POW! The Knights Behind a Comic Book Revival

Dec. 1, 2022

K of C artists create comic books that draw on beauty and truth to build up young people’s faith

By Philip Kosloski

Dec. 1, 2022

Marvel’s 1982 comic book on the life of Pope John Paul II was inked by Joe Sinnott, a member of the Knights. The issue sold more than 1 million copies. (Photo courtesy of Mark Sinnott)

It’s an all-too-common scene. A dad walks into a comic book store with his excited 10-year-old, looking for riveting stories of superheroes doing battle against forces of evil, battles that demand courage, strength and self-sacrifice. He passes by shelves and shelves of mainstream comics featuring Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and other popular heroes. Yet to his dismay, many of these titles now contain graphic violence and erotic artwork. The dad asks the store owner if he has any comics suitable for a younger audience.

“That’s all we got,“ the owner replies, pointing to a tiny shelf in the back of the store. After leafing through the handful of comics available, most of them about childish themes, the two leave the store disappointed.

Violent and explicit content is a problem that has plagued comics for years and unfortunately is only getting worse.

Marvel artist Jim Fern, a member of Father Gabriel Council 3746 in Melbourne, Florida, recalls being asked by an acquaintance nearly 20 years ago, “When are you all going to do something that my kids can read?“

“That struck me,“ said Fern. “I thought our comics were clean, but they obviously were not clean enough.“

Joe Sinnott smiles at the Empire State Comic Con in Albany, N.Y., in 2019. (Courtesy of Mark Sinnott)

In past decades, Catholic publishers and artists such as acclaimed artist Joe Sinnott (1926-2020) embraced comic books’ potential to entertain, inspire and even evangelize. Now the comic book world is in dire need of a revolution to retrieve its full human — and superhuman — powers to convey truth, goodness and beauty. And several Knights, including Fern, are among those working to revive this popular medium whose impact on a child’s imagination is immeasurable.

As Uncle Ben famously said to Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.“

AN INCARNATIONAL ART FORM

Pope John Paul II observed in his 1999 Letter to Artists, “Christ himself made extensive use of images in his preaching, fully in keeping with his willingness to become, in the Incarnation, the icon of the unseen God“ (12). Indeed, for the last two millennia, the Catholic Church has embraced the sacramental role that art and artists can play in communicating the faith. Medieval woodcuts and stained glass, for example, served as the “comic books“ of their day, conveying biblical stories and theological truths to an often-illiterate population.

It is no wonder, then, that when the publication of Superman (1938) and Batman (1939) ushered in the Golden Age of comic books in the United States, Catholics soon adopted this popular new literary form. The first Catholic comic book series, Timeless Topix (1942-46), was published by the Catechetical Guild Educational Society; it is notable for being where Peanuts’ creator Charles Schulz did his first professional work.

The best-known and longest-running Catholic series was Treasure Chest of Fun and Facts, published by George Pflaum from 1946 to 1972. Distributed by bulk subscription to parochial schools across the country, Treasure Chest featured a wide and engaging array of realistic fiction and nonfiction stories, including many about the saints.

It was during this time that artist Joe Sinnott began his prolific career in comic books. A Navy veteran of World War II, he began working for Marvel in 1950, collaborating with the renowned comic book writer Stan Lee for six decades. Sinnott was best known for his work on The Fantastic Four, The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man.

The Silver Surfer appears on a 1968 Fantastic Four cover by Sinnott. • Among the religious comic books Sinnott illustrated was a life of St. Junípero Serra for FC Comics (Franciscan Communications) in 1987. (Courtesy of Mark Sinnott)

He joined Saugerties (N.Y.) Council 4536 in 1960 and two years later began a fruitful association with Treasure Chest.

“My kids brought a copy home one day from school,“ he recounted in Brush Strokes With Greatness: The Life & Art of Joe Sinnott (2007) by Tim Lasiuta. “I liked what I saw, and I was looking for work, so I shot off an art sample and they responded back very quickly.“

Sinnott’s first story for Treasure Chest was on poet and fellow Knight Joyce Kilmer, who was killed in World War I. Sinnott went on to draw dozens of biographical stories, including comics about President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Babe Ruth. He even deferred work for Marvel to focus on a Treasure Chest biography of Pope John XXIII. Sinnott later inked a Marvel biography of Pope John Paul II in 1982 and a similar comic on Mother Teresa in 1985.

In a 2016 interview with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Sinnott reflected on his career: “I miss Treasure Chest. It was very educational, and believe me, it had some great stories and artists. I did all these superhero books for Marvel, but my favorite art was for Treasure Chest.“

BUCKING THE CULTURE

Jim Fern shows a boy how to draw Mickey Mouse in the Art of Disney Gallery at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park in 1999. (Courtesy of Jim Fern)

Treasure Chest printed its final issue in 1972, leaving no Catholic comic company in its place for many years, which created a dilemma for Catholic artists such as Jim Fern.

Fern became an inker for Marvel in 1983, working on various Spider-Man titles. He also picked up work for DC Comics, drawing many Superman and Batman issues. Initially, his work did not pose any problems, but as the rules of what was permitted in mainstream comics became more lax, the dark material he was drawing took a toll.

“Mainstream comic books always reflect the culture, and when I started, it was all traditional values,“ Fern explained. “But then the culture started to change.“

At the same time, Fern was returning to a deeper practice of his Catholic faith. He began to refuse jobs he didn’t agree with and eventually left comics to work for Walt Disney World as an artist in their merchandise department. While this allowed him to use his artistic talents in a more positive way, Fern still felt a desire to find projects that were more explicitly Christian.

Fern has drawn art for comic books with religious themes, such as The Tale of Patrick Peyton (Voyage Comics, 2019), as well as in the mainstream superhero genre, as with Green Arrow in Convergence: World’s Finest (DC Comics, 2015). — Fern has drawn art for comic books in the mainstream superhero genre, such as *Green Arrow in Convergence: World’s Finest* (DC Comics, 2015), as well as comic books with religious themes, such as *The Tale of Patrick Peyton* (Voyage Comics, 2019). (Courtesy of Jim Fern & Voyage Comics)

Initially this wasn’t easy, as his portfolio included many comics that he regretted drawing. A Christian publisher even turned him down based on past work. However, a friend in a local lay Carmelite community introduced him in 2017 to a new Catholic comic book company called Voyage Comics. Fern drew a biography of Venerable Father Patrick Peyton for Voyage that was published in 2019.

“Working on that project made me the happiest with sharing my art than even those Batman books I’ve drawn,“ he said. Since then, Fern has continued to seek out projects that better reflect his Catholic faith.

Even in a confused culture, there is still a vast appetite for heroes who fight for the good, said Fern, and Catholic artists are uniquely positioned to respond to that desire.

“We live in a world that wants superheroes,“ he said. “We have saints who flew and walked on water. This is superhero stuff. And there is no greater superhero than Jesus Christ.“

‘THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE’

In recent years, other Catholic publishers have begun to recognize the evangelization potential of comic books. Catholic Answers, for example, accepted the innovative proposal of Father Patrick Kokorian, a member of St. Lawrence Council 9407 in Alexandria, Virginia, to engage young readers in theology, philosophy and apologetics via comics.

Father Patrick Kokorian is pictured in the chapel of Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Petersham, Mass., where he serves as abbot of the Maronite Monks of Adoration community. The Truth Is Out There (right) is the first volume of Abbot Kokorian’s three-part Brendan & Erc in Exile comic book series published by Catholic Answers. — Father Patrick Kokorian is pictured in the chapel of Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Petersham, Mass., where he serves as abbot of the Maronite Monks of Adoration community. (Photo by Jason Paige Smith)

Father Kokorian grew up reading European-style comics such as such as Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin and drawing cartoons. His art, however, remained primarily a hobby while he earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and later took a job with Lockheed Martin.

God had other plans. In his 20s, he more fully embraced his Catholic faith, joined the Knights of Columbus and started to discern his vocation. He eventually joined the Maronite Monks of Adoration in Petersham, Massachusetts. It was in the monastery that Father Kokorian felt God calling him to draw again.

“Before entering the monastery, it pained me that my friends did not appreciate the beauty of their Catholic faith,“ Father Kokorian explained. “I tried whatever I could to convince them, but nothing would work.“

Recalling those conversations, Father Kokorian was inspired to create a comic book that might reach his friends and others like them. With the permission of his abbot, Father Kokorian drew a trilogy of graphic novels combining faith and adventure, published under his pen name, Amadeus.

The Truth Is Out There and The Big Picture are the first two volumes of of Abbot Kokorian’s three-part Brendan & Erc in Exile comic book series published by Catholic Answers. — *The Truth Is Out There* and *The Big Picture* are the first two volumes of of Abbot Kokorian’s three-part *Brendan & Erc in Exile* comic book series published by Catholic Answers. (Courtesy of Catholic Answers)

It wasn’t easy finding a Catholic publisher; most replied simply, “We don’t publish comic books.“ However, Father Kokorian persevered, convinced that comic books have great power.

“You can keep people’s attention a lot longer with visuals,“ Father Kokorian said. “[They] help get a point across more effectively than a typical nonfiction book.“

His trilogy follows two interplanetary delivery pilots, Brendan and Erc, who explore faith and reason (The Truth Is Out There, 2013), the Incarnation (The Big Picture, 2016) and the sacraments (The Weapons of War, 2019). Their adventures and conversations are interspersed with humorous encounters that give flesh to the joyful nature of the Catholic faith.

“Kids are going to pick up comics, one way or the other,“ said Father Kokorian, now the abbot of Most Holy Trinity Monastery. “It is my hope that in an age best summed up by Pilate’s words, ‘What is truth?’ a creative new cohort of Catholic comic book artists will show young readers the great beauty and truth at the heart of our eucharistic and Trinitarian faith.“

*****

PHILIP KOSLOSKI is the founder of Voyage Comics and a member of Msgr. Reding Council 1558 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

LeRoy Jackson makes a catch for an 85-yard touchdown against the Baltimore Colts on Dec. 8, 1962.

POW! The Knights Behind a Comic Book Revival

AN INCARNATIONAL ART FORM

BUCKING THE CULTURE

‘THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE’

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