religion
Jesus Christ, comic star (Do you think you’re what they say you are?)
Faith Series: Jesus Christ
Bluewater Productions has received international publicity, and more than a little criticism, for its biographies of political and cultural figures ranging from Barack Obama and Sarah Palin to Princess Diana and Stephenie Meyer.
But in April the Washington-based publisher is setting its sights a little higher. No, not Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor or even political pundit Rush Limbaugh (although they’re both getting biographies). Go higher.
That’s the one: Jesus Christ. Hey, his first biography still sells pretty well, so why not?
The 32-page Jesus Christ, which launches the publisher’s Faith Series line, “tackles the life of arguably the most famous person in history” and “highlights different aspects of the life of Christ to show that Jesus of Nazareth was more than just a great man in history, but proof of a providential force at work in the universe.”
So it’s safe to presume the comic, written by Don Smith and sporting a cover by Mike S. Miller — interior artist is listed as “TBA” — will have a clear point of view.
Unfortunately, however, it looks as if Faith Series: Jesus Christ will miss Easter by this much.
Vatican newspaper praises The Simpsons
The Simpsons got a somewhat unexpected gift under their tree this year … no, not another dog; L’Osservatore Romano, the newspaper of the Vatican, on Tuesday congratulated the show on its 20th anniversary in an article titled “Aristotle’s Virtues and Homer’s Doughnut.”
The article doesn’t appear to be online at the paper’s website, but the Associated Press reports the article praised the show’s “philosophical leanings as well as its stinging and often irreverent take on religion.”
“Religion, from the snore-evoking sermons of the Rev. Lovejoy to Homer’s face-to-face talks with God, appears so frequently on the show that it could be possible to come up with a ‘Simpsonian’ theology,” the article said. No doubt they were talking about segments like this:
Straight for the art | Rick Veitch’s Good Friday commission
Jesus + Swamp Thing
Back in March I listed six comics that fell into limbo for various reasons that I’d love to see more of. Earlier this month on his blog, Rick Veitch gave a small taste of what one of those comics would have been like, as he shared the above commissioned sketch of Swamp Thing and Jesus.
Jemas working on new translation of Genesis
I’m not even sure what to say about this one, so let’s jump right in. The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that former Marvel executive Bill Jemas is working on a new translation of The Bible’s Book of Genesis:
His goal is to write an English translation of Genesis that is truer to the Hebrew text than are widely used English translations like the famed King James Version. He already has completed the first chapter, available online and in his book “Genesis Rejuvenated.”
By presenting alternative English definitions for Hebrew words to those chosen by KJV translators in 1611, he hopes that his internet-accessible “Freeware Bible,” as he calls his translation, will show readers that widely accepted Bible translations are inherently imperfect.
