reviews

Library Journal Masturbation Specialist Recommends Graven Images

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Longtime Library Journal reviewer (and author of The Big Book of Masturbation) Martha Cornog gave the following plaudits in March of 2011 to Continuum International Publishing’s Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books & Graphic Novels, distinguishing it from attempts before it:

…Graven Images appears to be the first to take a broader and more academic approach, collecting 21 essays from a conference of the same name held at Boston University. While most of the contributors have faculty appointments, five are comics creators. Themes range across religions and denominations, from expected topics (animistic and Christian themes in the manga/anime Nausicaä) to surprising ones (connections between religion and underground comics).

VERDICT This varied and thoughtful collection invites more serious consideration of the medium thematically and hopefully presages additional conferences and collections.

Among her other credits, incidentally, Ms. Cornog is also the co-editor of Graphic Novels: Beyond the Basics and Mangatopia: Essays on Manga and Anime in the Modern World. And For SEX EDUCATION, See Librarian.

The BIG Book of Masturbation

(NOTE: Bloomsbury acquired Continuum in 2011, and Graven Images continues as the imprint of Bloomsbury Academic.)

articles and essays

Batman and the Tibetan Comic Book of the Dead

Over at Dreamcatcher.com, George Atherton provided the Internet a service by saving a cataloging the Tibetan Book of the Dead from Thomas Coville’s defunct personal site. The illustrated work itself attempts to paint a (digital) picture of the psycho-spiritual levels of the Tibetan afterlife, the Bardo Thodol.

A page from Thomas Coville's Bardo Thodol
The final level of the Tibetan Bardo Thodol, as envisioned by Thomas Coville.

Coincidentally, this work was highlighted in a brief posting by Rev. Danny Fisher back in 2008 entitled “Holy Bardo, Batman” — that same year, the very same superhero enacted a death sequence as part of Grant Morrison’s Batman R.I.P. storyline where he entered a comatose trance enabled from his secret Tibetan training. (Chronicled by Prof. Jeffrey J. Kripal in his book Mutants and Mystics.)

controversy, cultural, raowantstoknow

Batman for only Judeo-Christians, implies politician

Rep. Louie Gohmert

In July of 2012, the Huffington Post reported that Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX) responded to the Aurora movie theater shootings by stating that “the shootings […] were a result of ‘ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs.'” These comments from The Heritage Foundation’s “Istook Live!” radio show have some ugly implications to them: not only do Batman movies attract primarily Judeo-Christian audiences (hmm, ok…) but that the victims of the shooting were paying the price for attacks on specifically this theology. Link this to the relatively Orientalist nature of the first and third films’ villains (i.e. Ra’s al Ghul), and there’s a growing strain (see previous “By Rao!” posts) of either Islamophobic or non-ecumenical taint artificially attaching itself to Batman’s mythos.

Rao wants to know: Is Batman becoming associated with a particular faith?

articles and essays, controversy

Beast’s (Silly?) Atheism

Bleeding CoolIn response to an earlier article entitled “Is the Beast a Very Silly Atheist?” by Bleeding Cool founder Rich Johnston, writer JD Church scrutinizes the initial claims:

Beast makes his position on the matter clear. Except it’s complete nonsense. Not for anyone reading the book, but for anyone living in the Marvel Universe.

This is a man who has served on the Avengers with Thor, God Of Thunder […] And even if his godlike status can be dismessed [sic] as a powerful alien race, he’s also served with Valkyrie […w]ho can transport people back and forth from the land of the dead. Even if Beast doesn’t believe it exists[, h]e’s had his soul cleansed by Illyana’s sword. Even if he’s not meant to have a soul.

The Beast from All-New X-Men
The Beast (aka Dr. Henry “Hank” McCoy), a “very silly atheist?”

Continue reading Beast’s (Silly?) Atheism →

academic, articles and essays, cultural, reviews

Old Shul Justice

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From Krakow to Krypton cover by JT Waldman

In honor of looking back upon a New Year, Rao wants to call out a writing by Richard De Angelis in June 2011 entitled, “Old Shul Justice.” In it, he looks again at the role(s) of Judaism in the rise and continuation of the U.S. comics medium, particularly through the lens of tikkun olam, “healing the world.”

Additionally, it includes a hugely useful bibliography of texts on Jews and comics (current as of 2011), both done in the comics form and as scholarly prose. De Angelis kindly includes a sample of Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s Comic Book Comics to help initiate the uncertain (as well as to Van Lente and Dunlavey’s wonderful Bad Twin Comics work!).

@ the intersection of religion and comics: Graphic Religion