Graphic novels about Greek gods that don't talk down to kids

Graphic¹ novels about Greek gods that don't talk down to kids

Graphic novelist George O'Connor is a big hit on the grade school circuit. On a visit to Brent Elementary School in Washington, D.C. in early March, he talked about his creative process with about 70 fourth graders. On a big blank sheet of white paper, he drew the face of Dionysos, the god of wine and the subject of his latest book.

"A lot of people tried to replicate² it, but I feel like no one can do such a good style," said Ari, one of the fourth graders.

His classmate Azania added, "He also did it in like five seconds which makes it even more incredible."

Dionysos: The New God is the last of O'Connor's Olympians, a series of graphic novels he's been writing and illustrating³ for the last 12 years. Each book retells the ancient Greek myths through the lens of one of the gods or goddesses, from Athena, goddess of wisdom, to Hephaistos, god of the forge.

O'Connor's illustrations are bursting with action, humor and lots of details. He researched the ancient myths in order to get as close as possible to the original stories. That means his gods and goddesses are fierce, but also voluptuous⁴, mischievous⁵ and even snarky. To him, the Olympians are a family of distinct individuals. "There's certain personality traits that come to the fore," he said.

Take Zeus. O'Connor thinks a lot of the exalted⁶ depictions of the "King of Gods" are just wrong.

"He's not a dignified⁷ old gray-beard like Sir Laurence Olivier or Liam Neeson," O'Connor scoffed⁸. "He'd be this 21 year old surfer dude from California with sick abs."

He pointed⁹ out that in most of the Zeus myths, the god is chasing those he's attracted to. "He can look like anything he wants. He wouldn't ever be the old dignified man. That's not Zeus."

O'Connor's favorite goddess is Zeus' wife Hera, whom he says is "full of quiet grace and dignity."

"In many retellings, she gets cast very simply as a bad guy, as the jealous shrew of a wife," he said, "not taking into account that Zeus is the worst husband imaginable."

Hera's marriage is betrayed. Artemis is clear that she will never be touched by men. Dionysos is born female and then becomes male. That the books don't turn their gaze from all of this is refreshing¹⁰, said Brent Elementary school fourth grade teacher Caitlin Arbuckle.

"He doesn't shy away from the gender¹¹ aspect, doesn't shy away from the fact the Dionysos enjoys a lot of wine, like the more adult things. But these kids, by the time they're in fourth grade, a lot of them, they do have that maturity¹² and they know about the world," she said.

That's part of the point of his books, O'Connor said. He doesn't talk down to kids — and that's what draws kids to them. "Greek mythology¹³ is filled with stuff that people would clutch their pearls at and be like, 'But the children,'" he said. "I try not to clean up any of that. The world is filled with things that maybe upset your particular worldview, but they exist and they're things that children are going to encounter. So why not encounter them in story?"

Dionysos is the last Olympian for O'Connor, ending his series. Next up: graphic novels on Norse mythology.

Jennifer Vanasco edited this story for air and web.

1 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

2 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。

3 illustrating   

给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• He upstaged the other speakers by illustrating his talk with slides. 他演讲中配上幻灯片，比其他演讲人更吸引听众。
• Material illustrating detailed structure of graptolites has been etched from limestone by means of hydrofluoric acid. 表明笔石详细构造的物质是利用氢氟酸从石灰岩中侵蚀出来。

4 voluptuous   

adj.肉欲的，骄奢淫逸的

参考例句：

• The nobility led voluptuous lives.贵族阶层过着骄奢淫逸的生活。
• The dancer's movements were slow and voluptuous.舞女的动作缓慢而富挑逗性。

5 mischievous   

adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的

参考例句：

• He is a mischievous but lovable boy.他是一个淘气但可爱的小孩。
• A mischievous cur must be tied short.恶狗必须拴得短。

6 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

7 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

8 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

11 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

12 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

13 mythology   

n.神话，神话学，神话集

参考例句：

• In Greek mythology,Zeus was the ruler of Gods and men.在希腊神话中，宙斯是众神和人类的统治者。
• He is the hero of Greek mythology.他是希腊民间传说中的英雄。