Religion in Disney Comics

danshane@bellsouth.net danshane at bellsouth.net
Sat Aug 9 13:48:22 CEST 2003


RICH WROTE:

> I'm sorry, but sometimes I see how much the religious Right of the USA 
> tries to control every aspect of our culture and it both frightens and 
> angers me, especially when it gets into my "escapist activities" like 
> reading comics.

AND I REPLY:

I have withheld comments on the Blum story until I get my own copy and have read it myself, but I wanted to straighten one thing out.  If your expression of ire was directed at Rodney as a member of the Religious Right you could not be farther off the mark.  If he cares to identify his religious affiliation I will leave that to him, but he is definitely not part of the group that has displeased you (and me, and Rodney) in its efforts to control the minds of America.

I can remark on the Disney comics of times past that have incorporated the customs of nominal "Christianity" (I liked the way you also included that sweeping identity in quotation marks) such as Christmas and other holidays.  There are plenty of readers of Disney comics who have had to grin and bear such references because they are infused into popular culture that it becomes nearly impossible for writers to avoid them, especially when publishers decide that special holiday issues of their comics are warranted to boost sales.  Halloween and Christmas Dell Giant issues are probably very highly prized among collectors, and they must have sold pretty well when first published or we would not have seen them produced annually.

But where are the Hanukkah and Ramadan specials?  (That's a rhetorical question, for those of you playing at home.)  Some of us have had to accept the morals of tales like 'Christmas in Shacktown' without embracing the religious foundation behind them.  I'll have to wait and see if Geoffrey's story can be regarded in the same light before I offer any specific criticisms or praise of his incorporation of religious references.

Dan (a Christian, but not a member of Christendom)




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