The message in the story.

When I was a kid I was stuck at an all-day flea market with my mom, bored stupid. Someone took pity on me and let me read some old comic books that were in the cheap (essentially free) pile to pass the time. There were no really popular comic heroes in the pile -- instead, oddball series like DC's Strange Sports Stories were present. I was surprised to see an Archie comic that was really different from the Archie gang that I was used to -- instead of their usual knuckleheaded high jinks, Archie, Jughead, and his pals were proselytizing for Jesus. 

I did not know that I had stumbled on an issue by Spire Christian Comics, a publisher of comic books with a Christian message. Spire licensed the Archie characters from the Pelham-based Archie Comic Publications, and published a series of Archie comics beginning in 1973.  

They didn't look too different from the normal
Archie books.

“Preachy” barely describes it. I grew up with no religious education at all, but I still knew heavy-handed -- even ham-handed -- messaging when I saw it. It was just above the legendary Jack Chick pamphlets, and to be fair to Chick, he knew he had a split-second to get the reader's attention before his comic would wind up in the gutter. 

The heavy hand of the message is a source of complaint within the Christian community as well as without. The Catholic Guy, Lino Rulli, complains about "boring Catholic radio" (his own show being of course his exception). Christians make fun of a lot of Christian movies. On the other hand, there have been plenty of writers whose Christian faith was fundamental, and yet it was hardly noticeable. For all I admire them, I doubt Walker Percy, Evelyn Waugh, or even T.S. Eliot ever brought a soul to Jesus. 

What got my thinking about this recently was the rise of a couple of Christian comic book companies. Good for them, and I hope they prosper. I am not able to review what they're doing, though, but I can tell you, if they can tread the line and make entertaining books that can inspire faith in the non- or lapsed faithful, they will be doing a real service. Mostly I guess they’ll be preaching to the choir, but hey, choirs need fortification too.

I have composed five rules for Christian publishers who want to bring their message to an audience outside the faith community. These rules are tough, but they are born of my observation of what works and what doesn't:

1) The story must be more prominent than the message, however important the message.

Why? Because this isn't homework. The story must be enjoyable. 

2) The message must not be completely lost, however.

See also: Evelyn Waugh. 

3) The audience must be treated with respect. 

They're not to be treated like students or pagans or heathen that need enlightenment, even if that's what they are -- they are readers first, or they will not be readers at all. 

4) The quality must be on the level with mainstream entertainment of the same kind. 

This is tough, because religious books will never pay as well -- in cold, hard cash, anyway. 

5) And most important, God must not be seen to do what He does not do, nor not do what he does do.

This is the most difficult part, because Man does not know the mind of God, nor God's purposes in little things, and the writer cannot overpromise the reader any more than the priest in the pulpit can, like: "If you pray everything will come out as you hope." We know this is not the case. Following Rule 5 properly requires serious theological reflection and thought. 

A writer who can follow all of these rules will be a true artist, and a godsend as well. 

It probably shows you where I think I fit that none of my books have or have attempted to follow all five rules to this point. Could I even do it? I'll let you know if I try.