A Graphic Depiction

It’s understandable how R. Crumb’s graphic depiction of Genesis would have been considered “heresy” in the past. But in the past, such a depiction seemed graphic in the negative sense because the past wasn’t as accepting, or as immune as the present seems to be, to such explicit depictions like Crumb’s. Visually unveiling the intimacy of “knowing” someone, let alone “knowing” between two biblical figures, for a public audience to see…the idea alone seems taboo out of context. The gradual exposure of such previously exclusive acts in mainstream media and public knowledge is probably why we seem almost immune, or at least not as outraged, as past audiences would surely have been.

But within context—within Crumb’s goal to adapt Genesis “without irony”—the graphic novel does what its creator set out to accomplish: to leave nothing out. Despite Genesis being the first holy books of the Holy Bible, many a scandalous act occurs among the many patriarchs and matriarchs of Christianity, no matter how much the past wanted to turn its head from them. And I think Crumb’s visual attempt at elucidating these events from their archaic terminology, to scholars, Christians, and casual readers alike, achieves his goal for what it’s worth.

On that note, I don’t think Crumb’s illustrations change the stories in Genesis much, if at all. Sure, given his reputation and established style, Crumb took some liberties with how he envisioned the characters of Genesis and fleshed them out accordingly (no pun intended). Aesthetics aside, Crumb evidently tries to remain true to the original holy book; not one family lineage nor one scandalous, side-tracking occurance is omitted. And every panel undeniably bears thought and consideration towards the main storyline. The artist could have very well drawn a disjointed series of naked men and wrote “Sodom and Gomorrah” over them; but the tight structure of the story, as well as the cooperative relationship between the text and pictures, are evident of Crumb’s effort to be “without irony.”