Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens

I know this is an obsession of mine, but isn't it always time to celebrate the dead-famous-people-in-Heaven genre of political cartooning?

See it in color.

Upset at the suggestion that a supporter of stem cell research might be born into eternal life? Cartoonistan turns out to be a pretty Calvinist place, where election is pre-ordained regardless of corporal works. Just look at the afterlives of Slobo and his erstwhile foes, with its disturbing suggestion that Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Muslims alike are worthy of salvation:

Ron Bailey speculates that Heaven may be overrun with embryos.

Paradiso, the officially designated boring book of Dante's Divine Comedy.

Errol Flynn delivered (finally) from Purgatory.

The great Andy Robinson goes the other way, in Hellraiser.

Comments

[sage +P]

Hell is full of people. No wonder it sucks.

[amazingdrx]

You all better interview Rasa. She is your kind of libertarian.

http://www.womanthouartgod.com/rasa.php

[Ruthless]

sage +P,
You must be e-mailing from Heaven, aka Montana?

[Mike Laursen]

Dante comes to L.A.: http://www.sjmusart.org/content/exhibitions/current/exhibition_info.phtml?itemID=223

[mediageek]

amazingdrx, I'd say you've finally hit the point of being mired in unwitting self-parody, except for the fact that you seem to have actually started there.

I just wish Tim or someone would just block you and be done with it.

[Akira MacKenzie]

Of course, my favorite Andy Robinson role was Elim Garak ("Plain, simple, Garak") on DS9.

[Jaybird]

It's good to know that Errol's doing better these days.

I've been worrying about him.

[agentalbert]

My favorite Andy Robinson flick is the Stallone epic "Cobra".

[phocion]

Just look at the afterlives of Slobo and his erstwhile foes, with its disturbing suggestion that Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Muslims alike are worthy of salvation

Or worthy of damnation, as indicated by their tails.

[Rick Barton]

Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens

I thought that, that was Limbo. And you're supposed to be in ultimate ecstasy just doin nothin all day, for an eternity of days...It does seem easier to posit eternal ecstasy in that situation rather than in a more active state which by inference, I guess Heaven is supposed to be. For example, if you're into chess and playing in Heaven, wouldn't you experience more bliss when you pull off a brilliant combination as opposed to blundering a piece away...What about sex? Sometimes it's like even better than the last time, right? Hmmm, I think that the concept of maximum ecstasy can't work.

Instead, advocates for the existence of Heaven need to posit a "guaranteed range of ecstasy" or some such. And even that would necessitate an imposed control on the mental process of the souls resident in Heaven.

[Pinky]

Superman doesn't fly like that! The cartoonist makes him to appear to be performing a swan dive. Blasphemer!

[Rick Barton]

...I shoulda said: "Instead, advocates for the existence of Heaven need to posit a "guaranteed *minimum* of ecstasy" or some such."

[kevrob]

Now, pinky, Kal-El has flown in that manner many a time. What should really upst one is that Mrs. Reeve is being portrayed as Supergirl, aka Kara Zor-El, who, in her original storyline*, was Superman's cousin. Marriage between first cousins being a legally enforced taboo shared by Krypton and several of the United States, dressing a married couple up that way is creepy. Maybe not Donny & Marie singing a love duet creepy, but still pretty icky.

Kevin

(Silver Age comics geek.)

*Yes, there have been Supergirl reboots aplenty that have removed the blood relative factor from the Superman Family, but I haven't kept up with them all, and I hear they are a rat's nest of retconnerry.

[Connie Godin]

Erroll Flynn Thank you and peace to Sean also. Thank you.

[Connie Godin]

Erroll Flynn Thank you and peace to Sean also. Thank you.

[stinker]

Who is that playing cards with Slobodan in that cartoon?

[Deus ex Machina]

Forgive me for not keeping up to date on my Balkans presidents, but who is the third man in that m?nage ? trois in Heaven? I can see Slobo and Tudjman.

[Deux ex Machina]

Ahh, some quick research has revealed that it is Alija Izetbegovi?, the late president of the Muslim Bosnians.

[Brian]

Yeah, Paradiso is the 20-minute drum solo of world literature. Still easier to get through than Faust though.

[Eric the .5b]

Yes, there have been Supergirl reboots aplenty that have removed the blood relative factor from the Superman Family, but I haven't kept up with them all, and I hear they are a rat's nest of retconnerry.

The current Supergirl is his cousin, still. At least when last I looked...

[amazingdrx]

Maybe you could use your considerable inside influence with "Tim or someone", huh geek? Hehey.

Maybe Rasa will pray with you?

[Wilson]

Man you did very well today, excellent song reference in the title!

[SmokingPenguin]

...I shoulda said: "Instead, advocates for the existence of Heaven need to posit a "guaranteed *minimum* of ecstasy" or some such."

Perhaps there should be 72 virgins waiting for all those who abstain from suicide bombing...

[DogRiverDan]

Sorry, Kev, that's not Supergirl. Supergirl - in all of her incarnations - has worn a skirt. That costume is more evocative of the Kristin Wells Superwoman, who was not related at all.

Also the Golden Age Lois Lane repeatedly acquired temporary superpowers and the moniker "Superwoman". So it's just fine, you perv, you.

[joe]

The way David Byrne delivers that line is the perfect meeting of medium and message.

Heaven...

Heaven is a place...

A place where nothing...

Nothing ever happens...

Heaven...

Heaven is a place...

A place where nothing...

Nothing ever happens.

[eric mattingly]

"The bar is called heaven.
Heaven, heaven is a place,
a place where nothing,
nothing ever happens."

Favorite pop culture reference in a long time. I know I'm in the minority, but I kind of like the Paradiso. But Dante's a god, so whatever.

[Adam]

24+ hours now and I'm still singing that damned song to myself. And I only know the "Heaven..Heaven is a place" part.

[kevrob]

DRDan:

You are wrong about Kara's fashion history. Starting with her takeover of the cover position in Adventure Comics from The Legion of Super-Heroes, Supergirl morphed into the Katie Keene of superheroines, switching from one reader-suggested uniform to another. Some had skirts, but some didn't. See:

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=23729&zoom=4 and

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=24723&zoom=4

Your Superwoman references are correct, though.

As for song lyrics..

In Heaven, Everything Is Fine.
In Heaven, Everything Is Fine.
In Heaven, Everything Is Fine.
You've Got Your Good Things,
And I've Got Mine.

Kevin

[Kevin Carson]

My favorite was on South Park: JFK2 and Di together in Hell.