![The sample cover]()
Why Write This Book?
Have you ever been told that you needed to 'read the Bible' for moral and spiritual guidance? Odds are the person who told you this never read it themselves. In 2007, USA Today reported over 60% of Americans couldn't name more than 5 of the 10 Commandments, while nearly half of students thought Sodom and Gomorrah were a married couple. Clearly, it isn't familiarity with the Bible that makes a person religious. Could it possibly have the opposite effect?
Remember, this book has a talking donkey in it.
I think reading the Bible is the most effective way to lose your faith. There is a snag, however. The Bible is not an enjoyable read. It's a stuffy, boring, and confusing mess, which explains why so few people read it. My aim is to change that. I want to make the Bible more accessible for people. I want it to be a funny, sarcastic, and honest look at the stories and claims of this book, without any punches being pulled. It's my belief readers will come to see the Bible for what it really is: a collection of ancient stories, and nothing more.
Get Your Face In This Book!
The book will feature my illustrations throughout, which will be adaptations of famous works of art, such as Govert Flinck's "Blessing of Jacob" (below). Patrons willing to donate for our deluxe package will be immortalized by having their faces illustrated right in the drawings! Imagine reading a book with your own likeness in it. It's about as cool as that sounds.
![This could be your face in the book!]()
What Will The Book Be Like?
I've been working on and off on this project for a few years, and I've been producing more and more content based on some of my preliminary first drafts of the book. The video below is an excerpt from one of the most popular episodes of the TGA podcast, entitled Bible Stories: Moses. The full episode can be listened to here.
Naturally, the book will have a slightly different tone, but irreverence is the key feature which won't be changed. As I continue writing the book throughout the year, I will be featuring more episodes of Bible Stories on the podcast, allowing a constant update on the project and any bonus material I plan on releasing in the future.
What Made You Want To Write This?
From the very beginning of the TGA podcast, I've always wanted my first book to be self-published. I've spent years building a fan-base for my podcast with the anticipation of eventually publishing a book. It wasn't until the last few years that it became clear what that book should be. While experimenting with different show formats, I introduced Bible Stories, a funny and sarcastic re-telling of the Bible. The response was huge. People wanted more.
Over the following months I continued to produce shows, and their popularity finally convinced me people could get excited about a book version. So I began working on the book version. So far, I'm 30% of the way through the first draft, and many of the stories are available in the podcast for free.
If We Get More Than We Asked For...
If the pre-sales go well, I want to re-design the website to allow patrons to more easily access the content. If the book does exceptionally well, I would like to pay a professional animator to make an animated version of Bible Stories featuring some more of my 'cartoon' style. This would help reach a much larger audience, and has the potential to really go viral.
Final Thoughts
None of this would be possible if it wasn't for all the support of my fans. This book is for you guys.