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Every time I mentioned doing a review of Ben Hur, somebody would say, “I thought
you already did.” The perception that I’d already reviewed it got me to wondering about just what my fans
might have expected to see. I felt daunted when I finally decided to tackle the
strip.
I truly loved this movie as a kid. I
saw Ben Hur as the story of two good
childhood friends torn apart by the roles ancient society imposed upon them, set
to an epic scale with all the trappings and hardships of that age. The message
of forgiveness took a backseat until the end of the picture. As
an adult, I understand that many would read it as a homoerotic tale of unrequited
love. But I can still see the story as I did when I was a
kid—a man adventure story where
the hero is thrown down by circumstance and then climbs back up through one
riveting scene after another. For
this strip, I wanted to lace that innocence with a touch of sexual innuendo. And
the final panel pays homage to the skimpy
appearance Jesus made in Ben Hur.
Regardless of the carnage and the screams,
I still think it’s a great family film.
