Depiction of the Bible in Graphic Novels

Definition

Several comics creators have published graphic novels that adapt all or part of the Bible through a mixture of text and sequential illustrations. Such works have received recognition for making the Bible accessible to younger readers and encouraging children and teens to engage with the stories and their teachings.

Introduction

An observation has been made that popular culture has given rise to new ways of conceptualizing religious, political, and social issues. The relationship between popular culture and society can be regarded as a process in which people's fears, ideas, and opinions are projected onto popular culture. While this dynamic can influence media content, popular culture can also be viewed as informing people about religious and social issues. Religion is a prominent theme in comic books and graphic novels, with the works of many comics authors acknowledging the authors' interest in religious and esoteric imagery and ideas. Comics authors have shown that with the medium's unique combination of text and images, comics can be a platform to provoke serious discussion on issues such as social change, war, and religion.

Beginning around 2000, there was a surge in publications of graphic novel adaptations of the Bible, including Jeff Anderson and Mike Maddox's Lion Graphic Bible: The Whole Story from Genesis to Revelation (2004), Michael Pearl's Good and Evil: The Bible as Graphic Novel (2008), and Sergio Cariello's Action Bible (2010). Various graphic publications, not only adaptations of the Bible, demonstrate the importance of the Bible in contemporary comics. Strong references to biblical ideas can be seen in Neil Gaiman's Signal to Noise (1992), Frank Stack's New Adventures of Jesus: The Second Coming (2007), and Jim Munroe's Therefore Repent! (2007), and Mark Millar's American Jesus: Chosen (2009).

Graphic Bibles can be divided into three categories: literal graphic adaptations such as Robert Crumb's Book of Genesis (2009), graphic interpretations such as Ajibayo Akinsiku's The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation (2007), and spin-off variations, which draw heavily on biblical ideas but develop them in new contexts, such as Douglas Rushkoff's Testament (2006–08). Two of the most successful graphic Bibles remained Akinsiku's and Crumb's texts, which are highly different in content and artistic style. However, both texts express the stories and messages of the Bible successfully through the graphic novel form.

The Manga Bible

First published in 2007, The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation is a manga-style adaption of Today's New International Version Bible created by British Nigerian artist Ajibayo Akinsiku, also known by the pseudonym Siku. His brother, Akindele Akinsiku, also known as Akin, wrote the script. Siku has published several other graphic Bibles, including The Manga Bible: NT Raw (2007) and The Manga Bible: NT Extreme (2007); the "extreme" editions of his work include the manga as well as the full text of the Bible, while the "raw" editions include only the manga. Siku has also created The Manga Jesus: The Complete Story (2010), a graphic novel about the life and works of Jesus.

Siku's books target a teen audience and hope to engage young people in Christian belief. Unlike traditional Japanese manga, The Manga Bible is read from left to right. The volume includes:

• A glossary of some key biblical terms.
• An interview with the creators.
• Preliminary sketches of the characters.

Scattered throughout the novel are references to scriptural passages that can provide interested readers with more information about various topics.

A devout Anglican, Siku sees his work on graphic novels as part of an exploration of his faith. In the introduction to the book, he states that it was his intention not to cover the entirety of the Bible within the graphic novel but to select visually compelling biblical stories that demonstrate vital Christian values. However, some critics have argued that the artwork is too sketchy and lacks sophistication. The book has additionally been criticized for its content and interpretation of the Bible.

In particular, Siku's representation of Jesus as an action hero and rephrasing of scriptural passages have been met with negative responses from some critics. Notable biblical stories, such as the temptation of Christ by the devil, are given new interpretations in Siku's adaptation. The Book of Revelation is told through the visions of a twelve-year-old girl in the twenty-first century. This radical interpretation has been criticized for confusing the Bible's original content. However, other readers have welcomed the adaptation's unique take on the Bible and deemed Siku's edgy and expressive art ideally suited for communicating the stories of the Bible to younger generations. In 2008, it was reported that the book had sold more than thirty thousand copies in Great Britain alone.

Genesis Illuminated

In 2004, American underground comics artist Robert Crumb began work on a graphic retelling of the Bible, focusing specifically on the Book of Genesis. Crumb originally planned to create a spin-off graphic novel focusing on the story of Adam and Eve; however, he needed to work on this task. Instead, intrigued by the language of the Bible, he decided to create a literal interpretation of Genesis in a graphic format. Crumb mainly wanted to provide a visual retelling of Genesis that included the stories of rape, violence, and incest that other graphic Bibles do not include. To ensure his depictions of the stories of Genesis would be as detailed as possible, Crumb researched many different translations of the Bible and consulted many biblical commentaries. The Book of Genesis, first published in 2009, contains all fifty chapters of Genesis, accompanied by black-and-white illustrations. The work bears the disclaimer "adult supervision recommended for minors," calling attention to the mature nature of the subject matter.

Although Crumb rephrases a few lines to make the stories more accessible to a modern audience, the text reproduces biblical scripture, particularly referencing the King James Version of the Bible and Robert Alter's translation in The Five Books of Moses (2004). The book and its imagery have been generally accepted as theologically accurate. The illustrations represent a traditional Western understanding of the Bible, with God depicted as an elderly white man. The landscape, scenery, and characters' garments reflect a traditional Christian understanding of the Bible. However, the imagery also relates closely to Crumb's signature artistic style; the women are voluptuous, and the images are strongly caricatural. Despite the serious content of the book, there are elements of humor and playfulness, particularly in the story of Adam and Eve.

Crumb's innovative use of humor and unique style of drawing have often been described as "zany," "grotesque," and "outrageous." They have subjected him to controversy throughout his career, with some readers criticizing his work's overt violence and sexuality. Crumb's visual interpretation of the Bible was, therefore, both enthusiastically anticipated and feared. However, in the introduction, Crumb stipulates that the book is "a straight illustration job" without the intention to offend or ridicule. While some have criticized the work as focusing too much on the sexual and violent nature of Genesis, the book has mostly received positive feedback due to its adherence to biblical text and Crumb's depth of research.

In 2010, The Book of Genesis was nominated for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Graphic Album—New, Best Adaptation from Another Work, and Best Writer/Artist. The Hammer Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, organized the book's illustrations into the traveling art exhibition The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb's Book of Genesis. As of early 2010, the book had sold more than 120,000 copies worldwide.

Further Graphic Biblical Adaptation

In the late 2010s, Kingstone Comics released the Kingstone Bible trilogy (2016), a graphic novel adaptation of the Bible. The three books were believed to be among the most comprehensive retellings of biblical events in graphic novel form. They offer an education about the Bible while incorporating thousands of illustrations. The trilogy was a Christian Book of the Year in the Children's category.

In the 2020s, graphic novels continued to be a popular medium for retelling biblical stories, particularly among Christian audiences. Most of these works centered on stories of the Old Testament, while New Testament renditions appeared to create more controversy. This was likely due to historical stigmas that devalued graphic novels and comics as a storytelling form. By the 2020s, many of these sentiments had changed, and New Testament stories had become more available.

Several advocates of biblical graphic novels have cited past examples to express the value of such works in disseminating biblical stories. In a 2021 interview, theologian de'Angelo Dia noted how Superman borrowed much of the imagery of Christ. Dia suggested that Superman, like Christ, was a foreigner living in a strange land who used his special powers to liberate people, including many who opposed him.

Impact

Graphic Bibles have become increasingly marketable in the twenty-first century due to their popularity among children, teens, and adults. Although such works are primarily targeted at readers between the ages of twelve and twenty-two, they range from children's graphic novels such as Anderson and Maddox's Lion Graphic Bible to adult works such as Crumb's Book of Genesis, allowing the biblical narrative to reach readers of all ages through the graphic novel format and both Western and manga-style art.

Graphic Bibles have positively impacted perceptions of the comics medium, which was considered cheap, inferior, and nonintellectual for decades. The development of the graphic Bible has contributed to the debate over whether comics can be used effectively as educational tools, particularly demonstrating the ability of comics to communicate complex ideas to younger generations.

Bibliography

Aghajanian, Arthur. "Contemplatives in Conversation: The Theology of Comic Books." Radix, 25 Dec. 2021, www.radixmagazine.com/2021/12/25/contemplatives-in-conversation-the-theology-of-comic-books. Accessed 16 July 2024.

Garrett, Greg. Holy Superheroes! Exploring Faith and Spirituality in Comic Books. Piñon Press, 2005.

Greenidge, Jelani. “The Story Behind the World's Most Complete Graphic Bible.” Christianity Today, 1 Mar. 2017, www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/february-web-only/story-behind-worlds-most-graphic-novel-bible.html. Accessed 30 July 2024.

Kosloski, Phil. "Top 5 Bible Comic Books for Christians." Voyage, 15 Sept. 2020, voyagecomics.com/2020/09/15/top-5-bible-comic-books-for-christians. Accessed 16 July 2024.

Holm, Douglas K., editor. R. Crumb: Conversations. UP of Mississippi, 2005.

Lewis, A. David, and Christine Hoff Kraemer. Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books and Graphic Novels. Continuum, 2010.