Openly Catholic

NEW YORK Most syndicated cartoonists seeking the widest possible audience rarely mention the exact religion of their comic characters. But readers now know that the title character in "Agnes" is Catholic.

In a recent issue of "Our Sunday Visitor," a national Catholic publication, cartoonist Tony Cochran discusses the Catholicism of himself and his comic character.

"I was born Catholic, raised Catholic, and will live and die my whole life as Catholic," said Cochran, of Creators Syndicate. "I always intended Agnes to be Catholic, but tried to keep her in the closet about it to make her more universal and likable." He added jokingly: "I realized, though, that I wasn’t universal or always likable, so why should I give her that advantage?"

"Our Sunday Visitor" noted that Agnes goes to Mass, not just church; and that she hears a priest give a sermon, not a preacher preach. There have also been mentions of saints and rosaries.

Cochran concluded: "I’ve had letters from Catholic priests, Episcopalian priests, nuns, Baptist ministers, existentialists, and even atheists. I’ve never had anyone take issue with the Catholicism."

What caught my eye was the articles title "Agnes Cartoon Character Now Openly Catholic". I guess that goes with the artists comment about keeping her faith in the closet. Though maybe catacombs would be a more apt comparison.

You can read the strip here.