"The Trumpets They Play!" is an 8-page comic

Comics

Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...

 by Al Columbia

Al Columbia

Al Columbia is an American cartoonist, illustrator, writer, photographer, musician, and filmmaker.-Big Numbers controversy:At the age of 19 Columbia was hired to work as an assistant to Bill Sienkiewicz on Alan Moore's Big Numbers series...

. It was published in BLAB! #10 in 1998.

Synopsis

After an opening title card describing the coming feature as "Seymour Sunshine and Knishkebibble the Monkey-Boy's Big Budget Fiasco", the story begins with a televangelist reading aloud passages from the Book of Revelation

Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...

 describing the seven seals

Seven seals

The Seven Seals is a phrase in the Book of Revelation that refers to seven symbolic seals that secure the book or scroll, that John of Patmos saw in his Revelation of Jesus Christ. The opening of the seals, on the Apocalyptic document occurs in Revelation Chapters 5-8...

 and seven trumpets, accompanied by topical illustrations. The preacher's broadcast is interrupted by a newsflash on the impending end of the millennium

Millennium

A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....

. The panel view zooms out slowly from the TV screen into a high-rise apartment and out of a window to reveal a panorama

Panorama

A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....

 of debauchery, perversion

Perversion

Perversion is a concept describing those types of human behavior that are a serious deviation from what is considered to be orthodox or normal. Although it can refer to varying forms of deviation, it is most often used to describe sexual behaviors that are seen by an individual as abnormal,...

, and random violence

Violence

Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...

. In the background, a glowing meteorite

Meteorite

A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...

 (Wormwood

Wormwood (star)

Wormwood, αψίνθιον or άψινθος in Greek, is a star, or angel, that appears in the Biblical New Testament Book of Revelation.-Wormwood in the Bible:...

) flies across the sky.

Meanwhile, Knishkebibble the Monkey-Boy is shown in another apartment reading the Book of Revelation. He decides to take a relaxing bath to ward off "pre-millennium jitters". However, while he is drawing his bath the meteorite strikes the earth, causing all the faucets in the bathroom to spew inky black liquid. Knishkebibble runs out of the bathroom and awakens his sleeping companion, Seymour Sunshine. Answering a knock at the door, Seymour and Knishkebibble are confronted by the giant armored locust

Locust

Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...

s described in Revelation. Escaping the apartment, the two scramble across rooftops, leap into a conveniently placed roadster

Roadster

A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...

 and drive away in haste.

The city is being ravaged by a massive earthquake

Earthquake

An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...

 and an army of grinning homunculi carrying long knives. As Seymour and Knishkebibble speed out of the collapsing metropolis, the beast from the sea is shown looming in the background. An army marching under the flag of the beast has taken over the world. Knishkebibble kisses the boots of an army officer and denounces Seymour to him; Seymour is promptly seized. The seven-headed beast from the earth is shown seated on a throne

Throne

A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...

 towering over a crowd of men in white shirts and suspenders giving the Nazi salute

Nazi salute

The Nazi salute, or Hitler salute , was a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany usually accompanied by saying, Heil Hitler! ["Hail Hitler!"], Heil, mein Führer ["Hail, my leader!"], or Sieg Heil! ["Hail victory!"]...

, along with Knishkebibble and the televangelist. In the beast's palm, a pocketwatch labeled "Years of the Christian Era" approaches 2000. On the outskirts of the city, where mass executions by gun and guillotine

Guillotine

The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...

 are underway, Seymour sits with his limbs tied up and a lit stick of dynamite

Dynamite

Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...

 balanced on his head.

In the final page (the only one printed in full color) Seymour is shown in a dapper white dress suit and hat, happily frolicking alone in a bucolic paradise

Paradise

Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...

.

Critical reception

"The Trumpets They Play!" has been cited by reviewers and fans as an outstanding work, both within Columbia's own output and within comics generally.http://www.fantagraphics.com/blog/labels/Al%20Columbia.htmlhttp://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxviii/1999.12.03/ae/p11design.htmlhttp://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/commentary/1148/ In a 2002 essay on Columbia's work, Paul Gravett

Paul Gravett

Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing and promotion for over 20 years....

 called it his "most alarming output yet ... a cartoon apocalypse, a black and white Fleischer Brothers animated film as designed by Hieronymus Bosch."