Are you passionate about “geeky” things, like the next Marvel movie, or the secret identity of Rey’s parents in Star Wars? Do you find yourself day-dreaming about Batman and comparing his life to Jesus Christ?
Do you sometimes venture off into the woods, hoping that you find a lost map that leads to the Lonely Mountain?
If you are looking for a place to discuss the intersection between your Catholic/Christian faith and “geek culture,” you have found the right place!
Excelsior! is a new blog produced by Voyage Comics & Publishing that aims at looking at the truth, beauty and goodness found within those stories that we cherish and love. While many of these stories were produced for a secular audience, they contain within them potent truths that dig deep into the human heart. It reminds us that we are all created in the image and likeness of God and as much as we wander away from him, traces remain within our soul that we can never extinguish.
The name of this blog is taken from a popular phrase used by the late Stan Lee. While initially used as a joke, it became a motto for his life. As I wrote for Aleteia.org, Stan Lee “expanded on the word in a Tweet in 2010 and said, ‘Finally, what does “Excelsior” mean? “Upward and onward to greater glory!” That’s what I wish you whenever I finish tweeting! Excelsior!’”
“From a Catholic perspective, the word and similar variants have a distinct reference to God and the afterlife. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati used a similar Italian phrase, ‘verso l’alto,’ which means ‘toward the top.’ For him it represented the desire to aim toward the height of sanctity, reaching for the summit of eternal life.”
It is a fitting name for this blog, as it takes the noble aspirations of popular culture and points them in the right direction: toward God.
Each month you will find a new selection of articles submitted by writers like you. Check out this month’s amazing submissions and lift up your hearts to God as you push past the facade of geekdom.
Let us go forward and bring others to Christ, tapping into stories that resonate with the core of our being.
Excelsior!
Philip Kosloski
Philip Kosloski is the founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing and the writer and creator of the comic book series, Finnian and the Seven Mountains.