The Bean Blog

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JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. In this Bible story, Jesus goes out into the desert to fast. After 40 days, the devil appears to test Him with three temptations. "You look hungry, so break your fast by turning this rock into food!" and "I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world if you worship me just a little!" For the third and final temptation, the devil asks Jesus to jump from the top of the temple, telling Him that Scripture says God will send angels to catch Him. Jesus replies that Scripture ALSO says not to test God, so the devil gives up and runs away. In this cartoon, the series of events plays out mostly as in the story, except the devil is portrayed by a muppet, his final temptation is slightly less sophisticated, and Jesus uses slightly less theology to resist it. 2. Jesus's blue-over-red clothing and His pose in the first panel are based on the painting "Christ in the Wilderness" by Ivan Kramskoi. Like old icons, Kramskoi gave Jesus a red chiton/tunic (symbolizing His blood and humanity) and a blue himation/cloak (symbolizing His purity and divinity). I was surprised by how much I liked those colors, though for the most part going forward, I'll keep Jesus in the more recognizable red-over-white. 3. The googly-eyed Muppet-Satan has been a feature of Tomics ever since 2017, when I drew him tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden. There, he had disturbingly human arms, but after Genesis 3:14, he's had to make due with picket signs and gloves on sticks. In this cartoon, I also gave him the Evil Kermit cloak, as well as the scrunched-up Kermit face when he's thwarted.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: We're in a season of death and rebirth, and so here's another "Tomics Resurrection," where I've taken what was dead and given it life anew. This comic was originally drawn six years ago, featuring four panels starting with the devil's final temptation. In the new version, I expanded on the story to give some context for those who may be unfamiliar. Tell me, which version do you prefer?