I recall when I first posted this, somebody wrote me and questioned my motivation for drawing her "crucified like Jesus was". Actually the pose was lifted from a scene in Sailor Moon and, while she is tied to a cross, it's technically not a crucifixion, since the binding across her chest and the two over her upper arms supports her torso. The point of crucifixion was to suspend the victim by the wrists in a way that caused the ribs and diaphragm to be hampered, eventually suffocating the victim in a very slow and very agonizing way.
Crucifixion as a means of torture was not limited to the Middle East and Europe. I think it also shows up historically in China and Japan. And it was a standard means of torture and execution in biblical times that predates Christianity. Don't automatically assign religious significance to pictures like this.
