#emo emi

[tomicscomics]

10/17/2025

At least it's not the judge from that one book!

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

In this Bible story (Luke 18:1-8), Jesus tells a parable about an unjust judge "who neither fears God (as in "obeys God's laws") nor respects any human being (as in "practices basic decency toward others")." In the story, the judge refuses to render a just judgment for a poor widow, so the widow harasses him until he finally announces, "While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being (bold start), because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see she gets her justice, lest she come and strike me in the eye." Jesus tells this parable to illustrate the need for persistence in prayer. If an unjust human judge does right by the one who prays consistently, how much more so would the perfect infinite Judge of the universe do right by us when we bring our prayers before Him?

In this cartoon, two characters listen to the above parable being read at Mass: Emo Emi (a recurring character with a reputation for being flippant about faith) and her faithful, unnamed mother. At the introduction of the comically godless judge, Emi's mother leans to Emi and accuses her of copying the judge's inconsiderate personality. Emi "har hars" sarcastically in response.

Yeah, it's a short comic. So what? Ya gonna sue me? Ya gonna send a guy flying just 'cause his week got a little overbooked? Ya gonna call a guy out just for phoning it in? Ya gonna throw shade at a guy already caught in the dark? I'm just a man. I'm just an ordinary man.

[tomicscomics]

09/05/25

Let the hate flow through you.

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

1. In this Bible story, Jesus tells a crowd of prospective disciples that anyone who comes to Him without first hating everyone else CANNOT be His disciple. It's a hard saying at first, because it sounds like Jesus is contradicting things He's said elsewhere. Aren't we supposed to honor our parents? Aren't we supposed to love our neighbor and even our enemy? Jesus often uses hyperbole when He's expressing something important. This helps it stand out and stick in the mind, and if it IS just an exaggeration, He clarifies after. Later in this story, Jesus makes it clear that he's not advocating for hating your family, but instead for loving God above everyone else, even your closest relationships. If you love God first, all other love springs from Him and falls into place.

2. In this cartoon, Jesus says the opening line from this hard saying. In the future, that verse is read in Mass, and Emo Emi (a reoccurring character in my comics) is reading along and agreeing with the surface-level hate-mongering of the Lord. She verbally concurs, and her mother groans at how it seems Emi's only scriptural epiphanies are those which center around singular, radical, out-of-context verses.

[tomicscomics]

02/28/2025

How could they forget Ash Succotash?!

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JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, a Catholic season of contemplation, preparation, sacrifice, and humility. If you go to Ash Wednesday Mass, you get ashes on your forehead in the shape of a cross. Catholics are supposed to fast (eat less than normal) and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday. 2. In this cartoon, Emi tests Agnes on some made-up Ash Wednesday terminology. Not one answer in this whole thing is a real term, though some of them are probably things that exist. For example, priests must have some sort of ash stash for all those ashes, though they might not call it that. 3. At the end of the cartoon, Emi implies that she's taught Agnes that, if she eats meat on Ash Wednesday, she'll be whipped by "the ash lash." Emi's mother finally hears what the girls are talking about and yells at Emi for making stuff up.

[tomicscomics]

02/02/2024

Hark, Mother.

JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. Emo Emi is a snarky teen who enjoys being edgy and showing her parents just how silly their Christian faith is.  Unfortunately, she lacks enough philosophical depth to engage in theological debate.  As such, her attacks are the strawest of men, but her dear mother puts up with them out of love. 2. The chosen verses are not nearly the edgiest quotes the Bible has to offer. 3. Emi asks her mother if these verses have challenged her faith, as if an out-of-context Bible quote is all it would take to shake someone to their foundation.  Her mother says the verses are nothing compared to the constant spiritual battle she wages simply by being the mother of a teen.

[tomicscomics]

11/03/2023

Emo Emi and her hypocrite parents return!

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JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. The girl, Emo Emi, declares that she's going to call her father by his first name instead of by the title "Father."  She says she's doing this in obedience to Jesus, but actually, she's just trying to use the Bible as an excuse to be rude to her parents.  Unfortunately, before she can have a debate with her parents about the verse in question, her mother tells her that she's using the wrong first name for her father. 2. The verse Emi references is part of a scathing speech Jesus gives against the Jewish leaders (Matthew 23:1-36).  He tells His disciples that these leaders sit on the seat of Moses, so their words should be followed, but not their actions.  They're hypocrites who preach but do not practice.  They value their positions only for the prestige. 3. Jesus says not to call people "teacher", "father", or "master" in these verses, but titles like these are part of common speech, and the disciples continued using them after Jesus said this, so what gives?  It's important to remember that Jesus uses exaggeration to make important points several times in scripture.  "Cut off your hand!" (Matthew 5:30) and "Hate your families!" (Luke 14:26) are other such exaggerations.  Jesus doesn't want us cutting off body parts, but He wants us to strive for a radical detachment from sin.  Jesus doesn't want us hating our families, but He wants us to keep God at the forefront of our priorities, because then everything else falls into place.  In this exaggeration, Jesus isn't banning titles, but rather warning against the pride that comes with them, which has poisoned the scribes and Pharisees and made them forget Who they serve.

[tomicscomics]

Originally posted on October 27, 2017

It's almost like He thought this stuff through before He said it. Weird.

[tomicscomics]

Originally posted on November 16, 2018

Then I can finally come out of the basement.

[tomicscomics]

Originally posted on February 14, 2018

This year, Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday were right on top of each other (hopefully leaving enough room for the Holy Spirit), as both fell on February 14th, so this comic is a double-holiday-special to celebrate both.  Remember: real love moves [you to] fast!