#tomics comics

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

In this Bible story (Luke 24), Jesus has risen from the dead and is appearing to various disciples. Two of these disciples (one named Cleopas, and another unnamed) are leaving Jerusalem on the road to a town called Emmaus, still sad about Jesus's death. Suddenly, He appears beside them and asks what they're discussing. They -- being supernaturally unaware that this is, in fact, Jesus -- wonder how this guy could've missed the news of the huge execution in the city, and explain it to Him. Jesus then travels with them for a ways, but they only realize it's Him when He breaks bread over dinner and disappears.

It's worth noting throughout the Gospels that sometimes, when people see the resurrected Jesus, they know Him right away, and other times, they mistake Him for a gardener or a random traveler. Jesus going around pranking folks with His resurrection powers is canon. Make of that what God wills.

In this cartoon, Jesus appears to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and, instead of them being supernaturally unable to recognize Him, He simply puts on a set of goofy glasses. Maybe there's still some supernatural stuff going on, though, because I've depicted Him in His full glory with a halo over His head and a glow around His body, adding to the whimsy of the disciples not recognizing Him right away.

The flow of the cartoon essentially matches the marked verses (Luke 24:13-21). However, when the disciples are surprised by Jesus's apparent lack of knowledge about the recent crucifixion, the woman asks, "Where've you been? Under a rock?" This is an idiom that implies the person would have to have been buried underground in order not to have heard some widespread news. Jesus's reply -- "So what if I was?" -- is based on the fact that He actually WAS buried during the last couple days, laid in a tomb with a large stone over the entrance. So, by technicality, yes, He was under (or buried behind) a rock.

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

In this Bible story, Jesus is giving the disciples a sense of assurance before His passion and death. He explains He'll be leaving them soon, but once He's gone, He'll send them a paraclete (or an advocate) to guide them to the truth until He returns. This paraclete is understood to be the Holy Spirit, Who comes to the disciples as tongues of fire after Jesus's ascension to heaven.

Jesus's line in the first panel of this cartoon is a direct quote from John 14:20. The exact wording of the quote sounds a little like a paradox, since He says, "You are in me and I am in you," but Jesus is saying that the disciples will remain in His Body, the Church, and He will remain in the disciples' hearts in spirit.

In this cartoon, Peter's reaction to Jesus's apparent paradox is a full-on mental breakdown as he imagines him being within Jesus while Jesus is within him while he is within Jesus and so on and so on into maddening infinity. This is, mathematically, very funny and simply the cleverest.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is yet another "Tomics Resurrection," where I take an old cartoon and make it new. The old version is from about 9 years ago -- crazy! -- but while the character designs and colors in the new version have been updated to match my evolved style, the writing and pacing of the comic have remained substantially the same. So you realize that the old is in the same script and the new is in the old and the old is in the new.

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

In this Bible story, Jesus addresses a parable to "those who were convinced of their own righteousness." In the parable, a pharisee (a respected Jewish teacher) and a tax-collector (someone hated by most common folk) go to the temple to pray. The pharisee proudly declares himself very holy and thanks God for making him so much better than the tax-collector. Meanwhile, the tax-collector beats his chest, praying only for God's mercy. Jesus says the tax-collector goes home justified, but the pharisee does not. "He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

In this cartoon, a modern man reads this very parable. When the pharisee thanks God for making him better than the sinful tax-collector, the man reading the story smirks at the obvious pride and thanks God for making him better than the prideful pharisee. However, the man catches himself at the end, because by thinking he's better than the pharisee, he's committing the same sin the pharisee committed by thinking he was better than the tax-collector. Touché, once again, Christ!!!

Of course, the story isn't saying to abandon value judgments completely, because in order to do the right thing, we have to discern between different behaviors and actions and determine which are good, bad, better, and worse. The story is warning us against using comparisons as a vehicle for pride rather than actual growth, holiness, and love.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The astute will surely see that this is a "Tomics Ascension," where I've taken an ancient comic that was already "Resurrected" (redrawn once before) and redrawn it yet again. This cartoon was inspired by my father nearly a decade ago when this reading came up in Mass. He mentioned this was exactly his thought process while reading, and I thought it made the perfect cartoon. I don't think it's ever been the most popular Tomic, but it's a near one and a dear one to me, so I'll continue redoing it every once in a while to keep it spiffy and fresh.

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

This cartoon's premise -- saints in heaven interceding at desks in the clouds like it's a wholesome little 9 to 5 job -- is based on the trailer for Tiny Saints' new animated show, which you can help fund now by going to their website right here! You've probably seen their cute little saint keychains and rosaries in gift shops, but this is a whole new way to enjoy your favorite saints. As of today there are about 13 days left to support their campaign, so give what you can!

For those who don't know, St. Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan. Most of his family members were lapsed Catholics, but he showed an interest in the faith and learned about it from his Polish babysitter. He learned, he grew, and he shared his vibrant faith with his loved ones by word and action, inspiring family and friends to convert (or return) to Catholicism. He loved giving to the poor, standing up for the downtrodden, and using his talents to enrich others. Eventually, he fell ill with leukemia and offered his suffering to God before passing away in 2006 at only 15 years old. Despite being a 90's kid, his story is reminiscent of many older saints. He was canonized as an official saint in the Catholic Church in September of 2025 (and I actually got to attend his canonization Mass at the Vatican)! This October 12th marks his first feast day as an official saint, hence (in this cartoon) Mary's greeting in the first panel.

When Carlo was old enough to have a computer, he learned how to code and build websites. He built a website for his local church, then made websites to compile Marian apparitions and Eucharistic miracles to bring people closer the Jesus. As a saint, he's often depicted with a laptop, one of his many methods of evangelization.

As a 90's kid, Carlo played sports and videogames. One of the games he's said to have played is "Halo: Combat Evolved," a game about the space soldier, Master Chief, fighting the evil alien alliance, the Covenant. The Halo franchise became huge between 2001 and (at least) 2010, defining a generation of gamers. Despite it's special place in my heart, today's Halo media struggles to recapture the franchise's glory days, hence (in this cartoon) Mary's harsh appraisal of its modern relevance in the final panel.

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

John 14:15-18 takes place during John's version of the Last Supper, where a bunch of Jesus's teachings are rolled into one big dinner discourse. It's where Jesus promises that, once He's gone, He'll send a paraclete (a Greek word meaning "called alongside," like a helper, advocate, or counselor) to stay with and guide the new Church. As Christians, we know this paraclete to be none other than the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity.

In the Book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit come to the disciples about 50 days after Jesus's resurrection, and about 10 days after His ascension to heaven, on the feast of Pentecost. In Acts 2:1-4, He enters the house where the twelve apostles and other disciples dwell, first as a howling wind, then as tongues of fire reaching out and granting the faithful the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Animated by the Spirit, the disciples all go out and preach, each being understood by everyone they speak to, even those who speak different dialects and languages. It's like their union with God is beginning to heal the disunity of ancient Babel.

In this cartoon, the Holy Spirit politely knocks on the door before entering. Peter notes that Whoever's at the door must be the paraclete Jesus promised to send. John admits to Peter that he originally misheard the word "paraclete" and thought Jesus was sending them a "pair o' cleats," which sounds similar. In the English-speaking United States of America circa 2003 (and culturally adjacent eras and areas), the word "cleats" was generally used to mean "sports shoes equipped with pointed grips" (even though the word "cleats" technically refers to the pointed grips themselves). This is quite a humorous twist of circumstances, for Peter and John do not live in an era NOR in and area that is culturally adjacent to the English-speaking United States of America circa 2003, so they would never use the term "cleats" to describe sports shoes, at least not the brands we're familiar with today.

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

The Bread of Life Discourse In John 6, a big crowd has gathered around Jesus and, being fed by His miracle of multiplying the bread and fish, they seek more signs... and more food. They suggest Jesus perform another sign, like calling down bread from heaven like Moses did for their ancestors in the desert. Jesus reminds them that the desert bread wasn't Moses's doing, but God's, and the bread God sends from heaven now is the true bread of life, which will satisfy men forever and give them eternal life. He calls Himself the true bread and says that those who eat His flesh and drink His blood will live forever. This is called the Bread of Life Discourse. Try reading the full Bread of Life Discourse for yourself, or even the whole of John Chapter 6. It's got a bunch of Jesus's biggest hits, like multiplying food and walking on water!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Phago vs TrogoIn John 6, verse 51, when Jesus tells the crowd that they must EAT His flesh to have eternal life, the original Greek translation uses the word PHAGO, which is a general term for eating or consuming food. In response, the Jews are rightfully confused and scandalized and argue with each other. "How can He give us His flesh to eat?" At this, Jesus doubles down and continues insisting they must EAT His flesh, and from verse 54 on, the Greek translation uses the word TROGO, which is a more visceral word that describes gnashing, crunching, chewing, or gnawing. It's a much more deliberate and physically evocative word. Very graphic. Very uncomfortable. With this, the crowd disperses, unable to accept this teaching. Even when left alone with His twelve apostles, He doesn't walk it back. He simply asks them if they want to leave Him too. Peter solemnly replies, "Master, who else could we go to? You have the words of eternal life." This strange teaching ends up planting important seeds, and combined with typological details from the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, it would develop into the Christian belief in the True Presence: the belief that Jesus is in some way made fully present in the bread of the Eucharist, and that by physically sharing in that bread, we share in His divine life. For more on the Catholic perspective on the Bread of Life Discourse, see Catholic.com's article: The Real Presence, Part Two. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

The Great Commission This Bible story is from the very end of Matthew's Gospel. Jesus has risen from the dead and has asked His disciples to meet him on a mountain in their homeland of Galilee. There, He gives them what's known as the Great Commission: the mission to go out into the world, teach God's commandments, make disciples of all nations, and baptize all people in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I Am With You Always Jesus ends the Great Commission by promising to be with the disciples always. This may seem a little ironic, because we're told in the Book of Acts that Jesus ascends to heaven shortly after making this promise. Of course, while Jesus leaves them in a certain sense, He also sends His Holy Spirit to guide them to all truth (as He promised in John 16:7-13), remains with them in the Eucharist, and dwells in the hearts of all the faithful on earth.

Until the End of the Age "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." In this verse (Matthew 28:19-20), Jesus is saying He'll remain with His disciples until this era has come to a close. In this cartoon, I pull from a different translation of this verse. Some older English translations, like the King James Version, say, "...until the end of the WORLD." The word "world" actually comes from Old English and used to mean something like "age of man," but nowadays we use "world" to mean the physical earth. So, in modern English, the verse is simply translated to "age," because that conveys Jesus's focus on the end of a certain era rather than implying the destruction of the planet. That being said, the end of the age is assumed by many to come at the end of humankind, and isn't that kind of the end of the world anyway? For this cartoon, I wrote "THIS world," which I think still implies the passing of a certain state of things while also allowing clarity for the joke, which reads better if "world" is used.

The Joke In this cartoon, Jesus delivers His line about being with the disciples "until the end of this world." Peter assumes "until" means that Jesus will leave them at the end of the world, and asks who will take His place and remain with the disciples AFTER the end of the world. Jesus clarifies to Peter that everyone will be dead, by which He means the faithful will have passed on to the next world, where they'll be fully united to Jesus in heaven forever. Peter, however, takes it to mean that everyone will be gone from this world except for him, so he thinks he'll be all alone in the empty, ended world with no friends and no Jesus. Jesus clarifies that Peter will ALSO be dead (i.e. passed on) just like everyone else. This is a source of comfort to Peter, and of hilarity to all good-natured viewers, like you.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Look at you, alone at the end of these words. Could it be that you recognize that this was a "Tomics Resurrection," where I go out, take an old comic of mine, and baptize it in my updated style? The original is from 2017 (9 years ago!), but behold, now it will be with us always, even to the end of the age (of my current style, when I'll have to redraw it again)!

JOKE-OGRAPHY:

Matthew 5 contains the Sermon on the Mount, a series of Jesus's most famous teachings. After the Beatitudes, Jesus encourages His disciples to be the flavorful "salt of the earth" and the guiding "light of the world," letting their works and lives be evangelizing beacons to those around them. His line, "But if salt loses its saltiness, with what can it be seasoned? It's no longer good for anything but being trampled underfoot," is a warning not to become complacent in living our faith and leading others through actions that glorify God.

In this cartoon, a scientist cites Matthew 5:13 where Jesus asks, "If salt loses its saltiness, with what can it be seasoned?" The scientist explains his lifelong research into answering this question to undermine Jesus's metaphor, and presents his finding that potassium chloride can act as a substitute for normal salt (sodium chloride). Jesus appears in the flesh to ask the scientist what happens if the salt substitute loses ITS saltiness as well, a question which the scientist has no answer for.