck, Stuart Immonen, Miriam Katin, Scott Koblish, Michael Korosty, Yonah Lavery, Miriam Libicki, Sarah Lightman, Rutu Modan, Archie Rand, Ariel Schrag, Liat Shalom, Dov Smiley, Joshua Stulman, Arthur Szyk, Deborah Ugoretz, Eli Valley, Julian Voloj, JT Waldman, David Wander, Al Wiesner, Jack Kirby, Joel Silverstein, and Ephraim Wuensch.

A catalogue for the exhibit will be available in September.