by
Mark DiFruscio
In a medium where heroism and virtue are so often equated with brute strength and a propensity for violence, the notion of doing a comic book about the life of an elderly Catholic nun might seem like something of an oddity. Yet Marvel Comics produced just such an anomaly when it published Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1984) during the halcyon days of the 1980s, when superhero titles such as Uncanny X-Men and Fantastic Four ruled the comics world. The 48-page one-shot, written by fan-favorite David Michelinie, penciled by the late John Tartaglione, and inked by the legendary Joe Sinnott, also included a story credit attributed to Father Roy Gasnick, a man of the cloth who played an integral role in bringing religion to the House of Ideas. Despite the seemingly incongruous union of comic books and Catholicism, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was in fact the third in a series of religious-themed biographies published by Marvel during the 1980s. The first was an illustrated biography of Saint Francis of Assisi entitled Francis, Brother of the Universe (1980), followed two years later by The Life of Pope John Paul II (1982).
DIVINE IRONY
The genesis of these books is detailed in a brief foreword to Francis, Brother of the Universe, which recounts how a Marvel Comics representative in Japan by the name of Gene Pelc was chatting about his work over coffee with Father Campion Lally at the Franciscan Chapel Center. When Fr. Campion asked, “Why don’t you do a book on St. Francis?” Pelc paused, then replied simply, “Why not?” From this inauspicious beginning, Pelc went on to suggest that a Franciscan friar should be brought in to collaborate on the comic book. As a result, Pelc eventually turned to Father Roy Gasnick, who at that time was the Director of the Franciscan Communications Office in New York, and had recently
Blessing the House of Ideas The cover of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, published by Marvel Comics in 1984. Art by John Tartaglione and Joe Sinnott. © 1984 Marvel Comics.
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