Review of: Revelation X: The "Bob" Apocryphon

5/5 (minimum 1)

by martinp on 16 Jan 2007

"Assume this object is real," says the cover blurb, and it's hard to keep that in mind as you read through this even-more-bizarre follow-up to "The Book of the SubGenius".

This barrage of text, illustration, photomanipulation and collage comes from many different authors and artists, all of them members of the Church of the SubGenius.

The text, modelled after the typewritten rants distributed by crackpots, alternates outrageously crazed explanations of SubGenius religion ("You'll pay to know what you really think!") with very articulate rants against normality and group-think. Every subculture comes under attack: the bile is directed against conformity to anything, even the Church itself.

The images back this up with a twistedly hilarious attack on every "meaningful" image. Everything dear and sacred to anyone, from the crucifix to the swastika, is drained of its power by juxtaposition with the face of salesman messiah J. R. "Bob" Dobbs and other images from bad-sci-fi-movie-inspired SubGenius mythology.

As it inevitably deals with taboo and the breaking of taboo, this book is potentially hugely offensive to the overwhelming majority of the population ("F*** 'em if they can't take a joke"- page iii). But those taboos had to be broken, so thank goodness it is being done with as much intelligence, wit and creativity as is on display in this book. To quote "Bob" once more: "Do you urinate? Then you're sure to enjoy this!"

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Revelation X: The "Bob" Apocryphon

Tags: americana book comedy comic drugs illustration j-r-bob-dobbs outrageous religion satire sex subculture subgenius usa
See Also: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revelation-Apocryphon-Hidden-Teachings-Deuter...