Scan barcode
croissanti's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Considering that many of today’s “orthodox religions” began as cults, including Christianity in its infancy, it is probably best to start off with a definition or two…
cult: a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. -Brittanica
cult: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious. -Merriam-Webster
…the point being that, though many cults are extremely nefarious, not all are dangerous (and even the ones that are didn’t necessarily start out that way).
Robyn Chapman has assembled a nicely illustrated, nonfiction, graphic compendium consisting of 18 chapters, each describing a different American cult and each written and drawn by a different artist. American Cult’s narratives span more than 300 years of North American history (1694-2020) and include familiar as well as obscure religious and pseudo-religious sects. Some of the cults are fairly benign, others are horrendously malevolent and cruel—almost all eventually devolved into some form of dictatorship.
This book feels a bit condensed. Fitting eighteen different religious incarnations into less than 200 pages would be difficult even in text, but to do so with imaginative art work leaves room for only the briefest of depictions. Still, even the shortest chapters piqued my interest and made me want to know more. 4 stars.
“. . . no strategy or set of politics is inherently revolutionary if it empowers an oppressive individual or inner circle over their peers. We have to be careful. This is America, and in America we have a history of prophets who will lead us from one cage to another.” (pg 97)
cult: a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. -Brittanica
cult: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious. -Merriam-Webster
…the point being that, though many cults are extremely nefarious, not all are dangerous (and even the ones that are didn’t necessarily start out that way).
Robyn Chapman has assembled a nicely illustrated, nonfiction, graphic compendium consisting of 18 chapters, each describing a different American cult and each written and drawn by a different artist. American Cult’s narratives span more than 300 years of North American history (1694-2020) and include familiar as well as obscure religious and pseudo-religious sects. Some of the cults are fairly benign, others are horrendously malevolent and cruel—almost all eventually devolved into some form of dictatorship.
This book feels a bit condensed. Fitting eighteen different religious incarnations into less than 200 pages would be difficult even in text, but to do so with imaginative art work leaves room for only the briefest of depictions. Still, even the shortest chapters piqued my interest and made me want to know more. 4 stars.
“. . . no strategy or set of politics is inherently revolutionary if it empowers an oppressive individual or inner circle over their peers. We have to be careful. This is America, and in America we have a history of prophets who will lead us from one cage to another.” (pg 97)
grimalkintoes's review against another edition
5.0
Robyn Chapman's graphic collection, American Cult, is a patchwork history of cults in America pieced together by different author-illustrators. By shifting the focus to justice and empathy, American Cult positions itself as a must-read for those seeking a compassionate and nuanced understanding of these complex, and often mystified, cult communities/stories.
elliya's review against another edition
dark
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Like most graphic histories, this was an easily-digestible presentation of about 20 separate cults. Of course none of the stories go into great depth, but enough to get a sense of the humanity and the ~vibes~ of each situation. Unfortunately and predictably, there’s a lot of abuse of power and sexual abuse that takes place in these communities, and there’s a strong undercurrent about how the loved ones of cult members are impacted by their absorption into the cult. Lovely art, thrilled to support something published by Silver Sprocket, and a good primer on the topic!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
anniejaneb's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely and interesting book but not for kids or teens.
savshelfinger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
really appreciated how the authors/artists treat cult stories with human dignity.
great read, pretty informative.
great read, pretty informative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, and Homophobia
Minor: Child death
rebeshelton's review against another edition
4.0
Forever fascinated by cults and the graphic novel delivery was excellent.
amberhayward's review against another edition
3.0
I nice anthology of comics about American cults. My favorite fun fact is that one of them is primarily funded by Cheesecake Factory!