Game of Thrones and The Word for Word Bible Comic

I received a question last week about the comic and it's association with the TV show Game of Thrones, below is the question and my reply. As this touches on some important areas I thought I'd post it up as a blog.

Question : “I have a question about the purity of this 'comic'. I see you talk about Game of Thrones on your page but this is not something that Christians should be watching! Are you trying to include porn in the comic? Not sure I want to buy that, even if its supposedly 'true to the text'. John Piper has been speaking out against this ... http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/12-questions-to-ask-before-you-watch-game-of-thrones”

Answer: I understand why you are asking this question. First up I'll answer your question about how I will deal with the sex etc in the Bible. This is the statement I wrote on my Kickstarter page, I've included the section on violence too as it gives a fuller answer...

VIOLENCE – This graphic novel will not shy away from any issue the Bible addresses. Unfortunately, due to the corruption of mankind, these issues include violence, kidnapping, cold-blooded murder, even rape and infanticide. This work will not glamorize evil of any kind, nor will it be explicit or dwell on these things, but it will cover all the lessons that the Bible teaches.

NUDITY - Nudity will be implicit but not explicit. Where people are naked in the story they may appear as a silhouettes or partially obscured but they will still be naked. My aim is to be faithful to the text but not provoke lust in the reader.

In regards to associating it with Game of Thrones (GoT), that's a bit more controversial I guess but here is how I see it. The creators of GoT are out to make money and get the most viewers they can, GoT is based on an adult book which has a complex plot and lots of scenes filled with dialogue. The producers of the TV show obviously feel they have to jazz this up by adding pornographic nudity etc. They are not Christian so to them this is totally normal and good for ratings. I agree the nudity in GoT is too much for Christians and I wouldn't recommend that other Christians watch it, lest I cause my brother to stumble - so please note I am not recommending people go and watch GoT!

So those are the bad things, but here's my point: My work is intended to reach people who are not Christians, to show the relevance and excitement within the Bible and for people to consider it in a way they haven't before. The storyline, plot and setting of GoT are excellent and people are already watching it and talking about it. Sometimes to reach people we have to meet them where they are even if it's in a place that is not the purest of places. Another thing to consider is that the reason the Bible deals with these things is because they are real things that can effect people today, unfortunately, like rape, prostitution, promiscuousness, fornication, abuse and incest.

In regards to pornography, I am acutely aware of what Christ says about lust and our eyes causing us to sin, so I will be careful (as stated above) not to provoke lust in the reader. Regarding the porn industry, Piper brings up a useful point in his blog article: “Do I Care About the Souls of the Nude?” and the abuse of young ladies (and men) within the industry? These are things Christians should consider, but for my part this is not a factor because any nudity in my comic is obviously not real. Additionally, my illustrations are highly stylised so the people are not photo-realistic, just lines and block colours so it's less likely to cause the same kind of lust or covetousness as GoT.

I hope my work will in every way honour God and the Bible. It is possible that it will cause some people to be uncomfortable but only in as much as the Bible does or should.