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Preacher
The cast of Preacher. Cover to Preacher #56. Art by Glenn Fabry.
Publication information
Publisher	Vertigo imprint of DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Finite ongoing series
Publication date	1995–2000
No. of issues	75 (66 monthly issues, 5 specials and a 4-issue miniseries)
Main character(s)	Jesse Custer Tulip O'Hare Cassidy Herr Starr God Saint of Killers Arseface
Creative team
Created by	Garth Ennis Steve Dillon
Written by	Garth Ennis
Artist(s)	Steve Dillon Glenn Fabry
Colorist(s)	Matt Hollingsworth Pamela Rambo

Preacher is 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.

The series consists 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.

Characters

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.

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 living 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.

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 "He who sits on the throne"; 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.

Themes and influences

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Preacher focuses on narrative storytelling and characterization. It drew considerable praise (and protest) 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.

The series also invokes ideas popularized by such books as Holy Blood, Holy Grail. As Massimo Introvigne explains, Preacher was "among the popular comic book series which...focused interest on the subject." Like Holy Blood, Holy Grail, 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. 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 descendants of Jesus having a child, during the birth of whom the mother dies, effectively producing the last generation of the Jesus' line.

The original plot and assumptions of Preacher was spun out of Ennis' run on Hellblazer: what would happen if an angel and a demon mates and the spirit of their offspring ends up in a mortal man? Like many comics spun out of DC's 70s work, it incorporates the idea of the Christian God (Jahve) as the creator who has left his creation. Other related comics include Swamp Thing and Sandman (and its spinoffs, like Lucifer).

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.

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 use, homelessness and immigration.

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.)

Trade summary

(All art by Steve Dillon, unless otherwise noted.)

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 tortures Cassidy by shooting him multiple times with a Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifle). 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 Miss Oatlash, Odin Quincannon's Lawyer, who is a mad Nazi Fetishist hellbent on making him her 'Führer of Love'. He later ingests peyote which causes him to remember his climactic confrontation with God (including a symbolic injury which may be an allusion to the Nordic namesake of the series' most recent villain figure), 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 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.

Film adaptation

Garth Ennis, feeling Preacher would translate perfectly as a film, sold the film rights to Electric Entertainment. Rachel Talalay was hired to direct, with Ennis writing the script. Rupert Harvey and Tom Astor were set as producers. By May 1998, Ennis completed three drafts of the script, based largely on the Gone to Texas story arc. The filmmakers found it difficult financing Preacher because investors found the idea religiously controversial. Ennis approached Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier to help finance the film under their View Askew Productions banner. Ennis, Smith and Mosier pitched Preacher to Bob Weinstein at Miramax Films.

However, Weinstein was confused over the characterization of Jesse Custer. Miramax also did not want to share the box office gross with Electric Entertainment, ultimately dropping the pitch. By May 2000, Smith and Mosier were still attached to produce with Talalay directing, but Smith did not know the status of Preacher, feeling it would languish in development hell. By then, Storm Entertainment, a UK-based production company known for their work on independent films, joined the production with Electric Entertainment. In September 2001, the two companies announced Preacher had been greenlighted to commence pre-production, with filming to begin in November and Talaly still directing Ennis' script. The production and start dates was pushed back because of financial issues of the $25 million projected budget.

James Marsden was cast in the lead role as Jesse Custer sometime in 2002. He explained, "It was something I never knew anything about, but once I got my hands on the comic books, I was blown away by it." In a March 2004 interview, Marsden said the filmmakers were hoping for filming to start the following August. With the full-length film adaptation eventually abandoned with budgetary conerns, HBO announced in November 2006 that they commissioned Mark Steven Johnson and Howard Deutch to produce a television pilot. Johnson was to write with Deutch directing. Impressed with Johnson's pilot script, HBO had him write the series bible for the first season. Johnson originally planned "to turn each comic book issue into a single episode" on a shot-for-shot basis. "I gave the comics, and I said, 'Every issue is an hour'. Garth Ennis said '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'."

Johnson also wanted to make sure that one-shots were included as well. However, Johnson refrained his comments, citing new storylines conceived by Ennis. "Well there would be nothing new to add if we did that so Garth and I have been creating new stories for the series," he said. "I love the book so much and I was telling Garth that he has to make the stories we are coming up with as comics because I want to see them." By August 2008, new studio executives at HBO decided to abandon the idea, finding it too stylistically dark and religiously controversial. Columbia Pictures then purchased the film rights in October 2008 with Sam Mendes directing. Neal H. Moritz and Jason Netter are producing the film. The previous scripts written by Ennis will not be used.

On January 21st John August confirmed on his blog that he has been hired to write the script, saying "Other places are suddenly reporting it, so I might as well confirm the news: I’m writing a big-screen version of Preacher, an adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Sam Mendes is attached to direct. Neal Moritz is producing for Sony Pictures. To answer your first four questions: there’s no release date, no cast, no locations, no nothing. I’m writing a script which could become a movie if everything lines up correctly. So here’s hoping. It’s a terrific project that I’m excited to be writing."

References in other media

• In the issue 3 of Y: The Last Man, Yorick is shown to own a silver Zippo lighter with "Fuck Communism" engraved on it, identical to one owned by Jesse Custer. When asked about it Yorick states, "It's from this thing I read back in high school. A, uh... a 'graphic novel.'"
• Stephen King has said that his comic book series The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born was influenced by Preacher.
• In the movie, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, an unnamed "Postmodern Review" staff member (played by Chris O'Dowd) is reading Preacher (Volume 2: Until the End of the World) in the staff office.

References

1. Massimo Introvigne, "Beyond "The Da Vinci Code": What is the Priory of Sion?," Center for Studies on New Religion (accessed 28 July 2009).
2. ^ Stax (2000-02-10). "The Stax report: Script Review of Preacher". IGN. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
3. ^ Elston Gunn (2000-05-14). "Elston Gunn interviews Kevin Smith". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
4. Drew McWeeny (2001-09-06). "Preacher Has Got A Greenlight!! Hell Freezes Over!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
5. ^ Ethan Aames (2005-06-20). "Interview: James Marsden on Heights". Cinema Confidential. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
6. ^ Borys Kit; Leslie Simmons (2008-10-29). "Columbia signs on for 'Preacher' feature". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-10-29.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. Stax (2004-03-22). "Marsden on Preacher". IGN. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
8. Eric Goldman (2006-11-29). "HBO Prays for Preacher". IGN. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
9. ^ Peter Brown (2007-06-10). "Exclusive Interview: Mark Steven Johnson Finds Religion With Preach - Part 1". IF Magazine. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
10. Cindy White (2006-12-01). "Johnson Talks HBO's Preacher". Sci Fi Wire. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
11. Daniel Robert Epstein (2006-12-05). "Johnson Talks HBO's Preacher". Newsarama. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
12. Rob Allstetter (2008-08-25). "Mark Steven Johnson: No Preacher On HBO". Comics Continuum. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
13. King's afterward to The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born

External links

• Article on Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies website analysing the series
• Vincent Guastini Productions - Hollywood special effects company that did the Arseface test makeup and other designs.
• Editorial on the Preacher comics

• 1995 comic debuts
• Horror comics
• Comics by Garth Ennis
• Vertigo titles
• Western (genre) comics
• DC Comics titles