Quirksmith
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| Quirksmith | |
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| Author(s) | Grant Woolard |
| Website | http://cavcomics.com/quirksmith/ |
| Current status / schedule | Updates every weekday |
| Launch date | 2006-08-23 |
Quirksmith is a newspaper comic strip and webcomic by Grant Woolard. It runs in the University of Virginia newspaper The Cavalier Daily. Quirksmith gained national attention in September 2006 for two of its strips, one of which illustrated Jesus Christ crucified on a Cartesian x/y axis, and the other depicted a nativity scene in which Mary responds to Joseph’s concerns about a “bumpy rash” by saying “I swear, it was immaculately transmitted!” [1]
Shortly after appearing in the newspaper, the comics began to receive criticism on a number of blogs, including the American political weblog RedState. [2] The issue culminated when it was featured on the The O'Reilly Factor, in which commentator Bill O'Reilly denounced the comics for being “an unbelievable assault on Christianity”, and encouraged that UVA alumni not donate money to the school until the newspaper is "forced off campus."[3] He added that, had the university founder Thomas Jefferson been alive today, he would have abolished the newspaper from the school campus.[4]
Several weeks later the two strips were removed from the Cavalier Daily website and replaced with the following statement from the artist: "The sole intent of my comic strip is to present situations that provoke thought and amusement. As this comic did not achieve that goal, I have requested that it be taken down from the Cavalier Daily Web site. I apologize for the offense that this comic has produced.” [5] Catholic League president William A. Donohue, one of the most outspoken critics of the issue, declared it resolved. [6]
In September of 2007, another strip, titled "Ethiopian Food Fight" was met with protests and calls for Woolard's removal. As of September 10th, 2007, Woolard's strip was "suspended indefinitely" and he was relieved of his position as Graphics Editor. [7]
