EN80 Heart Spill
The recent Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill is reportedly the worst eco-disaster in US history. The powerful image of this stuff leaking endlessly into an unsuspecting environment is disturbing to say the least. This is the kind of image that Jesus evokes in Matthew 15 when he talks about the natural condition of the human heart. Though wonderfully made in God's image, we are also capable - and regularly achieve - the most polluting of choices.
And by this, I am not necessarily talking about being some kind of Hitler figure. We often recognise that we let ourselves down in ways that seem surprising. When a person looks honestly at their life they often see that life took some darker turns because of deep-rooted selfishness that they were often powerless to prevent.
The Bible is wonderfully clear on the solution to this issue - there is a theme that develops throughout the Old Testament timeline of people being made 'new' in some special way. This culminates in Jesus Christ, who make the explicit promise to not only 'top kill' the rusty pipe of sin, but also replace the flow with something altogether different - something linked to source and giver of life: God Himself.
EN78 Relative Height
04/04/10 19:22 Filed in: Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 33v27: The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (HT: JT)
Once again a parent-inspired cartoon.
EN77 Worldly/Heavenly Wisdom
04/03/10 19:34 Filed in: Matthew
EN76 Heart Realities
31/01/10 21:49 Filed in: Psalms
Showing some interest in God is often confused with actually being accepted by Him. Fortunately, He is kind enough to fill us in on the heart realities.
A Shepherd's Blood Type
31/01/10 19:46 Filed in: John
I changed my mind on submitting this for this months' EN. Partly I was really pushed for time and I did most of it in the dark with absurbly minimal amounts of sleep, and partly I did it because I really like this style of work and want to continue pushing it in future work if at all possible.
Anyways - this is a meditation on how I want my hands to be like His hands.
Happy New Year: The Jesus Comic!
What a fab way to start the new year. After two years of work, this was released onto the iPhone/iTouch app store:
Some blurb from a recent e-newsletter:
Jason Ramasami is an RE teacher who wants to make the Bible memorable and accessible to students who may have little or no interest in following the Christian faith. Two years ago he embarked on the ambitious project of creating a wordless comic of the main events of Jesus' life for visual learners.
Somewhere along the line the project developed further into an iPhone/iPod Touch app that was approved in December for worldwide distribution.
The Jesus Comic (which is easily searchable in iTunes) is a 150 page comic that moves through 12 chapters and is intended as a discussion kick-starter - not a replacement for the Bible. So far feedback has been very positive -
"This comic is really inspiring; the first genuinely fresh retelling of the good news about Jesus that I have seen in ages. It manages to be faithful to the original text, yet visually creative at the same time. Required viewing!"
"It provoked discussion with my wife, our son and daughter. They spotted some stuff that I didn't and I spotted some that they didn't. This was fun!”
The accompanying website gives some further guidance on interpreting the bigger Bible narrative, but the main idea isn't to be a digital tract but an intriguing and fresh way of reflecting on the life of Jesus.
Jason is asking people to have a look and to recommend/rate it if they enjoy what they experience.
More info website:
http://www.thejesuscomic.com
App store link for the full version:
http://www.iTunes.com/apps/jesuscomic
App store link for the free sampler version:
http://www.iTunes.com/apps/jesuscomicnativity
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jesus-Comic/222779070030?ref=nf
Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/theJesusComic
Some blurb from a recent e-newsletter:
Jason Ramasami is an RE teacher who wants to make the Bible memorable and accessible to students who may have little or no interest in following the Christian faith. Two years ago he embarked on the ambitious project of creating a wordless comic of the main events of Jesus' life for visual learners.
Somewhere along the line the project developed further into an iPhone/iPod Touch app that was approved in December for worldwide distribution.
The Jesus Comic (which is easily searchable in iTunes) is a 150 page comic that moves through 12 chapters and is intended as a discussion kick-starter - not a replacement for the Bible. So far feedback has been very positive -
"This comic is really inspiring; the first genuinely fresh retelling of the good news about Jesus that I have seen in ages. It manages to be faithful to the original text, yet visually creative at the same time. Required viewing!"
"It provoked discussion with my wife, our son and daughter. They spotted some stuff that I didn't and I spotted some that they didn't. This was fun!”
The accompanying website gives some further guidance on interpreting the bigger Bible narrative, but the main idea isn't to be a digital tract but an intriguing and fresh way of reflecting on the life of Jesus.
Jason is asking people to have a look and to recommend/rate it if they enjoy what they experience.
More info website:
http://www.thejesuscomic.com
App store link for the full version:
http://www.iTunes.com/apps/jesuscomic
App store link for the free sampler version:
http://www.iTunes.com/apps/jesuscomicnativity
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jesus-Comic/222779070030?ref=nf
Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/theJesusComic
EN75 The Son has Risen: let nightmares cease!
07/01/10 07:40 Filed in: Psalms | Colossians
Based heavily on some recent personal experiences, I have been reflecting on how a parent might bring comfort to a child who is having nightmares. From this I began to move further outwards and think what basis is there for any of us being comforted in the face of the ultimate nightmare of mortality and suffering.
The Big Day: Revelation the 19th
My friends Kev and Kath are getting married in about three weeks. It is a massive chapter change for them and wonderfully they have included us in the celebrations. After stumbling upon a new personal style of adorning text, Kath asked me to do some more and this was the result.
It is an extended meditation on the Christian worldview narrative - from the Creation, to the Fall, to Jesus' Cross-work and finally the consummation.
May God richly bless this couple as they step out in awe of the truly BIG day. All the rest will fall into place.
EN74 Reduced
01/12/09 18:08 Filed in: Acts | Philippians
The top half of this cartoon is far too common to be comfortable. The second half is something we all need to experience more.
EN72 Damn Good Works
30/09/09 07:34 Filed in: Matthew
Mark Meynell has a really worthwhile blog that manages to get the right balance between the lighthearted and personal/serious/critical. He recently wrote this post quoting Tim Keller at length. The end quote from the cartoon above is taken from that post. I have changed the word 'Pharisee' for 'religious people'.
Before I spoil things, it is worth reading Mark's webpage to get a clearer view on what this section is about.
The epilogue text can be read here. It is a story where Jesus makes the important distinction that our external reputation/deeds cannot disguise inner pollution.
Hebrews 13v20-21
26/09/09 13:03 Filed in: Hebrews
This has to be one of my favourite passages in the Bible. I have a lot of very positive associations with it from my time at Cornerstone Church during those innocent (!) student days in Nottingham between 1990-93. It reminds me of the epic yet intimate upward Gospel spiral.
EN71 Light Pollution
14/09/09 07:47 Filed in: Philippians | Revelation
The background to this idea was something Peter Woodcock said during the Contagious 09 conference. I was standing with him and Jon Drane on a field looking at stars and he made a comment about the link between suburban light pollution and our inability to comprehend the glory of the vastness of space.
You can take this cartoon in a number of ways but my personal intention was to say that everyday life has immediate distractions that appear to be good while keeping us from comprehending the big thing of Jesus stepping into history and redeeming our broken dark planet.
EN70 Remedy Delivery
30/07/09 15:35 Filed in: 2 Corinthians
Although the 2 Corinthians 4 text is quoted at length within the cartoon it helps to see the whole thing here.
Although it took a while to draw, this piece came fairly quickly to me when I heard someone at our local church talking about signing up to become 'flu-friends' and assist collecting Tamiflu in the local community when people are incapacitated.
More... Read More...
The Rope of Hope
29/07/09 22:13 Filed in: Romans
Fantastic!
I have been asked to revisit a few older EpilogueTV cartoons and reformat them for Sorted magazine. I took one of my first ever pieces (found originally here) and redrew it, making a few changes to the text, composition and pacing. The newer version is much much better and hopefully reflects some personal improvements over the five years I have been pushing these little babies out.
Thanks Steve Legg!
I have been asked to revisit a few older EpilogueTV cartoons and reformat them for Sorted magazine. I took one of my first ever pieces (found originally here) and redrew it, making a few changes to the text, composition and pacing. The newer version is much much better and hopefully reflects some personal improvements over the five years I have been pushing these little babies out.
Thanks Steve Legg!
Satisfaction and True Peace
07/06/09 20:46 Filed in: Psalms
Hidden Treasure: Matthew 13v44
08/05/09 12:50 Filed in: Matthew
EN67 WYSIWYG
The glorious news is that Jesus unlocks slavery in all sorts of ways. I have been thinking a lot recently about the kinds of twisty paths that social-networks lead to. This cartoon picks up on three tendencies and brings three texts to bear upon them: Matthew 11v28, John 10v3-5 and Matthew 13v45 (you might have scroll down to find the exact bit).
Read More...
EN66 Sin Slavery
01/04/09 13:55 Filed in: Romans
A huge thing in Christian thought is the idea of being set free from slavery by Jesus’ Cross-work. Read More...
EN65 Atheism Reasons
01/03/09 13:55 Filed in: John
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you will need to scroll down to find the exact part). Read More...
EN62 Baby 'P'
22/11/08 13:55 Filed in: 1 Peter
There isn't a text for this particular piece because it is something that is written across the whole Bible.
This was really difficult to do because the story was horrible. I think that one of the unnerving aspects to the news was that the events had happened so long ago, and that there are probably kids going through some similar evil right now. I guess that the sense of powerlessness in the face of such cruelty is the big idea here. Read More...
EN60 Jesus the Anchor
22/09/08 13:55 Filed in: Hebrews
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you will need to scroll down to find the exact part). Read More...
EN55 Doctor Luke's Documentary
01/05/08 13:54 Filed in: Luke
The Bible epilogue text can be found here.
This is an interview I recently put together with an ex-student who has become a really good mate. It is really exciting that he won the Best British Doc at the London Independent Film Festival at the NFT a few weeks ago. I did a skype call to explore some of the making ideas.
Anyway - it got me thinking about Luke's Gospel which has so much in common with a well-produced and researched documentary. Read More...
EN50 Inappropriate Names
01/12/07 13:54 Filed in: Hebrews
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
This one was based on the naming of the Sudanese Teddy.
EN49 What Art Would Jesus Do?
01/11/07 13:54 Filed in: Romans
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
We went to the Tate Modern over the half term break and visited Doris Salcedo's sculpture. Read More...
EN43 Son-shield
01/04/07 13:53 Filed in: 1 John
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
Danny Boyle has made a few really decent films. His latest movie is the basis for this one. Read More...
EN42 Shredded
22/02/07 13:53 Filed in: Romans
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
Identity theft is becoming a really big deal recently. I bought a shredder at the behest of my wife and found myself in a queue at sainsbury's reading the packaging (as you do). Read More...
EN39 The World's Least Favourite Symbol
22/11/06 13:53 Filed in: 1 Corinthians
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
The christian worldview is something that can be pretty offensive if you understand it correctly. Read More...
EN38 The Adoption Process
01/11/06 13:53 Filed in: 1 Peter
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
This one was related to the whole Madonna/celebrity adoption fiasco that hit the headlines. Can a celebrity bypass correct protocols and take a child from africa? Isn't it in fact a compassionate move to share their lives with those less fortunate? Is it right to remove a child from his/her home situation and place them in the ultra-consumerist setting of a celebrity home?
The debates are many, but I wanted to use this situation to Read More...
EN36 Stockholm Syndrome/Happy Hostage
01/09/06 13:52 Filed in: 2 Timothy
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
Probably one of the most chilling stories ever had come to light. I mused on the idea of 'Stockholm Syndrome' (a condition that I had heard of before) and thought that this is exactly what happens when people are faced with the amazing truth of Christ's rescue plan. The attachment to the slavery of this world really gets in the way of someone openly coming to faith in Christ, and it takes an amazing work of God's grace to bring them beyond themselves.
This is probably my favourite strip of the EN series. The title text is fundamentally part of the composition and the panels develop in a way that I personally get a buzz out of.
The dedication is for the three new workers in our church. I wanted to say 'thankyou' for their immense hard work and brilliant contribution to the family. I had better stop now before this gets into an Oscar speech.
EN30 Where Cartoonists Fear to Tread
01/03/06 13:52 Filed in: Acts
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
I really like this one. The Muslim cartoon protests were hitting the headlines big time. One of the things about doing this strip is that there are sometimes easy targets and then less obvious ones. The end example is something I am pleased with because it doesn't do the obvious thing of criticising Muslims - it goes one better (in my view) and asks the question what is sacred to the secularists?
Fundamental to the whole event is the attitude of the secular press toward sacred beliefs, and I wanted to turn the tables.
My favourite bit is the caps lock gag. Thanks to the editorial assistance from John Batchelor who was a good mate to us at the time. Man can he laugh.
EN23 The Hour of Darkness
01/07/05 13:51 Filed in: Colossians
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
7/7, as it is referred to, was yet another defining moment in our shifting culture. I reflected on the parallel steps of the bomber and Jesus, how they both involved death, both were puzzling, and yet had such dramatically different consequences for anyone connected.
Flippancy is something to be avoided with this material, and I think it manages to do that. A lot of the time these strips require you to compare parallel compositions or scan repetitive elements. This one uses that device.
EN12 The Naked Athlete
01/09/04 13:50 Filed in: Hebrews
