Blog follower Stephen Wahrhaftig is a comic book enthusiast. He recently contacted me about a current series he discovered entitled “Reich.” It is being created by Elijah J. Brubaker, a cartoonist living in Portland, Oregon. In the first volume of the series, Mr. Brubaker says he is attempting a long-form comic book biography of Reich, one he will tell from his own point of view. I have read the first six issues and find them to be fascinating. His “Notes on the Text,” in the back of each issue, are informative and these appear to me to be quite accurate.
I tend to be quite skeptical of secondary source materials relating to Reich which purport to describe the details of his life and work. Although these may be well-intentioned and even well researched, they are all too often rife with inaccuracies. The problem is that so much has been written about Reich that’s just plain wrong! Once published in any form, these writings gain the stamp of legitimacy. When others use these materials for their own research and writing, they unwittingly pass along incorrect information, never realizing the published works they have drawn upon contain errors, often egregious.
Then of course there are the downright smears, full of distortions designed only to mock Reich and sensationalize his work. Reich’s scientific work concerning human sexual function is frequently portrayed in a lurid manner that does not reflect his actual approach. This is especially so regarding Reich’s discovery of the biologic function of the orgasm as a method to regulate the body’s energy.
Because of the problematic nature of secondary source materials, I encourage those first discovering Reich to put aside the many interpretations put forth as fact by others. Instead, they should just read his books. For those who do not speak German (many blog followers do), before Reich wrote in English, the original Theodore P. Wolfe translations of the German are the most accurate, as Reich worked with Wolfe to create them. Reich is a marvelous writer. He’s exceptionally clear, easy and enjoyable to read. While there are several biographies of Reich, the two I can recommend without reservation are "Wilhelm Reich and Orgononmy" by Ola Raknes and "Wilhelm Reich: Life Force Discoverer" by James Wyckoff.
Despite my serious concerns about how Reich is and will be portrayed both in the comic series “Reich,” and by others who choose write about him, I am glad to know there continue to be individuals, such as Mr. Brubaker, who are introducing the science of orgonomy to a segment of the population that otherwise might never have been exposed to it. I realize comic books and graphic novels are no longer just for kids, and have the capacity to be taken seriously in the literary and artistic world, as evidenced by the comic book series "Maus," which won a Pulitzer Prize. Nevertheless, the comic book format lends itself to a younger and very different audience than is typically exposed to and aware of Wilhelm Reich. It is to be hoped that “Reich” the series, as well as Reich, the man, will capture the hearts and minds of this group.
What follows is a short interview that Mr. Wahrhaftig conducted with Mr. Brubaker especially for this blog.
Wahrhaftig: How did you become interested in using Reich as a subject for your series?
Brubaker: I first read about Reich when I was a teenager and always considered him an interesting person. The more one reads of Reich the more one realizes he was a deeply complex and conflicted individual and those are the descriptors I would use for most of my favorite literary characters. This means he's a joy to write and the literary voice I have for Reich is easy for me to access. Other reasons I chose Reich, apart from being a character, was the accessibility of his work. There are many documents available to me by and about Reich, making research relatively easy. Even though this research material exists, he remains pretty obscure historically. I can do the research and present Reich to a world that may not know who he is.
Wahrhaftig: What kind of reactions (good and bad) have you gotten to the series?
Brubaker: Most of the reactions to Reich have been positive. Many comics fans have complimented me for putting out a small affordable comic on a semi-regular basis (something that is almost unheard outside of superhero/action/adventure comics) and many people that know of Reich have been thankful that I'm telling Reich in a pretty straightforward, mostly even-handed manner. I received one email from a gentleman warning me that I might be doing harm to Reich's legacy should I venture too far into the more controversial aspects of Reich's theories. It seemed like he was afraid that I might imply that Reich was a crackpot and begin dismissing him in a similar way that Reich's worst critics did. I have no urge to calm people's fears about how I'm treating the subject manner. I freely admit that the Reich comic is subject to my own interpretation of events and I have no doubt that my interpretation is going to conflict with how others see the man. I have no intention of labeling Reich or trying to explain him or the tragic events of his life. My only intent is to tell as compelling a story as possible.
Wahrhaftig: How many volumes do you predict the series to be?
Brubaker: I'm hoping “Reich” will go to 12 issues. I keep finding great anecdotes and stories about Reich that I want to put into the book while simultaneously wishing to cut out everything nonessential and finish this beast project as soon as possible. Issue 7 was just released at Mocca [the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art] and I'm optimistic issue 8 will be out by Comic-Con [a comic book convention].
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Many thanks to Stephen Wahrhaftig for his contribution to this post. He writes about design and marketing at www.stevewdesign.com. Those who wish to learn more about the comic book series “Reich” can visit Elijah J. Brubaker’s web site at http://elijahbrubaker.com.
