Comics / Spotlight / Religion and Comics

Religion and Comics

   A burgeoning interest in religion and comics is only acknowledging what was always there. In medieval Europe, sequential art was used for religious devotion and instruction. With the growth of caricature and satire, cartoons lampooned the excesses and hypocrisy of religious teachers and leaders. The roots of superhero comics in American Jewish communities are well-known. More recently, even God himself has become a target of cartoonists, while imprints like DC's Vertigo have specialized in exploiting the religious imagination for fun and profit. Artists across the globe have brought scripture to life in cartoons, comic books, and graphic novels. Read on, because you may be very surprised at what you find.