Religion in the Comics - 53

[Cartoonist]

Not much of a story, but things have been kind of slow here at the RITC library. This comes from Space Adventures #54, cover dated November 1963. Script: Joe Gill? | Pencils: Bill Molno. It features a priest of the future.






It seems like they changed unicorns. I thought God was going to come to the rescue, but they went secular at the end. The force that won the day was "love". The way it's talked about suggests that love is a physical force like gravity or magnetism. It doesn't need to be too strong of a force as the alien death beam is nothing more than a tanning ray.

[onager]

1. Thanks! Missed these. And as usual, reality is quite different...

During and after WWII, the USA backed 3 different strongman leaders in Asia. All were militant Christians who promised to unify their countries, etc. etc.

A quick look at Wiki will tell you how well they did in real wars...

Chiang Kai-Shek (China, Methodist) - forced into exile in 1949

Syngman Rhee (South Korea, Methodist) - forced into exile in 1960. Apparently good Methodist Rhee learned some things from good Methodist Chiang Kai-Shek next door:

The entire Rhee regime was notorious for its corruption with everyone in the government from the President on downwards stealing as much they possibly could from both the public purse and from the aid from the United States, making the Rhee regime one of the most dishonest and corrupt governments in South Korean history.

Ngo Dinh Diem (South Vietnam, Catholic) - assassinated by his own military in 1963, with CIA approval.

[Cartoonist]

4. Very informative post

I didn't know Rhee and Diem. One question: how does that relate to the story?

[onager]

8. Sorry for the late response...

Haven't been around here much lately.

I thought "our Xian strongmen in Asia" related to the story because of the hero priest. Though looking closer, I guess he's a non-denominational priest.

Xian propaganda comics often had a Hero Clergyman/Missionary as a stock character, pretty much like that one. Though he was usually fighting the godless commies or hoodlums, not aliens.

[mr blur]

2. Yeah, I thought the magic word would be 'Jesus' or 'Gawd'

but it was not to be. And of course the aliens had no concept of the notion of 'love' because...aliens don't have priests, I suppose.

Why did they always picture people in the future advancing to the stage where they wore cloaks all the time?

[Cartoonist]

3. The Word

I meant to include this in the OP:

[AlbertCat]

6. advancing to the stage where they wore cloaks all the time?

That way you don't have to draw so much anatomy.


Hey.... everyone wore cloaks in the Dark Ages.

[qnr]

9. To throw over their heads when the clouds of acid rain swept through? n/t

[AlbertCat]

5. ZZAAAPP

Ugh....

It's like a spoof of itself.

But still totally groovy, man. LOVE!

[edhopper]

7. So in the future

we all will be wearing capes, kewl.