- Epicurus the Sage
Infobox comic book title
title = Epicurus the Sage
imagesize=225
caption = Volume 1 of "Epicurus the Sage" (1989). Pencils and inks bySam Kieth .
schedule = Biennial
format =Graphic novel
limited=y
publisher =Piranha Press
date = 1989 - 1991
issues = 2
main_char_team =
writers =William Messner-Loebs
artists =
pencillers =Sam Kieth
inkers =Sam Kieth
colorists =Steve Oliff
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
creators =William Messner-Loebs Sam Kieth
TPB = Epicurus the Sage
ISBN = 1-40120-028-1
subcat=DC Comics
sort=Epicurus the SageEpicurus the Sage was the name of a 2-issue
limited series written byWilliam Messner-Loebs , with art bySam Kieth . Each issue was bound in agraphic novel format, and was 48 pages long, without advertisements. It was published byPiranha Press , the "alternative comics" imprint ofDC Comics .__FORCETOC__Plot
Ancient Greek philosopher
Epicurus appears as the main character of the book, traveling the ancient world withPlato andAristotle 's young pupilAlexander the Great , sometimes with Aristotle himself. Together, they wander into various major Greek myths (e.g. the kidnapping of Persephone by Hades), and discuss the philosophical questions raised, with a great deal of slapstick humor. [cite book | last = Rothschild | first = D. Aviva | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Graphic Novels: A Bibliographic Guide to Book-length Comics | publisher = Libraries Unlimited | date = 1995 | location = | pages = 126-127 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=wQVJxnfmVtgC& | doi = | id = | isbn = 1-56308-086-9]The book mixes history, mythology, and humor to relate the teachings of Epicurus. The narrative tends to anachronistically show other vaguely contemporary writers and thinkers, such as
Aesop (who died two centuries before the historical Epicurus was even born), as backwards, foolish, fascistic, or all three, while the philosophy of Epicurus is portrayed to be more tolerant and humanistic; it is pointed out more than once that Epicurus is one of the only ancient philosophers who would teach women.Various notable personages, from both history and mythology (e.g.
Alcibiades andZeus ), appear as secondary characters.Issues and reprints
The original run of the comic consisted of two issues:
*
# 1 - "Visiting Hades" (1989)
*# 2 - "The Many Loves of Zeus" (1991)Collected editions
In 2003, both books of the series were reprinted in a trade paperback (ISBN 1-40120-028-1) by Cliffhanger, an imprint of
Wildstorm . This book featured a new painted cover bySam Kieth , a black and white "Epicurus" story from "Fast Forward" #3, and an all new 36-page Epicurus story by Kieth and Messner-Loebs.References
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