Godsapoppin’! The Best Use of Mythology in Comics
December 1, 2009 | Posted by Chris Sims
Today at ComicsAlliance, I’ve put together a list of my favorite uses of mythology in comics!
This was another one of those lists that was really fun for me to write, as these are some of my favorite comics, as evidenced by the fact that the Wikipedia entry for my beloved Incredible Hercules
Still, the thing I like about these stories isn’t so much how they draw on mythology–although that’s been an interest of mine since I was old enough to read–but how they change it, like how Incredible Herc uses the structure of the Twelve Labors, but changed to fit the modern Marvel Universe.
Or, as seen above, how Walt Simonson wisely decided not to have Thor be killed in battle with the Midgard Serpent, as written in the original myth, but rather to have Thor knock out every one of the monster’s teeth from the inside in an issue that was nothing but splash pages.
And that is why Walt Simonson is awesome.
Categories: Bonus Content Update, The Unmitigated Radness of Walt Simonson | 
Tags: | 
40 Comments »
….the fuck,dude?
has the once great isb become only a place to advertise your comics alliance posts?
fukkit,i’m out.
I really need to get these Thor and New Gods stories. The way you talk about them makes me want to read them, so thanks for that!
Man, these attempts to get mentioned on “Big Ups to All My Haters” are getting lamer and lamer.
Yeah, CHRIS, has the once great ISB become only a place where you make daily blog posts which are occasionally smaller blog posts that link to other, larger blog posts you made? WHAT’S A GUY GOT TO DO TO GET YOU BLOGGING, LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS?
The fifth dentist? Dr. Don Blake, MD, DDS.
Oy, not this again.
It doesn’t even bear discussion, so back to the main topic:
I’m surprised you didn’t have a mention of Lucifer. Maybe you were reluctant to bring up a series based in the Judeo-Christian belief system in an article on mythology (no point in wading through that minefield while wearing snowshoes), but there was an awful lot of mythology woven into the series. In fact, it did one of the best jobs ever of explaining the existence of multiple conflicting belief systems. And sometimes with hilarious results, as when two Greek Titans tried take over after God left, or when Gaudim and Spera had to travel to the junkyard of discarded theological concepts (where, among other things, they accidentally caused a river of fire to incinerate Valhalla, and rode around on Cerberus like a pony).
I would have loved to see Eddie Campbells Bachus on that list. A very different sort of use of gods, but that’s why it’s great.
And The Eyeball Kid is pure comics awesome. And any scene in which Hermes uses the Big Glove.
I’m lucky enough to remember the joy of buying those Simonson issues as they came out at my LCS. You could feel the history being made. Good times, good times.
As a dutiful worshipper of the all father, Odin, spearwielder, user of runes, god of death and poetry, I object to you clasifying my belief systems as `mythology’ and demand an apology and greater sensitivity in the future.
Although, it is true that Walt Simonson is awesome.
Not bad. But still not nearly as badass as Xipe Totec, “Our Lord the Flayed One”, who also has the name Youalahuan, “the Night Drinker”.
The Aztecs had all the cool gods.
What did you think of Athena doing the meta-commentary on super-heroes as gods in the last ish of Herc?
Seriously though, I’m beginning to think that the Chris Sims that writes this site has some secret deal with the Christopher Sims that writes for CA.
(not to mention another possible secret deal with “Sims” from WRA)
I also believe that the members of all rock bands live in the same house.
“What did you think of Athena doing the meta-commentary on super-heroes as gods in the last ish of Herc?”
Acting like Spider Woman has a character, much less one that conforms to a mythical archetype, is a bit of a stretch.
Sims is more played out than Artie Simek at the end of a pla-doh playdate at a mcdonald’s playland. and, playa, that shit is plllaaayyyyyed
I’ll jump on the “But you missed out…” bandwagon and put forward DC’s Captain Marvel who had the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. Or something like that.
Please post more content locally, Chris. Your posts are wittier and more entertaining when served from the-isb.com than from comicsalliance.com. Their AOL server filters out approximately 25% of funny for safety.
The dividing line between mythology and folklore is so thin that I think it would be fair to mention both Hellboy and Usagi Yojimbo in this situation. Usagi in particular used a lot of Japanese mythology in the Grasscutter arc but both of them regularly dip into that well to pull out interesting concepts for the series.
Maybe you were reluctant to bring up a series based in the Judeo-Christian belief system in an article on mythology (no point in wading through that minefield while wearing snowshoes)
Bingo.
The dividing line between mythology and folklore is so thin that I think it would be fair to mention both Hellboy and Usagi Yojimbo in this situation.
I considered Hellboy, especially the use of Russian mythology in the recent storylines, but ended up not using him in the final article since I didn’t want to hit too many of the same points I covered with the article on King Arthur, a line I was already close to crossing with another reference to Mage.
Usagi I just plum forgot about, which, in the immortal words of Dusty Rhodes, is shameful.
In the spirit of pointing to fun series that people should read (and not to say that Chris “the Omniscient” Sims missed anything)…
I would strongly recommend Epicurus the Sage by William Messner-Loebs and Sam Kieth (you can find the 2003 reprint on Amazon – cue Chris linkage)
It’s about the ancient Greek philosopher dealing with the chaos on Earth caused by the Gods (Greece gets plunged into endless winter because Hades kidnaps Persephone, Hera keeps turning Zeus’ human lovers into barnyard animals, that sort of thing)
Includes Alexander the Great as a terrifyingly effective child, in a weird reversal of the Hercules/Amadeus Cho relationship.
No Vimanarama?
I’ll jump on the “But you missed out…” bandwagon and put forward DC’s Captain Marvel
Huh. I was all set to call you an idiot and tell you that the Big Red Cheese was already in there, but he’s not.
I have a picture of him formatted for CA–I even got CA’s assistant editor Caleb to help me find a good shot of Shazam’s wall where the acrostic is spelled out–and then totally did not put it in the final article.
I’m slipping in my old age, it seems.
MattM, Vimanarama isn’t real mythology, it’s Jack Kirby’s Eternals done as a Bollywood musical. Awesome in many ways, but as authentically folkloric as the Chronicles of Narnia.
Why, oh why, does CA deny you the use of the pronoun ‘I’? The in jokes and personality cult that has sprung up around you are weakened without constant reminders that it is you who speaks. And no Alt-Text!
While calm reflection suggests all is still well, who wants to be calm and reflected? I shall hate CA with fiery hate until you are forced to give up your new fame and return entirely to us.
Also, I loved that run on Wonder Woman. Carrying around Medusa’s head to stonify people, hehe.
Why, oh why, does CA deny you the use of the pronoun ‘I’?
They don’t deny me anything, I write the articles that way. Presumably I could refer to myself all I want–Laura does it all the time and she’s the boss–but I’m in the habit of using the collective when I’m writing as a representative of more than one person.
Same reason I occasionally write “We here at the ISB Research Department” in my Anita Blake posts, but this time it’s done for an actual reason.
This thread is now officially about questions on how the sausage of a ComicsAlliance article is made. Anybody got another one?
If the Comics Alliance is this Earth’s Justice League, are you the Batman stand-in?
How much dey pay you?
Okay, real question-
Do you have to set up the whole article with pics and everything before you send it in, or does someone on their end do the programming?
If the Comics Alliance is this Earth’s Justice League, are you the Batman stand-in?
Yes. But only because I have a secret contingency plan to take Laura Hudson down if I ever need to. She knows what it is.
How much dey pay you?
More than the people who complain that I don’t write enough for the ISB.
Do you have to set up the whole article with pics and everything before you send it in, or does someone on their end do the programming?
Originally, I just wrote the text, scanned the images and sent them in, and left that work to Laura. But after a month or so of that, I got approval to just go in and write them, formatting everything myself like I would with an ISB post. The difference is that after I’m done, someone else takes a pass at it before it goes up.
Are you required to produce a certain number of articles every week?
The ISB – Now with extra sausage content!
Are you required to produce a certain number of articles every week?
Yep. I do three a week. In a related note, I recently signed on to do Worst of Netflix weekly.
Worst of Netflix weekly? Are you being punished? :)
Thanks for the sausage-making insight.
Usagi I just plum forgot about, which, in the immortal words of Dusty Rhodes, is shameful.
Wait, does that mean I actually get to say, “Um… you forgot about Usagi Yojimbo,” this time?
This thread is now officially about questions on how the sausage of a ComicsAlliance article is made. Anybody got another one?
Do they use fennel because I think I can take just a hint of it.
Er… taste just a hint of it.
JSG, I think you’re actually tasting a combination of parsley and star anise. An unusal combination in modern sauages, but common to many processed meat mythologies.
Anise? There is no room for anise in the core Comics Alliance sausages!
So how did you get the CA gig? Who approached whom?
And I thought this place was a sausage fest before.
Sorry.
Oh, and I have a question, too! Do you pitch the themes of your CU articles, or do they give you topics for each one?
I can only wonder at your beastly behaviour to make Beyonce hate you so much, Sims.
@Just Some Guy:
Thank you for my own personal spit-take. (Luckily, it wasn’t a carbonated beverage.)
Also, add my Thumbs Up to Epicurus the Sage. (Thank you William Messner-Loebs, for this and especially for the Comico Jonny Quest series.)