Erik Johnson

Ecclesiastes U Erik Johnson

The mystery and mayhem continue in this fifth of six graphic novels illustrating the ancient book of Hebrew wisdom, Ecclesiastes. As in four previous volumes, Dr. Qohelet espouses sage advice from 2500 years ago. Students must decide if he's orthodox or heterodox. One thing is certain, he's full of paradox. University professor Dr. Q, the artist's recreation of Qohelet, the author of Ecclesiastes, is either the most profound philosopher sage of the ancient near east, or the most confused. Every time he opens his mouth, he offends one of his students. If not the evangelical, then the scientific atheist, or the materialist, or the pacifist, or the warrior, or the therapist, or the hedonist, or the aging hippie, or the feminist, or the epicurean, or the financier, or the simply unaffiliated. Author and illustrator of this series of graphic novels, Erik Johnson, has puzzled over this portion of the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) for many years. Since he's unable to come to any definitive conclusions about this book of Hebrew poetry, he did what any self-respecting philosophical cartoonist would do: he lampoons the book. With wit and humor Johnson hopes modern readers will shake their heads in befuddlement with him that this piece of literature ended up in the Bible in the first place. Joining him in this quest are two eavesdropping aliens, Onebit and Zeroit, who not only give Dr. Q's rambling utterances a narrative arc but contribute their own riffs on this puzzle. Come shake your head in bewilderment with us as careful attention is given to every word of this ancient book. No cherry picking or sanitizing texts here. We relish every bizarre word. Stay tuned for volume 6, a work in progress due out by the end of 2019.