Bad World
Encyclopedia
Bad World is a comic book
mini-series
published by Avatar Press
. It is written by Warren Ellis
and illustrated by Jacen Burrows
. The series consists of three issues and was published from July through October of 2001
. The general theme and tone of the series was continued in Bad Signal
.
s, conspiracy theorists
, UFO cultists, and religious fanatics, bizarre acts such as cannibalism
, necrophilia
, and bestiality, and unusual beliefs such as urine therapy
, inedia
, and Flat Earthers.
Burrows' art provides a background for Ellis' observations. Though drawn in a realistic style, the art often stylizes or parodies the material being discussed; for example, on a page about a woman who claims that she and her children are alien/human hybrids, Burrows draws a woman sitting in a rocking chair and holding two infant Greys.
in 2002
(ISBN 0970678487).
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Avatar Press
Avatar Press
Avatar Press is an independent American publisher of comic books, founded in 1996 by William A. Christensen, and based in Rantoul, Illinois.Avatar initially published only mini-series; however, they have since begun to branch out...
. It is written by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
and illustrated by Jacen Burrows
Jacen Burrows
Jacen Burrows is a San Diego born American artist best known for his work on various comic books from Avatar Press.-Biography:He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1996 with a degree in Sequential Art...
. The series consists of three issues and was published from July through October of 2001
2001 in comics
-Year overall:* Marvel Comics withdraws from the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system for its publications.- January :* January 23: Fred Ray, Superman's primary cover artist of the 1940s, passes away at age 80.- September :...
. The general theme and tone of the series was continued in Bad Signal
Bad Signal
Bad Signal is a comic book series created in 2003 by Warren Ellis and Jacen Burrows, and published by Avatar Press.The series is a comic book in name only, as it actually combines Ellis' commentary on bizarre, obscure news articles from around the world with many and various artistic...
.
Overview
Unlike most comic books, Bad World is a work of nonfiction and does not contain characters, plots, or a recurring storyline. Instead, the writing in each issue is a series of observations by Ellis on stories which are incredibly bizarre, but true. The series repeatedly deals with subjects such as serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
s, conspiracy theorists
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
, UFO cultists, and religious fanatics, bizarre acts such as cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
, necrophilia
Necrophilia
Necrophilia, also called thanatophilia or necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses,It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from the ancient Greek words: νεκρός and φιλία...
, and bestiality, and unusual beliefs such as urine therapy
Urine therapy
In alternative medicine, the term urine therapy refers to various applications of human urine for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, including drinking of one's own urine and massaging one's skin with one's own urine...
, inedia
Inedia
Inedia is the alleged ability to live without food. The word was first used to describe a fast-based lifestyle within Catholic tradition, which holds that certain saints were able to survive for extended periods of time without food or drink other than the Eucharist.Breatharianism is a related...
, and Flat Earthers.
Burrows' art provides a background for Ellis' observations. Though drawn in a realistic style, the art often stylizes or parodies the material being discussed; for example, on a page about a woman who claims that she and her children are alien/human hybrids, Burrows draws a woman sitting in a rocking chair and holding two infant Greys.
Collected editions
The three issue mini-series was collected into a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
in 2002
2002 in comics
-March:* Adventures of Superman #600: super-sized anniversary issue by Joe Casey, Mike Wieringo, and Jose Marzan, Jr. -April:* Batman #600: "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive," part one, 64-page giant, written by Ed Brubaker.-January:...
(ISBN 0970678487).