The Power of Graphic Novels

The two major themes of Temptation and Fall in the Book of Genesis 1-2 are depicted very differently in the two graphic novels: “The Lion Graphic Bible: The Whole Story from Genesis to Revelation” by Jeff Anderson and Mike Maddox, and “The Book of Genesis Illustrated” by R. Crumb. First of all, we need to pay attention to the particular audience each graphic novel is trying to target. Anderson and Maddox’s graphic novel gives a simplified version of how God created the Earth, and as a consequence focuses more on portraying how temptation led to the fall of Adam and Eve. Thus, Anderson and Maddox’s graphic adaptation of the Bible teaches the audience a moral lesson in how “evil” temptation is, which is a characteristic of myths. We also should pay attention to how the characters and settings are drawn out. The first thing we notice is the contrast in colors, which depicts the timeless battle between good and evil. Thus when God creates the Earth, light and pastel colors emphasize purity and goodness while shadows and darker hues predict Eve’s tragic demise when she gives in to the serpent and eat the forbidden fruit.  Finally, darker shades (from light green to dark green) underscore the fall of Adam and Eve and how they fail to remain loyal to God. Hence, this palette of colors is one of the graphic techniques Anderson and Maddox use to highlight what Scott McCloud calls “amplification through simplification.” This is the process in which the artist “strips down an image to its essential “meaning,” [so the] artist can amplify that meaning in a way that realistic art can’t” (Scott McCloud). Essentially, Anderson and Maddox stripped down the Book of Genesis 1-2 in terms of color usage as opposed to focusing on specific details, so that certain themes, such as Temptation and Fall, can be communicated to the audience as efficiently as possible. This relates to a point made earlier in that the targeted audience for “The Lion Graphic Bible” is meant for all ages, even children, because colors are visually appealing and quicker to decipher. For instance, color can depict mood and emotions.

In contrast, R. Crumb’s graphic novel gives a much more detailed version of how God created the Earth. In fact, it almost follows the Book of Genesis 1-2 word for word. I would like to point out that Crumb’s version of the Book of Genesis 1-2 does not depict the theme of Fall, but only the Temptation. Nevertheless, the graphic novel at first glance is more sexualized, thus the targeted audience is evidently for an older, adult audience. Similar to how Anderson and Maddox use a contrast of colors to appeal to their targeted audience, Crumb uses sexuality to appeal to his targeted audience. But the main difference between the two is that Crumb’s version does not follow Scott McCloud’s “amplification through simplification.” Crumb does not simplify the Book of Genesis, so the setting where temptation is portrayed does not carry the same impact as Anderson and Maddox’s version. Instead, Crumb’s version uses what Scott McCloud calls, “audience involvement” in which “the degree to which the audience identifies with a story’s characters.” Thus, Crumb’s version gives its audience a sensually stimulating world since the graphic artist provides the audience with overly detailed settings and characters. This makes it easier and “safer” for adults to relate to the temptation of Adam and Eve because we all share the same imperfection – no human is perfect. Thus, the depiction of how God created the Earth varies because myths are widely held false beliefs or ideas; however, the effectiveness of how the same myth is portrayed through graphic novels heavily depends on the style chosen for different audiences.