Cartoonist Chester Brown caused a small stir with his 2011 graphic memoir Paying for It, which argued for the decriminalization of sex work from the perspective of a longtime john. Now, the seasoned illustrator is furthering his polemic on sex work with a new graphic novel entitled Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus, which will be published by Drawn & Quarterly on April 12. The book is a series of biblical adaptations that, essentially, collectively argue that the Bible implicitly promotes prostitution. Through retelling nine biblical stories, Brown creates a sort of treatise advocating for sex worker rights by dismantling the Christian moral code — and all with a gritty, outsider comic book style. Brown will be at Pegasus Books Downtown (2349 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley) on Wednesday, April 13 to celebrate the release of the book, speak, and sign copies.