Honors Thesis Colloquium

Western culture is rife with apocalyptic imagery as depicted in the Christian bible, especially from the Book of Revelation. These symbols and descriptions (brimstone and the four horsemen of the apocalypse just to name a few) have been ingrained into our “collective consciousness” and appear throughout our art. Since the conception of Revelation, apocalyptic imagery has always played a prominent role in fine art. Writers like Alan Moore or artists like Frank Miller are simply the modern equivalents of earlier apocalyptic thinkers (Dante and Bosch, respectively). This thesis is aimed at illuminating the presence of apocalyptic symbolism in Western Comic Books, Graphic Novels and Cinema and why such images are so powerful thousands of years after they were written. The concept of Armageddon resonates deeply in our society, as best said by Lee Quinby in her work Millennial Seduction: “Americans have been taught to reside in apocalyptic terror and count on millennial perfection.” While not all Americans subscribe to fundamentalist interpretation, it is important to note that “for a large majority these fears and hopes are more nebulous, a loose blend of religious symbols and secular expression” (Quinby, 5). In this way, earth’s end has become embedded in our minds.

Millennial Media is steeped in doomsday visions as well as the language characteristic of Revelation: a kind of apocalyptic vernacular. Whether Batman gallops into Gotham atop his horse (vigilante army in toe) in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns or Simon Pegg beats zombies with a cricket paddle in Shaun of the Dead, the traditional views of the apocalypse linger in the background. Revelation acts as a base upon which Graphic Apocalypse is built. The scenes aren’t new, only the style and the players. Perhaps the best example of this lies in Watchmen. Here, seemingly godlike beings (superheroes) battle it out for the fate of the world and of mankind. They are mirror images of their biblical counterparts. But why is this connection important?

In Revelation Jesus Christ leads the armies of Justice against those of evil in a war for the souls of all. Replace Jesus with Superman and the story suddenly seems more familiar. It would not be outlandish to state that Jesus was the first superhero, and Satan the supervillian. The characters of Revelations are the archetypes for those we seem to see in major blockbusters and popular graphic novels. Both millennial media and the Bible are obsessed with absolutes; absolute good and absolute evil and the apocalypse is where these two philosophies meet (often with violent consequences). Such a formula works well in a country like the United States. Often we depict ourselves as the savior of the world fighting against the unjust. In turn we occupy this role and carry it out with violent efficiency. This is partly why apocalyptic imagery is so popular in the West; it reflects our own attitudes as a nation and civilization. Judging from our media, it seems some part of us all wants to be the hero; wants to save the innocent from harm. More important, as Americans, we often see it as our job to do so. Yet, because most of us lack the ability to fly like Superman or have yet to fight a zombie, millennial media allows us identify with these archetypal characters we worship (in the case of Jesus, religiously). In this way we can live out the heroics we grew up with as children, from the safety our living rooms.

This heroism is closely linked to hope, a common yet seemingly contradictory view of Armageddon. In his work, Holy Superheroes, Greg Garrett argues that apocalypse represents rebirth and renewal; a chance to restore what is torn down. This is reflected in Watchmen, when in an attempt to save the world from war, one of the superheroes destroys New York City. In the death of millions lays the salvations of billions. In the same way, God ends the world in the Book of Revelation to begin life anew as a “shining city on the hill.” This is what Superheroes are all about, fighting desperately in hopes of creating some idealized crime free (sin free?) society. To take it even further, this is what America claims to be about; clearing the world of despotism to make room for democracy. This is where the popularity of the Graphic Apocalypse lies, the ideology surrounds us, be it secularized or straight from biblical texts. Rebirth is an immensely powerful biblical/end time concept, so too is death.

Graphic Apocalyptic narratives allow us to securely experience the threat of death and it some cases laugh at it. Batman risks his life every time he ventures out of his cave, be it from psychotic criminals or corrupt law officials. And yet every morning he returns, perhaps a bit a worse for the wear, but still alive. He regularly faces death, and in the process fends off evil. At the same time, Batman has gained control over death through his pledge to never take a life; he controls the ultimate fate his nemesis. In doing this, Bruce Wayne manages to conquer his own mortality as well those he hunts. Batman, the warrior of justice, allows for introspection of our mortality in comfortable safety (well, not for Batman). In the same way, Shaun’s comedic zombie like demeanor, as he goes about his monotonous life, pokes fun at the concept of death and of our fear of what we cannot control. Death suddenly seems much less frightening when you face it being beaten (to death?) with vinyl records. The absurdity allows for acceptance of ideas and images that are usually too hard to stomach.

I aim to uncover the influence of biblical end time ideology through careful analysis of graphic narratives and comparison to Revelation. There is a good deal of literature that explores religion in such sources, but there is little that specifically evaluates the effect that apocalyptic imagery has had or why it is there to begin with. Why should such a secularized form of art be so biblically inclined? The answer lies in the state of the West. As a civilization we are constantly bombarded with images of the end, so it makes perfect sense that the rising popularity in graphic narratives should also reflect a rising influence of Revelation.

Hello all,

First off, I just wanted to mention that the Art Speigelman lecture was extremely enlightening and humorous (in a dark, sardonic way). He was engaging, personable and yet seemed to be a man who would suffer no fools. Conclusion: It was pretty neat and I definitely recommend going to see him speak if you’re at all interested in the comic creative process.

I think the feeling of Spiegelman’s lecture is best summed up in his own words.  In reference to Maus (his best selling Graphic Novel) Spiegelman mater-of-factly stated that he felt “like a blues musician with a crossover hit.” No where is this more true than in his early work, as detailed in his new book (and subject of the lecture) Breakdowns. As he spoke I realize if nothing else Spiegelman is an ADD genius; ideas flow freely from his head never lingering past the audience’s applause and laughter. Yet, it is only when this creative energy is channeled into ink that we are given the time necessarily to fully understand and appreciate his work.

To Spiegelman, “comics are diagrams” of human thought. He explains that we all think in small iconic images and in small phrases, thus the combination of thought bubble and frame is able to “pierce our critical defenses.” Comics speaks to us, directly to us, in a way no other form of media says Spiegelman. “Comics allow you to the projector of the film,” guiding the action and allowing the reader to move at his/her own pace. And so it comes as no surprise to Spiegelman that the Graphic Novel is one of the few remaining  areas of growth in the literature market (that and religion).

While Spiegelman did not directly address the subject of religion in comics, he did insist (and I paraphrase, I wish I had be able to quote) that the very first comics were the painted glass depictions of that superhero who turned water into wine. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that the first commercial cartoons were to come out in Newsprint on the Christian Sabbath, thus directly competing with God for readership (or so said turn of the 20th century fundamentalists). Thought I think the church can hardly be angry at an art form that borrows so heavily from their content and form. It stands to make sense that comics would be a good tool to use when depicting religious events, most notably the apocalypse.

Spiegelman explained that comics are by their nature ephemeral and thus “appropriate for the end of the world.” Paired with the ability of cartoons to reach their reader on their own terms makes Graphic novels immensely powerful cultural agents. And when there is humor, this only makes the comic more powerful. The root of all humor lays in hostility and violence asserts Spiegelman, what scares and bothers us is what makes us laugh the hardest and brings us together. He sited the propaganda of WW2 as an example, be it the racist depiction of Jews in Germany or of the Japanese in America. This theory could also be applied to End Times, I can think of few subjects of competing violence and destruction.

Those are the general points of Speigelman’s lecture and what I found most relevant. In closing, I just want to leave you with my favorite quote of the night.

“The great thing about comics is this: if you don’t get a painting, you assume your stupid. With a comic book, if you don’t get it, you assume the writer is stupid.”

- Jesse