→2025→04→28→Comic history→Comic strips→Francis by Pat Marrin 2013-2025
Comic history Comic strips

Francis by Pat Marrin 2013-2025

1 minute 10 comments

With the death of Pope Francis so also comes the end (apparently) of Patrick J. Marrin’s Francis comic, though nothing official has been announce as far as I know.

The Lambiek Comiclopedia entry for Pat Marrin has a detailed history of the Francis comic strip:

On 13 March 2013, the Argentinean Bishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as pope. He took the name “Francis”. Pope Francis was a surprising choice, since up to then, all popes had been Europeans. The new church leader quickly became popular, even outside the Catholic community. Nine months after his election, Time Magazine already named him their “Person of the Year” (2013). Thomas C. Fox, publisher of the National Catholic Journal, was so enthusiastic about the newly elected pope that he asked house cartoonist Patrick J. Marrin to make a gag-a-day comic about Pope Francis. On 13 September 2013, the first episode of ‘Francis’ was printed in The Topeka Capital-Journal. Episodes have also appeared on ‘The Francis Chronicles’, the blog page of The National Catholic Journal. Starting on 31 March 2014, ‘Francis’ was additionally posted on GoComics.com, the webcomics portal of the Universal Uclick syndicate. While the official title of the comic is ‘Francis’, most readers and journalists refer to it as ‘Pope Francis’.

Francis by Patrick J. Marrin

In 2017 (at least that is as far back as their archives go) the National Catholic Reporter started running the Francis comic strip. Francis on GoComics dates back to March 30, 2014 and has been carried ever since.

early Francis by Patrick J. Marrin

A 2015 appreciation of Francis from GoComics via The Wayback Machine.

Francis

by Patrick (Pat) J. Marrin

2013 – April 22, 2025

Topeka Capital-Journal ??? – ??? (see Allan Holtz comment below)

GoComics March 31, 2014 – April 22, 2025

National Catholic Reporter ?2013? – April 22, 2025

December 2013 ad in Kansas City Star

Update: With the information from Allan Holtz the dates above have been adjusted. Here we note that the National Catholic Reporter was advertising a Pat Marrin cartoon book in December 2013 that made note of “the new comic strip ‘Francis'” so I’ll accept that the comic strip first appeared in 2013. Though it remains to be seen if it first appeared in the print edition of NCR or first in this Outside the Lines book.

the final Francis by Patrick J. Marrin – April 22, 2025
Previous Post
CSotD: 100 Strange Days Have Found Us
Next Post
Barbara Brandon-Croft Interview

Comments 10

  1. Marrin’s ‘Francis’ is fun and brought humanity to the pope mystique, while deftly offering subtle and profound messages. Outstanding!

  2. I loved this strip. I discovered it shortly after my Dad died and emailed Marrin to thank him. He have me such a kind, thoughtful response. I’ll miss this work.

  3. Being an atheist, I have little interest in the Catholic Church. But this strip taught me about what Francis was trying to achieve. What sort of a man he was.

    I judge a lot of strips by them having a good heart. Francis had a good heart and it gave me a lot of pleasure. The use of Leo and Gabby as narrators was inspired.

    Bye Leo, bye Gabby, bye Francis, bye bye Patrick.

  4. FWIW, I checked the archives of the Topeka Capital-Journal on GenealogyBank and did not find the strip appearing in the 9/13/2013 issue. I also attempted various searches of 2013 and up looking for the strip and was unable to track it down.

    1. I couldn’t find access to the Topeka Captial-Journal to check the Lambiek claim. Thanks for the information, have adjusted the stats. Though I have added “proof” that the comic strip did appear at least by 2013.

  5. What’s nice about the Francis cartoon is that it shows how the Pope’s religion is what informed his views about the world. It seems to get left out of the news I read.

  6. Francis’ death is a deep loss to everyone on earth, of any religion. I see him as walking in the footsteps of John XXIII and of John Paul I, who reigned for only a month in 1978. Their examples will continue to guide me in my remaining days.

    I am in anticipatory grief at the possible end of the strip “Francis” as well. I hope that Patrick Marrin is leaving the door open for Gabby and Brother Leo to serve the next Pope — if the next Pope deserves them.

    Well done, Francis! Well done, Patrick!

  7. Robert Prevost, Leo XIV. I was not ready for this, but the more I read, at this early stage, the more I admire, and the more I like. A man after Francis’ heart.

    What do you think, Pat? Would Gabby and Brother Leo like him, and love him, too? Two Leos in one strip, but that’s not an insurmountable problem.

  8. Don’t forget that one of Francis of Assisi’s closest friends was a Brother Leo.

  9. I didn’t know that, although I should have. I will find a biography in the next few days and bring myself up to speed with him.

    We have now had just a very short time to get a peek at Leo XIV. For those who miss Francis, the hurt will be deep and long. However, from what we have seen thus far, I think that Leo, as he comes into his own, will be a source of consolation to us all.

    I smile at the many mentions in the press of “an American pope.” If I understand him correctly, it will probably be the furthest thing from his mind. I see him as a truly Catholic, and catholic, pope, in the sense of “universal.”

Comments are closed.

Search

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get a daily recap of the news posted each day.

^ Top