Preacher was a comic book series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, published by the American comic book label Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, with painted covers by Glenn Fabry. Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ... DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... Jesse Custer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the comic book Preacher, created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon (with a large percentage of the original cover art painted by Glenn Fabry), published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ... Herr Starr is a fictional character from the comic book Preacher. ... For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ... The Saint of Killers is a fictional character appearing in the Preacher comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and published by Vertigo (comics). ... Arseface. ... The following is a list of minor characters in the Preacher comics. ... Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970 in Holywood, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the DC/Vertigo series Preacher, co-created with artist Steve Dillon. ... Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist. ... Glenn Fabry is a British comics artist known for his detailed, realistic work in both ink and painted colour. ... Matt Hollingsworth is a colorist who has worked in the comics industry. ... Pamela Rambo is a colorist who has worked in the comics industry. ... Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970 in Holywood, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the DC/Vertigo series Preacher, co-created with artist Steve Dillon. ... Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970 in Holywood, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the DC/Vertigo series Preacher, co-created with artist Steve Dillon. ... Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist. ... Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ... DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... Glenn Fabry is a British comics artist known for his detailed, realistic work in both ink and painted colour. ...

The series consisted of 75 issues in total — 66 regular, monthly issues, five one-shot specials and a four-issue Saint of Killers limited series. The entire run has been collected in nine trade paperback editions. The final monthly issue, number 66, was published in July 2000. The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ...

Characters

See also: Minor Characters in Preacher (comics)

• Jesse Custer
• Tulip O'Hare
• Proinsias Cassidy
• Herr Starr
• God
• Saint of Killers
• Arseface

The following is a list of minor characters in the Preacher comics. ... Jesse Custer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the comic book Preacher, created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon (with a large percentage of the original cover art painted by Glenn Fabry), published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ... Herr Starr is a fictional character from the comic book Preacher. ... For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ... The Saint of Killers is a fictional character appearing in the Preacher comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and published by Vertigo (comics). ... Arseface. ...

Plot

Preacher tells the story of Jesse Custer, a down-and-out preacher in the small Texas town of Annville. Custer was accidentally possessed by the supernatural creature named 'Genesis' in an incident which killed his entire congregation and flattened his church. Jesse Custer is a fictional character and the protagonist of the comic book Preacher, created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon (with a large percentage of the original cover art painted by Glenn Fabry), published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

Genesis, the product of the unauthorized, unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon, is an infant with no sense of individual will. However, as it is composed of both pure goodness and pure evil, it might have enough power to rival that of God himself. In other words, Jesse Custer, bonded to Genesis, may have become the most powerful being in the whole of human existence.

Custer, driven by a strong sense of right and wrong, goes on a journey across the United States attempting to (literally) find God, who abandoned Heaven the moment Genesis was born. He also begins to discover the truth about his new powers, which allow him to command the obedience of those who hear his words. He is joined by his old girlfriend Tulip O'Hare, as well as a hard-drinking Irish vampire named Cassidy. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ...

During the course of their journeys, the three encounter enemies and obstacles both sacred and profane, including: the Saint of Killers, an invincible, quick-drawing, perfect-aiming, come-lately Angel of Death answering only to the authority of God Himself; a serial-killer called the 'Reaver-Cleaver'; The Grail, a secret organization controlling the governments of the world and protecting the bloodline of Jesus; Herr Starr, ostensible Allfather of the Grail, a megalomaniac with a penchant for prostitutes, who wishes to use Custer for his own ends; several fallen angels; and Jesse's own redneck 'family' — particularly his nasty Cajun grandmother, her mighty bodyguard Jody, and the 'animal-loving' T.C. The Saint of Killers is a fictional character appearing in the Preacher comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and published by Vertigo (comics). ... Death, as a skeleton carrying a scythe, visiting a dying man. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

Themes and influences

Preacher focuses on narrative storytelling and characterization. It drew considerable praise for its unapologetic handling of religious and supernatural themes, its dark and frequently violent humor, and its wide range of allusions to popular culture outside of comic books.

In particular, Preacher draws on movies, particularly western movies, for many of its stylistic elements. For example: an apparition of John Wayne is a recurring character and serves as a sort of spiritual guide or conscience for Custer; Monument Valley and The Alamo serve as backdrops to various legs of the journey; for a time, Jesse acts as the sheriff of a small town in Texas, and must protect the inhabitants from harm; the image of the Saint of Killers, a reformed outlaw-turned-evil-once-more in the tradition of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven character, William Munny, is a nod to the classic Western notion of nemesis, straight and true and terrible. Broncho Billy Anderson, from The Great Train Robbery The Western movie is one of the classic American film genres. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), born Marion Robert Morrison[1] and later changed to Marion Michael Morrison, popularly known as the Duke, was an iconic, Academy Award winning, American film actor whose career began in silent movies in the 1920s. ... Monument Valley from the valley floor. ... Typically, The Alamo refers to the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, in direct reference to a building refered to as the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. ... The Saint of Killers is a fictional character appearing in the Preacher comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and published by Vertigo (comics). ... Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... Unforgiven is a 1992 Western film which tells the story of a retired gunslinger who takes on one more job for the money. ... Look up nemesis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The series also invokes ideas popularized by such books as Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The DaVinci Code (the former was released before Preacher, and it is not known if Ennis was inspired by it; the latter was released after the completion of Preacher). Like these two works, Preacher claims that there is a still-viable bloodline descending from Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Herr Starr reveals to Cassidy that Jesus had children, and did not die on the cross, but instead lived to middle-age, and was killed by a runaway dung cart (so, the bloodline of Jesus theme is treated in a satirical way, not seriously). After his death the Grail guardians took away his offspring, who were forced to intermarry with one another in order to keep Jesus' divine power within the bloodline. For over 2000 years this intermarrying perpetuated an incestuous family tree culminating with the mentally handicapped descendents of Jesus having a child, during the birth of whom the mother dies, effectively producing the last generation of the Jesus' line. Holy Blood, Holy Grail is a controversial New York Times bestselling book by authors Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, which was published in 1982 by Dell (ISBN 055212138) in London. ... The Da Vinci Code book cover The Da Vinci Code is a novel written by American author Dan Brown and published in 2003 by Random House (ISBN 0385504209). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The penitent Mary Magdalen, a much reproduced composition by Titian. ... Herr Starr is a fictional character from the comic book Preacher. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ...

In the beginning of the narrative, told in retrospect in the first issue of Preacher, Jesse Custer is a vicar of dubious nature, just about to address the members of his parish after a night of heavy drinking and with many enemies in the audience. This opening scene is identical to the famous opening of Selma Lagerlöf's novel Gösta Berling's Saga. In the broadest sense, a vicar (from the Latin vicarius) is anyone acting as a substitute or agent for a superior (compare vicarious). In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant. ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... Selma Lagerlöf, painted by Carl Larsson, 1908 Selma Lagerlöf receives the Nobel Prize in Literature The Swedish 20-krona bill, with Selma Lagerlöf   (November 20, 1858 – March 16, 1940) was a Swedish author and the first woman writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. ... Gösta Berlings saga was Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöfs first novel, published in 1891. ...

Additionally, the series examines the role of American identity and ideals in the modern age. This extends beyond the personal level, where old-fashioned western "Cowboy" ethics and attitudes meet modern feminism, to the collective level, where the traumas of the Vietnam War, corporate excess and the cyclical nature of violence, among other things, are explored. The conflict between liberal and conservative politics is also examined, as are depression, repression, sexuality, pornography, drug abuse, homelessness and immigration. For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ... Ethics (from the Ancient Greek ēthikos, the adjective of ēthos custom, habit), a major branch of philosophy, including genetics is the study of values and customs of a person or group. ... Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Corporate may refer to either A corporation, a type of legal entity, often formed to conduct business Corporate (film), a 2006 Bollywood film starring Bipasha Basu. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... American liberalism—that is, liberalism in the United States of America—is a broad political and philosophical mindset, favoring individual liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty, whether they come from established religion, from government regulation, from the existing class structure, or from multi-national corporations. ... American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... Grieving Thai females. ... A repressed memory, according to some theories of psychology, a memory (often traumatic) of an event or environment which is stored by the unconscious mind but outside the awareness of the conscious mind. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Pornographic movies Pornography (Porn) (from Greek πόρνη (porne) prostitute and γραφή (grafe) writing), more informally referred to as porn or porno, is the explicit representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect. ... A homeless person in Paris. ...

A symbolic presence is that of Arseface, a teenager who attempted to imitate the suicide of rock star Kurt Cobain by shooting himself in the face with a shotgun. He survived the suicide attempt, and after many attempts at reconstructive plastic surgery ended up as a 'fella with a face like an arse'. (In the later issues, Arseface goes through a sped-up cycle of American fame: underground sensation to popular star to lawsuit bait and target of censorship. In the end, his manager takes all his money.) Arseface. ... It has been suggested that The Pros of suicide be merged into this article or section. ... Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. ... “Facial reconstruction” redirects here. ...

Ennis and Dillon are Northern Irish and English respectively, not American, so their observations on American history and culture are from an outsider's perspective.

Trade summary

(All art by Steve Dillon, unless otherwise noted.) Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist. ...

1. Gone to Texas (collects issues 1–7)
   • Reverend Jesse Custer, a tough Texas preacher who's lost his faith, is possessed by a mysterious entity called Genesis — a conscienceless force whose power may rival that of God Himself. Through insight granted him by Genesis, now lodged in Jesse's mind in a sort of supernatural symbiosis, Jesse learns that the Lord God has left Heaven and abandoned His responsibilities. Moreover, Jesse becomes aware that he has been given the power of The Word Of God, depicted in the comic through the use of red text (a reference to the printing method often used for indicating Jesus' speech in the Bible), allowing him to deliver irresistible commands to any being, including God Himself (e.g. "Eat your gun" or "Count three million grains of sand", whereupon the commandee cannot help but to comply fully. This power bears somewhat ironic linguistic and physical limitations, explored occasionally throughout the series). Armed with these newfound attributes, he sets out on a quest to find God and make Him answer for His dereliction of duty.
     Accompanying Jesse on his journey are Tulip O'Hare, Jesse's former girlfriend who has long thought that he abandoned her, and Cassidy, a 100-year-old Irish vampire who often seems to prefer a pint in the pub to the blood of the innocent — though his unavoidable, unnatural hunger is something of a sticky point for the ethical Preacher.
     Meanwhile, in Heaven, a quorum of angels, trying desperately to keep things from falling apart, decides to send the Saint of Killers — an immortal, unstoppable killing machine — to Earth with orders to recapture Genesis at any cost.
2. Until the End of the World (collects issues 8–17)
   • In "All in the Family", Jesse's secret past is revealed as he is forced to confront his family and the horrible childhood he's been running from his entire life.
   • In "Hunters", Jesse and Co. travel west to San Francisco, where they run afoul of a pair of 'sexual investigators'; an armadillo-sodomizing, lifelong-partying aesthete by the name of Jesus de Sade; and The Grail — an ancient and immensely powerful religious conspiracy that wants to use Jesse's power to bring about Armageddon. The Grail is personified by a clever and ambitious German military expert known only as 'Herr Starr' (who, along with God, serves as the series' primary villain).
3. Proud Americans (collects issues 18–26)
   • Jesse and Tulip journey to France to rescue Cassidy from the Grail's heavily-guarded secret fortress ('Masada'), where Cassidy (pretending to be Custer) is being held by Herr Starr and tortured by a gelded, sadistic Mafioso named Frankie the Eunuch (who uses a Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifle to torture Cassidy). The Saint of Killers follows them, and all Hell breaks loose.
     Upon their return to the States, a grateful Cassidy tells Jesse his life's story: how he fought in the Irish War of Independence, how he was assaulted by a bog-hag outside of Dublin and turned into a vampire, and how he began his long love affair with New York City.
4. Ancient History (collects the Saint of Killers limited series, plus Preacher Special: The Story of You-Know-Who and Preacher Special: The Good Old Boys)
   • In the four-part "Saint of Killers" story, we learn who the Saint was before he died, and why he was given the job of Angel of Death. Also, hell freezes over. (art by Steve Pugh and Carlos Ezquerra)
   • The Story of You-Know-Who (so-called because DC would not allow the word "arse" to be used on the cover) recounts the events that led up to and followed Arseface's attempted suicide. (art by Richard Case)
   • The Good Old Boys is a twisted satire of 1980s action movies, starring none other than Jody and T.C. from the "All in the Family" storyline. (art by Carlos Ezquerra)
5. Dixie Fried (collects issues 27–33 and Preacher Special: Blood and Whiskey)
   • Blood and Whiskey is a tale of Cassidy's past; the story of the New Orleans-based gothic cult 'Les Enfants du Sang' and the only time Cassidy ever met another vampire.
   • In Dixie Fried, our heroes arrive in New Orleans, where an old friend of Cassidy's — who just happens to be a voodoo priest — may be able to help Jesse unlock the secrets locked deep within Genesis. Unfortunately, a dark aspect of Cassidy's past (shown in Blood and Whiskey) threatens to confound this attempt and kill everyone involved.
6. War in the Sun (collects issues 34–40 and Preacher Special: One Man's War)
   • In One Man's War, we learn exactly what kind of man Herr Starr is, where he came from, and how he got involved in the Grail conspiracy. (art by Peter Snejberg)
   • In War in the Sun, Starr's lust for power reaches its peak with a massive military assault in Monument Valley, Utah. Starr comes prepared with an entire tank battalion and even a nuke, but is all that hardware really enough to stop the Saint of Killers? (The answer, of course, is 'not enough gun.')
7. Salvation (collects issues 41–50)
   • Presumed dead and feeling betrayed by both his true love and his best friend, Jesse abandons his quest and takes a job as a lawman in the tiny town of Salvation, Texas — where a figure from his past suddenly re-emerges, even as Jesse (along with beautiful Deputy Cindy Dagget) deals with domestic disputes, the KKK, and the robber-baron of the town, the disgustingly psychotic Odin Quincannon. Also, Jesse is kidnapped by a mad Nazi Fetishist hellbent on making him her 'Fuhrer of Love'. He later ingests peyote which causes him to remember his climactic confrontation with God, following the events in Monument Valley.
8. All Hell's A-Coming (collects issues 51–58 and Preacher Special: Tall in the Saddle)
   • Tulip finally escapes from the self-destructive spiral she's been in since Jesse's 'death'. Jesse and Tulip are reunited, and Jesse learns just how much of a bastard his Cassidy really is.
   • "Tall in the Saddle" is a tale of Jesse and Tulip's wild early experiments in car theft.
9. Alamo (collects issues 59–66)
   • A crescendo is reached, deep in the heart of Texas: Jesse hatches an ingenious scheme to finally put an end to his quest; Starr gives up on his plans for Jesse, and decides to just kill him instead; Jesse has his final confrontation with Cassidy outside the walls of the Alamo; Tulip shows everyone exactly what she's made of; and the Saint finally finds what he's been looking for.

Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Meat Ants harvest Leaf Hoppers for their honey dew. ... Divine law is any law (or rule) that comes directly from the will of God (or a god), such as from the Bible in Christianity or in Islam the Quran from Allah himself, etcetera. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Red Letters. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ... Vampires (or vampyres) are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The evangelist John of Patmos writes the Book of Revelation. ... Herr Starr is a fictional character from the comic book Preacher. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Lee-Enfield No4 Mk1 with bayonet, scabbard attached The Lee-Enfield was the British armys standard bolt action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle from 1895 until 1956. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra (November 1947, Zaragoza), is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra. ... Arseface. ... Action movies usually involve a fairly straightforward story of good guys versus bad guys, where most disputes are resolved by using physical force. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra (November 1947, Zaragoza), is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Voodoo (Vodou, Vodoun, Vudu, or Vudun in Benin, Togo, southeastern Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Senegal; also Vodou in Haiti) is a name attributed to a traditionally unwritten West African spiritual system of faith and ritual practices. ... Monument Valley from the valley floor. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area  Ranked 13th  - Total 84,876 sq mi (219,887 km²)  - Width 270 miles (435 km)  - Length 350 miles (565 km)  - % water 3. ... Salvation, Texas is the name of a fictional town from the DC Comics Vertigo imprint Preacher comic book. ... Salvation, Texas is the name of a fictional town from the DC Comics Vertigo imprint Preacher comic book. ... A fetish (from French fétiche; from Portuguese feitiço; from Latin facticius, artificial and facere, to make) is a natural object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular a man-made object that has power over others. ... The Alamo (formally: San Antonio de Valero Mission) is the name (from the Spanish word álamo, meaning cottonwood trees) of former mission and fortress compound, now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas, United States. ...

Other media adaptations

For several years, a film adaptation by View Askew Productions was in the works, with James Marsden attached to play the lead. The project never materialized, although production got so far as to begin make up tests for the Arseface character, gruesome pictures of which can be found online ^[1]. At one point, Samuel L. Jackson, a comic book fan, expressed interest in playing the Saint of Killers. The current View Askew logo. ... James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973 in Stillwater, Oklahoma) is an American actor. ... “Samuel Jackson” redirects here. ... The Saint of Killers is a fictional character appearing in the Preacher comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and published by Vertigo (comics). ...

In May of 2006, rumors began circulating that the cable TV network HBO might produce an adaptation of Preacher. ^[2] In late November, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed this, reporting that the network was developing a one-hour series with executive producers Mark Steven Johnson and Howard Deutch, the writing-directing team who created Grumpier Old Men. Johnson will also write the pilot. ^[3] This is a list of television-related events in 2006. ... Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is an American premium cable television network. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mark Steven Johnson, (born October 30, 1964 in Hastings, Minnesota) is a film director and writer. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Grumpier Old Men is a 1995 Warner Bros. ... A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. ...

Mark Steven Johnson told SCI FI Wire that he plans to turn each issue of the comic into a single episode, which will be as close to the original source material as possible. "I gave [HBO] the comics, and I said, 'Every issue is an hour,'" Johnson said at a preview of his upcoming film Ghost Rider in Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 30. "And it's exactly the book. ... I had my meeting yesterday, and Garth Ennis is on the phone, and we're all in the room, and Garth is like, 'You don't have to be so beholden to the comic.' And I'm like, 'No, no, no. It's got to be like the comic.' So that's what's so brilliant about it. It's just like, HBO, who else would do it but them? Nobody. ... HBO is just like, 'Bring it on.'" ^[4] Johnson has also confirmed that this will include the various one-shots and mini-series. ^[5]

References

1. ^ http://www.keef.net/images/200501/Arseface.jpg
2. ^ HBO Pondering PREACHER Series??, May 26, 2006
3. ^ HBO hears word, brings 'Preacher' to small screen, November 29, 2006
4. ^ Johnson Talks HBO's Preacher, December 1, 2006
5. ^ Talking Preach with Mark Steven Johnson, December 5, 2006

May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Article on Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies website analysing the series
• A Preacher fansite