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CATHOLIC SCHOOL FUNNIES
by Mary Jessica Hammes
($1.00 from Mary Jessica Hammes / PO Box 948 / Athens, GA / 30603 USA.
E-mail)
Review by Rick Bradford
Are there no former Catholic school students who
weren't considerably damaged by the experience? Surely there are but, judging by most artists with that sort of history, it's easy to suggest there aren't.
That said, I enjoyed this and would love to read more about Mary Jessica's experiences with Catholicism. This comic revolves loosely around the author's faith (or lack thereof), a theme common to many comics that deal with religion. Of course, one of the elements here that only serves to make the whole experience more disturbing is the depiction of the nuns. These women, as represented by Mary Jessica, were cruel and intimidating. This is how Catholic school nuns are always depicted, it seems, and I have to assume there's a great deal of truth in the stereotype. I've never quite understood how cruelty and a love of God could go hand in hand, but there you have it.
Anyhow, I liked this comic very much. It's well-done autobio and it's got the bonus notion of questioning religion, which is something of a hobby for me. You may also want to check out more of the author's work in her
The Very Best of All-True Sometimes, of which a review is forthcoming.
[ Link to this review ]
