Category Archives: online

interviews, online, podcast

Interfaith-ish Delivers Again on Comics

The folks over at Interfaith-ish, led by Jack Gordon, have been doing extraordinary work over the last few years, not the least of which because they frequently bring the subject of comics and religion to their audience’s ears.

Therefore, with their latest episode entitled “The Punjabi Black Panther,” we wanted to showcase a few of their other episodes on the subject near and dear to our hears. Our readers are encouraged to subscribe to their podcast, but here are the standout installments for S&S:

 

controversy, from the Internet, interviews, online

Bosch Fawstin and “Evil”

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Generally speaking, Sacred and Sequential does not republish anything that could be construed as hate speech, bigotry, or prejudice. Amplifying these voices tends to work against our interfaith/multicultural efforts and encourage their further ugliness.

At the same time, there is also the responsibility not to look away, to engage the world as it is and not how we would like it to be. To that end, we’re sharing this January interview from the Randian Objective Standard with “tireless ex-Muslim cartoonist” Bosch Fawstin, an ‘update’ of sorts from earlier profiles on him and his work. In it, Fawstin elaborates on his view that “Islam is an evil ideology.”

Bosch Fawstin on Combating the Evil of Islam

In May of 2018, Fawstin was suspended from Twitter due to “hateful conduct,” to which he responded with this piece.

Again, please note that sharing this interview should be in no way understood as an endorsement of Fawstin or The Objective Standard. Even so, if there is any area at all in which our site agrees with Fawstin, it is in terms of the right to free speech. It is good to know, out loud, where he and his supporters stand.

cultural, interviews, online

Deena Mohamed: “It’s kind of a myth that people won’t support ‘diverse’ work.”

Self-portrait by Deena MohamedEarlier this year, Egyptian comics creator Deena Mohamed, perhaps best known internationally for her work originating the superheroine Qahera, spoke with Egyptian Streets about her latest creation, the graphic novel trilogy Shubeik Lubeik which won Best Graphic Novel and the Grand Prize at Cairo Comix Festival in 2017.

Comic Artist Deena Mohamed on Representation, Authenticity, and Egyptian Art

In addition to minding a balance between authentic, native Egyptian themes and interest by Western audiences, Mohamed also looks to dispel myths not only about women but also about “diverse” work:

“It’s kind of a myth that people won’t support ‘diverse’ work. What actually happens is the opposite – people want you to write about ‘the issues’ (for Westerners, Islam and feminism, for Egyptians, feminism) but they want you to write about it in a very specific way,” she told Egyptian Streets.

“They want really superficial, easily-quoted takes,” she elaborates. “They love women empowerment, if women empowerment means sharing [online] a hijabi superhero comic without ever reading the messages behind it. […] At some point you start to feel very patronised.”

See more of her work at DeenaDraws.art and on Twitter @itsdeenasaur.

academic, controversy, online

Sacred and Sequential’s Top 2019 Stories

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As 2019 draws to a close, we at Sacred and Sequential wanted to take a look back at the year that was and recount the five most-viewed new posts. (Postings from previous years were not included in this list.)

Ultimately, it looks like comics Jesus and calls for new scholarship attracted the most attention! What’s coming in 2020?

Our thanks to all who contributed — and especially those who linked to us and read!

5.

Religion, Spirituality, and Comics – A Sampler (Part 1 of 3)

4.

Kingstone Asks: WILL THE REAL JESUS PLEASE STAND UP?

3.

No to Jesus with superheroes; Yes to Jesus with kung-fu beheadings

2.

CFP – Religion and Comics Series

1.

CFP – Marveling Religion: Critical Discourse and the Marvel Cinematic Universe

online

Keshet Calls for LGBTQ Jewish Superheroic PoC

Keshet, the organization for LGBTQ equality in Jewish life, has put out this call on Twitter for multiracial queer superheroes for inclusion in their poster series:

Are you a character with an eligible character? Know of one you want to recommend? Follow this link to their form and aid in their efforts “to do better and reflect the multiracial reality of the Jewish people.”