Not your father's Christian comics

October 11, 2007 10:42 AM

Move over, Jack Chick. Zondervan's gone manga.
posted by Horace Rumpole (38 comments total)

Oops! Can't show that in a Christian manga!
posted by Dr-Baa at 10:45 AM on October 11, 2007

Seriously though, I'd convert for some Bible dounjinshi.
posted by Dr-Baa at 10:47 AM on October 11, 2007

*dojinshi*
posted by Dr-Baa at 10:48 AM on October 11, 2007

Meh...wake me when he goes hentai.
posted by rocket88 at 10:51 AM on October 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

I was an eighth grade ninja. Awesome.
posted by desjardins at 10:54 AM on October 11, 2007

Apocamon
posted by khaibit at 10:57 AM on October 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've always been of the impression that one of the appeals of the Bible and various tenets of organized religions is that they are old, and interesting, and from a long-dead culture.

Something about things like Revolve Bible for Teen Girls makes me feel gross inside.

Also, a manga Bible, IMO, makes both manga and the Bible a little dumber.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:01 AM on October 11, 2007

P.S. I do not endorse the content of that link.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:07 AM on October 11, 2007

A manga illustrated Bible would be totally awesome if done in the proper style. I've not seen any of this Jung Sun Hwang's work. If they go too kiddie style manga with the stereotypical gigantic pokemon/sailor moon simplification it would be horrid. Judging from the cover from the Eighth Grade Ninja and Kingdoms I'm pretty sure I wouldn't care to look at it. In fact, it hurts my eyes a little.

I once read an interview with Egawa Tatsuya where he threw out the idea of illustrating the Bible. Now that would be interesting.
posted by Mister Cheese at 11:12 AM on October 11, 2007

I hate Manga and God, so I'm obviously not part of the target audience.
posted by Artw at 11:12 AM on October 11, 2007 [4 favorites]

(Kidding. Some Mangas OK. Faux Manga is terrible of course - is that what this is?)
posted by Artw at 11:14 AM on October 11, 2007

P.S. I do not endorse the content of that link.

Why not? It's awsome

Parents, do you really want hormone-crazy teenage boys to give advise on "tons of important issues" to your young teenage daughter? As a father of two teenage daughters, I think I’ll pass on that deal. To show the hormone mindset of the average teenage boy, look at the following answers to the simple question: "What do you think about girls and guys praying together?":

<sub>Q: What do you think about girls and guys praying together?
A: There are exceptions, but usually it’s pretty sketchy. I’d avoid it until you’re engaged.
(Revolve, p. 342)

Q: What do you think about girls and guys praying together?
A: It’s cool, but you gotta be careful that you don’t get carried away.
(Revolve, p. 258)</sub>

It sounds like these teenage "guys" are talking about necking, making out or something worse! The question was about "praying"! Avoid "praying together" until "you’re engaged"! Be careful about "praying together" so that you "don’t get carried away". The last time I checked, "praying" was talking to the Lord. You know what’s "on their mind" — And it’s not "praying". What a goofy, godless, carnal, mess.

posted by delmoi at 11:17 AM on October 11, 2007

but she also battles hostile, animal-like warriors from the dimension of Argon Falls

I can see it now!

"Prepare to embrace your creators in the stygian haunts of
hell, culturally relevant eighth grade ninja", gasped the hostile, animal-like warrior.
"Only after you have kissed the fleeting stead of death,
wretch!" returned Hana. "Also, because I've been saved through the love of Jesus Christ, I wouldn't go to hell."
posted by The Bridge on the River Kai Ryssdal at 11:20 AM on October 11, 2007 [2 favorites]

I like God for the most part, and I have to admire the beauty of good manga even if it doesn't interest me... but what I'm seeing here is pretty uh... lame. But you know would be awesome? A ninja Bible. Why isn't there a ninja version of the Bible?

In the beginning, there was no light... only vengeance.
posted by katillathehun at 11:21 AM on October 11, 2007 [3 favorites]

Unfortunately, the current fare often exposes its readers to strong sexual imagery, gratuitous violence, and pagan worldviews. As a healthy alternative..

Nothin' more healthy than saying sex is dirty and foreigners are going to hell!
posted by DU at 11:21 AM on October 11, 2007

LOLCOLORERZINKERZANDLETTERERZ!
posted by Mister_A at 11:32 AM on October 11, 2007

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat and started across the sea to Capernaum. As they were crossing the sea, an enormous octopus reached out its slimy tentacle, and dragged the disciples into his watery lair. Barry White was playing on the octopus's stereo, and he had black silk sheets on his octopus bed.

"Lo, baby", said the octopus. "There's a guy in these parts who keeps on hitting on all the women who are caught in adultery. Therefore, I'm reduced to taking whatever I can get."

With that, the octopus grabbed the first disciple, and dragged him onto his silk sheets. "Mmm, Mathew baby. Prepare for some good, good octopus loving." The other disciples grabbed rocks and attempted to save their friend, but as they did so, Jesusman burst into the octopus's lair and cried out, "Let he that has never done it with an octopus, cast the first stone!"

The other disciples put down their rocks and snuck away. And when the octopus had lifted himself up off the disciple and saw naught but a puddle of octopus jism, Jesusman said unto him, "Octopus, where are your accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?"

And the octopus replied, "No, Jesusman. Once they get a taste of that sweet, sweet tentacled loving, their objections simply fade away." And Jesusman said onto the octopus, "Neither do I condemn thee. Go, octopus, and rape no more!"
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:34 AM on October 11, 2007

I don't endorse this, really. It's a gimmick to put money in someone's pocket.
posted by konolia at 11:42 AM on October 11, 2007

Also, this should go over well with the nutjobs that even the nutjobs call nutjobs. You know, the people who reject rock music because of the "animal African beat" (and don't tell me that's a stereotype, because I know these people). I bet that colored (!!) ink incites lustful thoughts the same way drums do.
posted by DU at 11:44 AM on October 11, 2007

I'm not sure that this is any different than any of the Children's Illustrated Bibles that the Catholic kids nextdoor were forced to have. Its just Zondervan trying to capitolize on a new market.

I mean, every time I'm in Borders there's always some kid sitting on the floor paging through some Manga.
posted by khaibit at 11:49 AM on October 11, 2007

The Boston Phoenix just did a feature on this today. It's a larger field than just this.
posted by allen.spaulding at 11:55 AM on October 11, 2007

Uh, Allen, you want to hover over that first link for me?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 12:01 PM on October 11, 2007

Siku was there first, I think.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:01 PM on October 11, 2007

Laurel and the TimeFlyz chase Darchon in hot pursuit to 1775, the beginning of the Revolutionary War, to keep the [cyborg] spider from kidnapping the famous inventor Benjamin Franklin. Can the TimeFlyz outrun Darchon’s fly-eating super turtles and come to the rescue of Laurel, who’s trapped inside a submarine under British fire?
posted by mek at 12:04 PM on October 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Oh snap, I clicked on the second one twice. My bad.
posted by allen.spaulding at 12:04 PM on October 11, 2007

too bad christian morality is no match for violence, carnality, and godlessness.

oh wait, no. that's a good thing.
posted by mr_book at 12:18 PM on October 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

delmoi: Remember, always use protection while praying.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 12:39 PM on October 11, 2007

Brilliant. All successful religions adapt, being reflections of successful cultures. American Christianity, embedded as it is in such a vibrant and competitive society, is showing the way. I fear for our Muslim brothers and sisters: how can they compete? How can my own secular tradition?

OK, I just Googled Muslim comic books to find out, and I got this: Islamic Comic Book. NSFW if you're round anyone who doesn't want to hear the Prophet Mohammed called a pedophile in an embedded soundtrack. I'm not kidding, here's the chorus:

Ain't gonna follow no child molester,
Sex offender,
Prophet-pretender,
Ain't gonna follow no child molester,
Islam's not for me!
posted by alasdair at 12:50 PM on October 11, 2007

A manga illustrated Bible would be totally awesome if done in the proper style.

Yes.

I am rather amused that the e-sheep guy plans on a series of 12. Patrick Farley is very, very, good, but he takes his time.
posted by topynate at 12:52 PM on October 11, 2007

One of Gerald Kersh's novels, Prelude to a Certain Midnight I think, has a character who is translating the New Testament into 1930s London street slang. The samples are about as horrible and hilarious as you'd expect. I always think of that when I see one of these silly hipifications of the bible.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 1:10 PM on October 11, 2007

Its just Zondervan trying to capitolize on a new market...I mean, every time I'm in Borders there's always some kid sitting on the floor paging through some Manga.

Borders passed on these, interestingly enough.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 1:21 PM on October 11, 2007

"Meh...wake me when he goes hentai."

In this version, Enoch's a tentacled half-demon. It makes all the "begats" in Genesis a lot more interesting.
posted by klangklangston at 1:36 PM on October 11, 2007

Back around 1970, Zondervan issued some comics in an underground style -- not that they were about sex and drugs but they were sold in head shops next to the Freak Brothers. Dead Earth Comics was one title done by Joe Taylor. His style was mostly wordless and had something of Victor Moscoso about it. This was part of the Jesus Movement among acid-heads who found religion. I've always associated the Jesus Movement with the rise of the hardnose evangelism that dominates American Christianity today. But JM was apolitical.
posted by CCBC at 1:46 PM on October 11, 2007

I teach a junior high Sunday school class.... I might pick one or two of these up and see if the kids will actually look at them and how they react to them. I think that is pretty much the target market....
posted by Doohickie at 1:57 PM on October 11, 2007

Brilliant. All successful religions adapt, being reflections of successful cultures. American Christianity, embedded as it is in such a vibrant and competitive society, is showing the way. I fear for our Muslim brothers and sisters: how can they compete? How can my own secular tradition?

The 99.
posted by Hot Like Your 12V Wire at 9:43 PM on October 11, 2007

Good stuff, Hot Like. I particularly liked:
Batman is a Episcopalian and Anglican. Inshallah he will become Muslim.
posted by alasdair at 3:53 AM on October 12, 2007

The definitive Bible anime has already been made.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:13 AM on October 12, 2007

Why do you guys hate Christians so much? I mean, is it because you hell bound heathens are just jealous that you aren't going to get into heaven?

**chlorus flies away using his faith-powered astroboy rocketboots**
posted by chlorus at 11:38 AM on October 12, 2007