Warning: This post talks about death and dying which some may find disturbing.
A lot of photography is about life and living. We take photographs of births and birthdays, weddings and graduations, family gatherings, the natural world around us, and interesting parts of the built environment and those who live within it. Not so with death and dying. It feels uncomfortable, even disrespectful, to photograph people who are sick or dying, those who are dead, and at funerals. I’ve been pondering the idea that to live life well you must also think deeply about death.
Personally, I wished there were more photographs from my father’s and father-in-law’s funerals – of those there, the conversations they were having, and the overall atmosphere of each event. Being caught up in doing things and grieving I didn’t pay much attention to those things and would like to look back on those now with photographs of those times.
Billed as “The Exorcist meets Alien” by AWA Studios, the five-part comic book series Sacrament wrapped up recently. Set in a future where religion of any sort has been made illegal, replaced by a form of militant scientism that requires a “pure faith” in science and human reason, the story centres on a case of apparent demonic possession on a far-flung colony world. This manifestation is outside of a rational paradigm, and to deal with this a Catholic priest and nun working illegally are sought out by the reluctant authorities to see if they can resolve the problem.
In the year 3000, Mankind abandoned Earth and fled into outer space. Now, a disgraced priest, called into action to perform an exorcism on a remote space colony, is about to discover that no matter how far you run, you can’t escape your demons, and the Devil is, in fact, real.
Most YouTube photography channels tend to talk about camera equipment, composition, and tools and tricks for post-production. All those are really useful, especially if you’re trying to learn how to take good photographs or wanting advice on buying kit, but they often don’t connect with the reason you might be doing photography or how it might impact on yourself and other people.
A while ago, Upshot Studios/AWA produced an excellent series of stories from the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic (see: COVID Comics). Over the past few months, in partnership with NBC News, they’ve been doing the same thing with grassroots stories of climate change. The stories are published online (at the link below) and will be published as a trade paperback in late November.
Climate Crisis Chronicles is the second series in AWA’s impactful Chronicles series, which lends a human face to some of today’s biggest societal issues. It follows the December 2020 release of Covid Chronicles, New York Press Club Best Internet Commentary Award-Winning web series chronicling ten personal stories of life and death from the front lines of the initial Covid-19 outbreak. From a firefighter battling seasonal forest fires in California to a human rights activist picking up the pieces after a pair of devastating hurricanes in Honduras, Climate Crisis Chronicles puts a human face on today’s most pressing and far-reaching global issue.
On a related note, this recent anthology of environmentally-themed comics is also a good read (and includes some creators from Aotearoa New Zealand): The Most Important Comic Book in the World. From the publisher’s blurb:
The Most Important Comic Book On Earth is a global collaboration for planetary change, bringing together a diverse team of 300 leading environmentalists, artists, authors, actors, filmmakers, musicians, and more to present over 120 stories to save the world.
Whether it’s inspirational tales from celebrity names such as Cara Delevingne and Andy Serkis, hilarious webcomics from War and Peas and Ricky Gervais, artworks by leading illustrators David Mack and Tula Lotay, calls to action from activists George Monbiot and Jane Goodall, or powerful stories by Brian Azzarello and Amy Chu, each of the comics in this anthology will support projects and organizations fighting to save the planet and Rewrite Extinction.
I’ve spent a bit of time today going through web links that have been archived in the “Research” folder this year. Here’s a selection of things related to various technological and transhumanist fronts.
A shorter post today connecting back to the Photography and Spiritual Formation (6) (which focused on therapeutic purposes for photography). Several street photographers I follow on YouTube with their own reflections on photography and mental wellbeing.
As well as all the angels and nephilim in comics, I’ve also been reading a number of titles based around the golem – the creature in Jewish folklore created from clay or mud who typically then becomes a helper or protector.
It’s World War 2 and the struggle between good and evil is in full force. In Prague, the great Bohemian city is being oppressed by the Nazi occupation and the population lives in terror, while the resistance forces try to organize themselves in the shadows. It is an almost impossible task. With the ruthless SS tightening their grip on every street and neighborhood with overwhelming might, only one hope feeds the struggle. A crazy hope, which rests on the fragile foundations of an ancient, monstrous legend…
After being awakened from his long sleep in a shrine in Eastern Europe, Josef the Golem aids in the fight against the witches that once again terrorize humanity. Deployed to a small village where a cult has taken root, Josef encounters not only witches but an old enemy who remembers him well . . . and is out for vengeance!
A British plane crashes in a Jewish village, sparking a Nazi invasion. Using clay and mud from the river, the villagers bring to life a giant monster to battle for their freedom and future.
The Golem, the classic mystical creature of Jewish lore, is boldly reimagined by celebrated cartoonist David G Klein in his new graphic novel, The Golem’s Voice. Beautifully drawn and movingly written, this thrilling adventure resurrects the giant of legend to face the real-world terror of WWII.
Separated from his older brother as they flee the Nazis, Yakov encounters the mysterious Golem of Prague. Through “voices unheard” the two make a connection, and Yakov discovers his own inner resources and capacity for sacrifice, as they evade the Nazis in a tale of suffering and redemption.
Recently there have been a bunch of comics either engaging with religion or taking religious elements and reworking them into their stories. Here’s the list of what I’ve been reading recently. (There will be a follow-up post on Golem-related comics)
In this post mention a few places I’ve found online that engage with photography and spirituality. Some of these are explicitly Christian, while others have a wider sense of things spiritual.
