Saturday 4 March 2017

CEREBUS IN HELL? #2 Dave's Annotations Part One

page one - Was King Minos an historical figure or a Greek myth?  It's really the weirdest thing about Dante's Inferno that they treat Christianity and Greek Mythology both as "something that happened to Rome".  Which, from their perspective, it was.

page two - Credit where it is due.  I really think the whole thing started with Jules Feiffer.  SOUTH PARK is in the same tradition, I think.

page three - This was Sandeep's first one.  Great start!

page four - The earlier part of the speech by Jacob Marley, which I would rate at or near to the top of the best-expressed moral teachings in the English language (and which tends, no surprise, to get cut out of performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL) is: "Oh! captive, bound, and double-ironed, not to know, that ages of incessant labour by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass into eternity before the good of which is is susceptible is all developed. Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness.  Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused.  Yet such was I! Oh! Such was I!"  Then Scrooge says, "But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," Which, of course, really sets him off with "Business! Mankind was my business, etc. etc."

page five - A favourite of mine. "DUH! Because "My Inferno" won't work on him!"

to be continued (God willing) (i.e. your hour is up, I'm afraid)

4 comments:

Travis Pelkie said...

FYI on page 2: Apparently the Wondermark guy is David Malki, not Maliki. (Make a note, Jeff!)

Jeff Seiler said...

Okay, Trav! I haven't gotten my copies yet.

Unknown said...

D'OH! It's a good thing no one is aware of my existence any more or that would be TOTALLY embarrassing!

Jeff Seiler said...

Nah, Dave, you just had the last Book of the Old Testament on your subconscious mind. ;)