How should religion be dealt with in comic stories

[nolan]

I figured the topic would come up sooner or later so I'm starting a thread on the subject.

[jayvee]

Hardcore, man.

Why should anyone pull punches? You've got to speak with your characters' voices.

[davidaccampo]

jayvee said:

You've got to speak with your characters' voices.

For me, that's the key. If it comes THROUGH the characters, then there really are no limits.

You can tackle religion in a larger sense (as subject for debate, etc.), but no matter what opinion you take, you're likely to risk alienating a large portion of your audience.

So really it comes down to intent. If your work is meant to be commentary on religion, then know your audience, and know who you're going to turn off.

If you just want to discuss religion, it's gotta be from the characters, and then people will put it into context.

[nolan]

As artists, it is almost inherent that at some point we will have to deal with touchy issues.


Dave, honestly, I'm not entirely sure I agree with your comments on characters. As important as it is to avoid preaching to the audience (because nothing will insult their intelligence more or get them to not care about your story faster), the whole idea of "let the characters speak for themselves" seems to generally refer to "playing down the author's voice" in the real world.

[davidaccampo]

nolan said:

As artists, it is almost inherent that at some point we will have to deal with touchy issues.


Dave, honestly, I'm not entirely sure I agree with your comments on characters. As important as it is to avoid preaching to the audience (because nothing will insult their intelligence more or get them to not care about your story faster), the whole idea of "let the characters speak for themselves" seems to generally refer to "playing down the author's voice" in the real world.

As I said in my previous post, you just have to know your PURPOSE. If you want to give everyone your diatribe on organized religion, don't expect it to sell millions of copies. That's just how people are. Do YOU like to read a comic where a writer is clearly stating that he believes in Creationism, for example? Personally, I don't.

However, I have NO problem reading a book in which a creationist is a character in a story.

I don't believe this has anything to do with watering down an author's voice. The real world isn't written in one voice, and any realistic portrayal of characters would not have one voice. They would each speak with their own voices, which is something that the author builds from within. A good writer will find a bit of himself, and then mold it with a combination of fact and imagination into a complex, empathetic character. The same writer can write an evangelical christian, an atheist, and a buddhist monk. It's not watering down the voice, but reflecting reality by polishing the multiple facets inside you.

At least that's how I approach my writing. Look at it this way -- if all the characters are you, if the world you create is you, then how could it be watered down? It's all you.