Garden of the Flesh
A graphic novel retelling Genesis stories with explicit sexual content.
Garden of the Flesh is a graphic novel by Gilbert Hernández, released in 2016 through Fantagraphics Books. It offers sexually explicit versions of Biblical tales from Genesis, focusing on Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah’s Ark.
Hernández said he created the book partly as a response to Robert Crumb’s *The Book of Genesis*, noting that in Crumb’s version, characters seemed unhappy unless they were harming one another. He wanted a happier take, with attractive people enjoying each other. When asked if he was deliberately making a provocative story, Hernández replied that he only depicted “vanilla sex” meant for procreation, with no violent or unusual acts. The first edition was notebook-sized, with a faux leather embossed cover, and was shrink-wrapped—a format praised by *The Cornell Daily Sun* as clever. The design was credited to “J. Feeli Pecker,” a pseudonym for Keeli McCarthy.
In the story, Adam emerges from the ground but grows lonely. He masturbates, falls asleep, and a bolt from Heaven turns his semen into Eve. They live idyllically until Eve has sex with Satan and eats from the forbidden tree. God expels them, and they become ashamed of their nudity. They start a pastoral life, and Eve bears Cain and Abel. Cain, jealous when divine light shines on Abel, kills him with a rock. Struck by lightning, he receives the Mark of Cain, wanders, meets a bathing woman, and they have sex, starting a new generation. Later, Noah is favored by divine light, marries, and has three sons who also marry. God warns him, and he builds an Ark, taking his family and two of every animal before a flood covers the world. After forty days, the storms end, leaving humanity a fresh start.
The woman at the story’s end is Pupusi, a minor character from Hernández’s *Love and Rockets* who later appeared in his anthology *Blubber*. Hernández jokingly suggested Noah’s voluptuous wife was Fritz from the same series in disguise, saying it was decided that porn might ruin her fading career faster.
Critical reception was mixed. Nathan Chazan of *The Cornell Daily Sun* saw the book as part of Hernández’s growing interest in obscenity, praising how it blends biblical and pornographic elements to explore power fantasies. Nick Gazin of *Vice* recommended it, calling Hernández a modern great and advising readers not averse to comics “drenched in jizz.” Rob Clough, on his blog, admired h
- type
- Graphic novel
- author
- Gilbert Hernández
- publisher
- Fantagraphics Books
- year
- 2016
- subject
- Sexually explicit retellings of Biblical stories from Genesis
- format
- First edition notebook-sized, faux leather embossed cover, shrink-wrapped
Lore & Background
Hernández stated that part of his motivation for creating the book was in response to Robert Crumb's similarly-themed The Book of Genesis, explaining 'I was looking at Crumb's version and nobody seems happy in it unless they're fucking someone over. I just wanted to do a happy version with good-looking people enjoying each other.' When Mike Lorah of Comic Book Resources charged the artist with deliberately producing an extremely provocative story, Hernández responded 'Sure, but I'm only depicting vanilla sex, which is only for starting a family. No titillating violence or corn-holing or sex with animals.'
The first edition was notebook-sized, featured a faux leather embossed cover, and was originally shrink-wrapped—a format The Cornell Daily Sun noted as an 'ingenious design' for the subject matter. The design was credited to 'J. Feeli Pecker', a pseudonym for Keeli McCarthy.
The synopsis follows Adam born from the ground, who masturbates and falls asleep; a bolt from Heaven turns his semen into Eve. After Eve has intercourse with Satan, she eats a forbidden apple, and God casts them out. Cain murders Abel with a rock, is struck by lightning, and forced to carry the Mark of Cain. Noah builds an Ark after a divine vision, and after forty days and forty nights of storms, humanity is given a new beginning.
Reader's Guide
Garden of the Flesh received mixed critical reception. Nathan Chazan of The Cornell Daily Sun identified it as another sign of the growing fascination with obscenity in Hernández' work, praising it and noting that 'by slamming together the biblical and the pornographic, Hernandez explores the power fantasies which fuel both.' Writing for Vice, Nick Gazin was also positive, stating 'Gilbert Hernandez is one of the modern greats, so I would advise that you definitely read this unless you're averse to comics that are drenched in jizz.' Rob Clough, on his personal blog, observed that 'Hernandez also seamlessly overlays the structure of pornographic films onto the episodic structure of the Bible.'
However, Robert Boyd in The Comics Journal expressed disappointment, describing the work as 'boring fucking and fucking boring.' Ian Keogh of Slings & Arrows graded the book 2 out of 5, bemoaning that the sex 'might work as erotica for a boy in his early teenage years who's led a sheltered life, but for anyone else it's uniformly dull and devoid of ideas.' The work connects to Hernández' other creations: the female featured at the end is 'adult entertainment superstar' Pupusi, a minor character from his Love and Rockets stories, and Hernández tongue-in-cheek suggested that Noah's voluptuous wife was Fritz from the same series in disguise.
Did You Know?
- The first edition was shrink-wrapped and featured a faux leather embossed cover, a format called 'ingenious design' by The Cornell Daily Sun.
- The design was credited to the pseudonym 'J. Feeli Pecker', actually Keeli McCarthy.
- Hernández created the book as a response to Robert Crumb's The Book of Genesis, aiming for a 'happy version' with good-looking people.
- The female character at the end of the story is Pupusi, a minor character from Hernández' Love and Rockets stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Garden of the Flesh?
It is a 2016 graphic novel by Gilbert Hernández, published by Fantagraphics Books, that retells selected Genesis stories with explicit sexual content. The book covers the tales of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah's Ark.
Who created Garden of the Flesh and when was it released?
Gilbert Hernández wrote and illustrated the book, and Fantagraphics Books published it in 2016. The first edition was printed in a small notebook-sized format with a faux leather embossed cover and shrink-wrapped packaging.
Why did Gilbert Hernández make Garden of the Flesh?
Hernández has explained that he was partly responding to Robert Crumb's earlier Genesis comic, in which he felt the characters only seemed content when hurting each other. He wanted to offer a warmer, more joyful take in which attractive characters genuinely enjoy one another's company.
What makes Garden of the Flesh different from other retellings of Genesis?
Its central distinguishing feature is the sexually explicit framing of the Biblical narratives, presented through Hernández's distinctive art style. Rather than a solemn or purely theological reading, the book emphasizes sensuality and physical pleasure among the characters.
Is Garden of the Flesh a standalone work or part of a series?
It is a standalone graphic novel rather than part of an ongoing series. It was released as a single-volume first edition by Fantagraphics Books in 2016.
More in Genesis creation narrative 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record