Let there be controversy
The Telegraph reports that religious groups are upset Robert Crumb illustrated scenes that their own Bible says happened. Lot banging his daughters? The word of god in prose. Offensive if drawn.
Crumb even uses the actual text of the Bible to narrate his illustrations--simply drawing what is in the book of Genesis renders it absurd, offensive and hilarious. That's what's so wonderfully subversive about the project.
The article quotes Mike Judge, (not of Idiocracy fame, but of the Christian Institute) who says, "If you are going to publish your own version of the Bible it must be done with a great deal of sensitivity. The Bible is a very important text to many many people and should be treated with the respect it deserves."
I'd say that Crumb has given the Old Testament the exact amount of respect it deserves.
Crumb even uses the actual text of the Bible to narrate his illustrations--simply drawing what is in the book of Genesis renders it absurd, offensive and hilarious. That's what's so wonderfully subversive about the project.
The article quotes Mike Judge, (not of Idiocracy fame, but of the Christian Institute) who says, "If you are going to publish your own version of the Bible it must be done with a great deal of sensitivity. The Bible is a very important text to many many people and should be treated with the respect it deserves."
I'd say that Crumb has given the Old Testament the exact amount of respect it deserves.
posted by Matt Bors at
8:03 PM
10 Comments:
"It includes graphic illustrations of Bible characters having sexual intercourse, and other scenes depicting naked men and women as well as "gratuitous" depictions of violence."
Looks like an accurate depiction of the Bible to me!
"I'd say that Crumb has given the Old Testament the exact amount of respect it deserves."
Bors hates Christians. Who would have guessed?
@Anonymous: Bors doesn't hate Christians. Neither does anyone on this blog.
Not liking something people believe in, doesn't mean you hate the believers. Taking offense because someone dislikes something you like is, in my opinion, childish, and discourages having a meaningful debate.
Agreed Eirik. I do wonder if this is the same anonymous who has been posting saying Bors is a typical far-left hater.
I agree with Kyle. Thinking for yourself isn't encouraged in following Christianity or any religious dogma, if you asked me.
Yeah, I know you didn't. I am jus' sayin' ...
Besides, anonymous, since when has Genesis been a Christian document? Christians are just one group of people that have some followers who believe in the stories of Genesis. Even the Koran has a version of Genesis including the story of Lot.
OK, religious flame war aside, Matt, your commentary on this subject is my favorite of all the articles I've seen on the internet so far. Good job!
Agreed! I don't think most people know the half of what REALLY goes on in that book.
If you think that Robert Crumb's work provides absurdity that the Old testiment deserves, you should check out how it's done with Lego - namely the Brick Testiment. Google it. You'll like it.
Nice work Bors...
Crumb's a legend. Looking forward to reading it. Also a fan of Basil Wolverton's Bible. My mum gave me a comic version of the bible when i was a kid, I loved it... especially the blood and depravity!
The unflinching honesty of the bible recording incest, murder, rape, child sacrifice and other injustices are one of its strengths.
Actually, Crumb was somewhat conservative in his depiction of at least one story: where Noah is drunk and his son Ham sees Noah's nakedness. According to some interpretaions, this is some kind of reference to incest. Crumb, however, chose not to depict that interpretation. So he has been pretty sensitive to god-damned Christians, in a way.
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