Thursday, 22 October 2009
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The Book of Genesis Illustrated, and its Unlikely Artist
It might be hard to fathom that a comic book artist known for creating the character “Devil Girl” would want anything to do with the Bible. Yet Robert Crumb, though characterized by some as the “chief sexist of underground comics” for his unique depictions of women, is turning his eye to the good book for his rendition of The Book of Genesis Illustrated. And it's not half bad at all. “Without a trace of irony, and certainly no mockery, Crumb delivers a literal—one might even say traditional—rendition of the events in the Judeo-Christian account of Creation and its aftermath,” writes Malcolm Jones in his recent Newsweek article. “Frame by frame, comic-book fashion, The Book of Genesis shows a white-bearded, patriarchal God creating the heavens and the earth and all that walk upon it.”
Paste Magazine writer Justin Jacobs explains that, while Crumb could easily have interjected his own, unbelieving opinions or aimed “to modernize it for an audience detached from the text’s ‘eye for an eye,’ Crumb’s illustrated Genesis is a straight(er) reading—he lets the passages speak for themselves.”
Certainly one would think that an illustrated version of the Book of Genesis already exists in some condensed form. Crumb, however, leaves few stories out, depicting everything from the most well-known stories of Adam and Eve to the boring “so-and-so” begot “so-and-so” list that many of us likely skim over. Jones writes, “It is one more instance of the artist's ability to make us see that, however shrouded by time, these were people before they were part of an oft-told tale.”Supposing you think there is no need for a highly detailed illustrated Book of Genesis, consider how much more moving and heart-wrenching it is not to just read about Abraham, ax in hand, prepared to sacrifice his beloved son simply because God asked him to, but to see the agony on his face. If for no other reason than to shed new light on an already venerable book, it is certainly reason enough to glance through the pages.
Despite his famously profane and satirical past works, Robert Crumb has drawn the Book of Genesis with great reverence and care.
Would you be interested in reading The Book of Genesis Illustrated by Robert Crumb? What are your thoughts on his working with a sacred text considering his previously racy material?
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Comments (16)
When it comes to illustration, Crumb is not letting "the passages speak for themselves" at all. He is injecting his own interpretation. Why in these two images posted here does God look so angry? In the first image, why would God not have the same "agony on his face" that Abraham is characterized as having when God's own creation rejected Him? Why does God look angry creating the universe, instead of with love?
I hold the claim that he drew "the Book of Genesis with great reverence and care" in suspect. I don't doubt that he kept the accuracy of the script. But any person's own retelling will always include their own inflection.
@gabrielpeter@xanga - Well I think in the first picture, its supposed to be God casting Adam and Eve out of the Garden, so he was probably pretty angry then. In the second picture, I don't think he looks angry... It's unfair to judge it on two pictures... unless in fact you've seen the whole book...
Whether it is accurate or inaccurate I'd at least flip the pages in the bookstore.
@gabrielpeter@xanga - I agree. Crumb is such a talented artist that he doesn't have to change scripture to make his statements. He'll just inject it into his cartoons like he's done for the past few decades.
I can see how it might help some people, perhaps myself included but highly doubtful, see more clear in a spiritual sense; however, something deep in my soul tells me that something here could be terribly wrong. Suppose it can take away from a blind faith, the kind of faithfulness we all have is special this way, and this guy could easily pervert this it sounds, let alone publish these illustrations. I do not have a good feeling about this.
I would look through it, certainly. I find this kind of thing fascinating! I do think, though, that no artist can possibly let the message speak entirely for itself without injecting something of his or her own attitudes. I mean, subtle things like the expressions on God's face are not recorded in the Bible but they have a profound impact on what each image says about the story and God Himself.
@crevis05@xanga - It's more than fair to judge a work before I buy it. I'm a consumer! But that's beside the point. Crumb isn't illustrating this straight-up. His own interpretation is being put into the work.
There are some stories in Genesis I really wouldn't want to see. I would think that if he illustrated all the stories there would be some clearly rated R material in there. Even reading Genesis 17 makes me shudder, I couldn't imagine seeing it!
@gabrielpeter@xanga makes a good point in that facial expressions and anything else in the art can say a lot without using words. Hopefully his intentions were good and he doesn't deliberately do such a thing in a bad way.
It would be interesting to hear the artist's thoughts after having read Genesis enough to have drawn all of this out. And, I wonder if he might consider doing the gospels next. The Holy Spirit has clearly used less to reach people before.
hmm, i've never heard of this person, but i'd be willing to try to read a comic book version of genesis. :)
@MagisterTom@xanga - There is actually a disclaimer on the front of the book that says something about parental supervision, because, like you said, there's some pretty crazy stuff in there!
I've looked at a lot of what's been released to the public in terms of illustrations from the book, and I don't think God looks angry at all. He is obviously in the first picture, the front cover, but in the second one he's creating the heavens and the earth, and if I were Him at that moment, I'd be concentrating pretty hard, I'd think!
All human forms of interpretation of God's interaction with mankind will have human inflection on it. Whether it is in the written word, (which was recorded by human hands, although divinely inspired, and sometimes directly dictated (ten commandments come to mind...)) or in pictures, in music, humans use many methods to describe, convey, worship, and interpret interaction with God. We have all been moved by beautiful music, dramatic paintings, sculptures, artwork, etc. Some forms speak more deeply to some of us than others. I watch a singer in our contemporary group when she sings, that woman is so in love with the Lord it raises the hair on your arms. Very moving. I feel the most connected with God when wilderness camping, hearing and watching nature, watching the sunrise, seeing the dew rising across the lake, imagining what it was like in the days of Creation.
Instead of blasting and criticising this guy, why not look for the good in his work. Sounds like he is a talented artist. Your gifts can be used for Good or Bad. God gives us the talents and gifts, it is up to us how to use them. Hopefully we use them to praise God and further His work, spread the Good News. Could this guys drawings be used to hurt someone's concept of Genesis? Yeah, probably, but we are all human, and have different interpretations of everything we see, hear or do. What would you say if he did illustrative work of Song of Solomon? Call him a pervert? Or when the Isrealites were given the Promised Land? Everyone conveniently forgets they took that land by Jihaad, or Holy War. That's right, marched in there and killed the Caananites, took their wives and children, made them slaves, etc. Pretty standard stuff in that day and age, but sounds gruesome to us now. What if he drew his renditions of that battle, beating each other to death, spearing them, cutting their throats, taking their wives and sleeping with them.... Yet that's what the Bible tells us....There are a lot of stories that aren't so pretty, and if the artist didn't use a little creative illustration to tame them down, but drew them verbatim and "let the passages speak for themselves".....well.....
i just wonder if crumb has read "the shack" :P
I'm cautiously optimistic, but then I've learned the hard way never to judge books I haven't read. Obviously I don't agree with some of Crumb's remarks on the record about God, Scripture, etc., but I'm of the opinion that anything that actually gets people to read and interact with Scripture on its own terms is a good thing.
Here's another article with a few more pictures and remarks from the author. I find it quite interesting that Crumb says he depicted God "looking more like my father," as suggested by a dream.
@DistantStarlight@xanga - Exactly. Things like expressions and attitudes were not always recorded, so he would *have* to choose an attitude to portray. The book of Genesis itself obviously has human interpretation all over it- after all, somebody had to translate.
The picture of God creating looks like a scene from DragonBall!
@Shy___Away@xanga - Indeed. Getting some human interpretation into the mix can't be avoided! Just look at all the translations there are. In the end, we're left to figure out a lot on our own for better or worse.