Rome, 11 January 2014: At first it was a portrait of Pope Francis that could only
be seen from above. Then came a wax statue that drew visitors from around the world.
But now comes a comic book with the Pope as its superhero.
Titled “Pope Francis.
I Believe in Mercy,” the manga comic book is based on the life of Archbishop Jorge
Bergoglio, from his background to his preaching style. Manga artist Sean Lam made
the illustrations based on the writings of American author Regina Doman.
Doman
told the Rome Reports that she was asked to write the comic the same week the Pope
was elected in March 2013. “And so I was alone out there, with all the others journalists,
you know, trying to find out about this man, Jorge Bergoglio, who had been elected
to the Chair of St. Peter. And I found absolutely fascinating that he is our first
Pope from the Americas, from Latin America.”
The comic book starts when young
Jorge Bergoglio discovers his vocation in Buenos Aires, and goes all the way to the
day of his election as Pope and his first words as Pontiff from the balcony St. Peter’s.
“Although
Pope Francis just to many people would look like an ordinary man, I think that his
short time in the Papacy has shown us that he truly is a superhero. First of all,
he is not afraid, he is not afraid of people, no matter how ugly they may seem to
other people,” Doman said
It is not the first time she and Sean Lam join forces
to illustrate the life of a Pope: they have also produced a story on Benedict XVI
called ‘Habemus Papam!’ (We have a Pope).
The term manga is a Japanese word
referring both to comics and cartooning. “Manga” as a term used outside Japan refers
specifically to comics originally published in Japan, where people of all ages read
comics. The manga in Japanese can be translated as “whimsical drawings” or “impromptu
sketches.”
Manga are comics created in Japan or by Japanese creators in the
Japanese language, conforming to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century.
The medium includes works in a broad range of genres: action-adventure, romance, sports
and games, historical drama, comedy, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, suspense,
detective, horror, sexuality, and business/commerce, among others.
Since the
1950s, manga has steadily become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry,
representing a ¥406 billion market in Japan in 2007 (approximately $3.6 billion) and
¥420 billion ($5.5 billion) in 2009.
Manga have also gained a significant worldwide
audience. In Europe and the Middle East the market is worth US$250 million. The manga
market in the U.S. and Canada was valued at US$175 million In 2008. Manga-influenced
comics, among original works, exist in other parts of the world, particularly in China,
Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and South Korea. Source: mattersindia