THE CHRIST CHRONICLES COMIC CHAPTER THREE JESUS IN THE DESERT

The Christ Chronicles is a story that Ive wanted to write/illustrate for a long time. I remember channel surfing one sunday back in the 70's, and this contemporary version of the Gospels was on TV with all this crazy singing hippies! I remember being mesmerized by the approach the writer/songwriters used and wanted desperately to tell do my own twist on the story but lacked the illustrating skills at the time to pull it off. I also recall times in my own Bible Study, reading the Gospel and having this crazy dialogue going on in my head when certain characters like Lucifer, The Pharasees, and the various Demon Possessed people would appear on the scene. It's my hope that this series will be entertaining, it certainly has stretched my abilities as an illustrator and taken me in areas I havent explored with my art before.

Ive planned work for this series in my head for a couple of years now, and it's helped me to focus on the humanity of Christ more, which is something that is not really seen, IMO in cartooning and animation.
I wanted the look of Christ to be straight up Jewish, which he was. SInce he was a young man I wanted to portray that youthfulness also. I also wanted to make his skin a little darker than what I usually see depicted also. Let's face it, Israel is in the MIDEAST and its HOT!! LOL!

WOW! FANCY MEETING YOU HERE!!! THERE'S NO TELLING WHO YOU'RE GONNA MEET IN THE DESERT, IS THERE?? I'D OFFER YOU A BITE OF MY BURGER HERE, BUT I REALLY DONT LIKE TO EAT AFTER PEOPLE.....

YOU'RE JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, RIGHT? GEE, IT'S SO HARD TO TELL IN ALL OF THIS HEAT, YOU ACTUALLY COULD BE A MIRAGE, YOU KNOW.... HMMM, HOW CAN WE TELL IF YOU'RE THE REAL THING.... LET ME THINK.....

I KNOW!! LET 'S DO A LITTLE TEST! IT SHOULD'NT BE HARD FOR YOU, I MEAN, YOU'RE THE SON OF GOD, RIGHT?? PROVE IT RIGHT NOW!!! IF YOU'RE THE SON OF GOD, TURN THESE STONES INTO BEARD!! LET'S MAKE 'EM BAGELS!!!

iT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.

GO 'BOUT YOUR BUSINESS, SATAN! YOU'RE BOTHERING ME! TALK TO THE HAND!

ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! .. WAIT A MINUTE, WILL YA! YOU'RE RIGHT! I MEAN, WHO CAN EAT FOOD IN THIS HEAT ANYWAY? WHAT YOU NEED IS A CHANGE OF SCENERY!! PERHAPS A MORE "RELIGIOUS SETTING" WOULD MAKE YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE? I HAPPEN TO KNOW JUST THE PLACE, TOO! iN FACT, I'LL TAKE YOU THERE!!!

WELCOME TO THE PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE CHURCH OF THE "MOST LOW" THE OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS OF LUCIFER MINISTRIES, WHERE OUR MOTO IS, "DECIEVING THE LOST, AT WHATEVER THE COST". THE SUBJECT OF MY SERMON TODAY IS "TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH" BY THAT I MEAN LITERALLY!


OH, YOU DIDNT BRING YOUR BIBLE WITH YOU? IT DOESNT MATTER, I'LL JUST INTERPRET THE TEXT IN THE SAME WAY I DID FOR TWO FORMER PARISHONERS YOU MIGHT KNOW THEM, "ADAM, AND EVE?" ANYWAYS, ABOUT THAT LEAP OF FAITH I WAS TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD, AND WE HAVENT PROVEN THAT YET, WHY DONT YOU TAKE A FLYING LEAP OFF THE PENNACLE OF THE TEMPLE? GO AHEAD, CAST YOURSELF DOWN! YOU WONT GET HURT! I CAN PROVE IT BY OUR TEXT FOR TODAY FOUND IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS CHAPTER 91...

HERE'S THE PASSAGE NOW, IT READS.....
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

SEE THAT! I JUST PROVED MY POINT WITH SCRIPTURE!!!

OKAY, START JUMPING.....JUST THINK ABOUT THE IMPRESSION IT WOULD MAKE!! WHEN FOLKS SEE YOU LEAP OFF THE TEMPLE, AND ANGELS RESCUE YOU IN SPECTACULAR FASHION, THEN IT'S BONAFIDE PROOF THAT YOU'RE THE ANNOITED ONE!!! JUST THINK OF THE PUBLICITY!!!

I GUESS YOU FORGOT ABOUT THIS PASSAGE FOUND IN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 6 VERSE 16 THAT READS, "YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD THY GOD TO THE TEST!!

OH....ER... I GUESS IT SLIPPED MY MIND, HEH.... ENOUGH OF THIS THEOLOGICAL DISCUSSIONS! THEY ONLY CAUSE ARGUMENTS!!! LET'S TALK BUSINESS!!! I HAPPEN TO KNOW ;JUST THE RIGHT PLACE.....

WELCOME TO MY MOUNTAIN TOP RETREAT!! MY NAME IS LOU C. FURR CEO AND PRESIDENT OF G.O.T.W. THAT STANDS FOR "GOD OF THIS WORLD" ENTERPRISES.

OH, BY THE WAY, DO YOU LIKE THE SUIT? IT'S 'HOT' YOU KNOW! I CAN GET YOU ONE IF YOU LIKE, I KNOW WHERE THEY PARK THE TRUCK!!

BUT ENOUGH SMALL TALK, LET'S TALK BUSINESS...

MIND IF I SMOKE? ... YEAH, I KNOW THESE THINGS WILL KILL ME, BUT WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? IM TRYING TO CUT DOWN! IM DOWN TO ONE MILLION PACKS A DAY!.... ANYWAYS, ABOUT BUSINESS, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU HAVENT BEEN HUMAN VERY LONG JESUS, AND MAYBE YOU KINDA DONT KNOW HOW THINGS WORK DOWN HERE ON THE 'BIG BLUE MARBLE"....


THE FACT IS, THERE ARE CERTAIN REALITIES THAT RUN THIS WORLD, ALL UNDR MY CONTROL, IN SUBTLE WAYS..... MONEY FOR INSTANCE, SOME PEOPLE GOTTA HAVE IT, SOME PEOPLE REALLLY NEED IT, SOME PEOPLE DO BADDD THINGS WITH IT...

HMMMM, I OUGTA MAKE A SONG OUTTA THAT...

WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS, THAT YOU NEED A LOTTA THIS STUFF IN ORDER TO MAKE IT DOWN HERE. IT MAKES LIVING A LOT EASIER, AND MAKES NEGOTIATING VERRRRRY EASY...

I CAN HELP YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON A LOTTA THIS....

FOR A PRICE.....

HERE'S SOMETHING ELSE YA DONT KNOW...

YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION HERE.... IF YOU LOOK OUT IM SHOWING YOU ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD, AND WHAT THEY'RE WORTH. WE GOT WASHINGTON, THE KREMLIN...

WEIVE GOT COUNTRIES , CONTINENTS, STATES AND CITIES, EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA....

ALL OF THESE PLACES RICH IN THEIR OWN WAY OF MONEY, HUMAN CAPITAL, NATURAL RESOURCES,

I TELL YA, I'VE RUN ALL OF EM FOR CENTURIES , AND LET ME TELL YA, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CANT MAKE A HUMAN BEING DO, IF YOU KNOW WHAT BUTTONS TO PUSH...

WHAT IM OFFERING YOU IS A PARTNERSHIP! THAT'S RIGHT!
WITH OUR COMBINED STRENGTH WE CAN END THIS DESTRUCTIVE CONFLICT AND BRING ORDER TO THE....

WHOOPS! BETTER NOW SAY THAT! COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT...

BUT YOU GET THE IDEA!

WE COULD RUN THIS THNG, JESUS, JUST YOU AND ME, WE CAN HAVE THE WORLD ON A STRING, JUST LIKE SINATRA SAYS...

BUT IT COMES WITH A PRICE.....AND HERE IT IS....

GET THEE HENCE, SATAN!!!!!!


OUCH.... NOW THAT'S GONNA LEAVE A MARK!!!


FOR IT IS WRITTEN...

THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD,
AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE!!!