I am not sure exactly what attracts me to it (I am sure you, gentle reader, will have an opinion here) but I have always enjoyed Tatsuya Ishida’s unfortunately titled web comic strip – Sinfest. Frankly I find it fearless and honest. Of course it is also crass and shameless but then I suppose in some way we all are (which is a poor excuse I’ll admit).

I stumbled across the strip in a great moment of irony when I was looking for angel and devil imagery for a sermon I was preaching. As soon as I saw the first panel I knew I would be hooked. There are shades of Bloom County and Doonesbury all through Ishida’s work but it is his themes that resonate most strongly with me. Ishida’s grasp of lust and excess as well as the deeply spiritual makeup of people is clear throughout the series. His own personal struggles with God and faith come through loud and clear. I also appreciate the elements of Japanese culture he brings to the strip that lend it something I have not found in other comics.

One thing I can assure you is that at some point in your reading of Ishida’s comics you WILL be offended. It is not his goal but rather his lack of fear that guarantees it. He simply does not seem to shy away from topics. I wonder sometimes if he is in some way investigating the traditional seven deadly sins with his work? There is no doubt they are all there.

I find Sinfest to be wildly all over the place with its content. As if Ishida is still trying to find his thematic footing. There are many moments when I find myself saying – “really? you really decided to go THERE?!?!” and then the next moment he does something ridiculously profound. Anyhow it is here if you are interested but the content is definitely not G-rated (don’t say I didn’t warn you): www.sinfest.net