# Cartoonist Johnny Hart dies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229 "2007-04-08T23:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/1 "2007-04-08T23:10:56Z")
Johnny Hart, the creator of _B.C._ and _The Wizard of Id_, has [died](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070408/ap_on_en_ot/obit_hart_8). I have no opinion on this matter, since my local newspapers haven’t carried _B.C._ in years due to some of Hart’s more controversial statements in the strip regarding religion. I just think it’s interesting that a very religious man died on the day before Easter. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/2 "2007-04-08T23:15:36Z")
Hart hasn’t been worth squat for years, but _BC_ and _The Wizard of Id_ used to be my favorites as a kid. RIP, Johnny. I hope you found what you believed in. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/3 "2007-04-08T23:20:59Z")
Since Houdini never sent back word, maybe Johnny will. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/4 "2007-04-08T23:21:50Z")
Favourite Wizard Of Id moment: the King tells an angry crowd, “We must be prepared to make sacrifices!” {Hammer, hammer, bang, bang, saw, saw} “What are they building?” “Looks like a real short altar.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/5 "2007-04-08T23:25:54Z")
Good luck, Johnny. Or, at least, goodbye. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/6 "2007-04-08T23:36:28Z")
His strips have been dead for years. Tell me he made no provisions for their continuation after his death. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/7 "2007-04-08T23:41:46Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] His strips have been dead for years. Tell me he made no provisions for their continuation after his death. [/QUOTE] I believe he handed the rights over to Jack Chick. Haw haw haw! ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/8 "2007-04-08T23:46:31Z")
I think _Bizarro_ had the perfect reply to Hart when he began to really push religion in his strip: [http://www.happyscrappy.com/blog/archives/003655.html](http://www.happyscrappy.com/blog/archives/003655.html) But, until the 80’s his strip was one of the best, and I loved Grog. [![](https://joshreads.com/images/0511/i051108bc.gif) ](https://joshreads.com/images/0511/i051108bc.gif) RIP. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/9 "2007-04-08T23:48:54Z")
[QUOTE=Scissorjack] Favourite Wizard Of Id moment [/QUOTE] Mine would be when they dragged a poor wretch/peasant before the King. He was charged with stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. “Off with his head” said the King. His lawyer pleaded, “Sire, have mercy. It’s Valentine’s Day.” “You’re right,” said the King. “Cut out his heart!” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/10 "2007-04-09T00:21:00Z")
[QUOTE=GIGObuster] I think _Bizarro_ had the perfect reply to Hart when he began to really push religion in his strip… [/QUOTE] My favorite _Bizarro_ panel on the subject was one where St. Peter is confronting a new arrival with “Yes, you were a believer, but you forgot the “Don’t be a jerk about it” part.” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/11 "2007-04-09T00:41:33Z")
He was ground-breaking in his day. And his example led to wise decisions by Watterson and Larson. Aurë entuluva, Jonny. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/12 "2007-04-09T00:49:41Z")
I miss the B.C. Thanksgiving special, but as far as I’m concerned the creator of the strip died long ago. I’m not exactly glad he’s dead, you understand, but I’m not going to miss him. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/13 "2007-04-09T00:51:34Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] And his example led to wise decisions by Watterson and Larson. [/QUOTE] Is that a supposition, or have they said that explicity? (Genuine query btw.) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/14 "2007-04-09T00:56:43Z")
Medium large (R.I.P. ☹ ) did a lot of B.C. parodies, but [this](http://www.drinkatwork.com/mediumlargewk46.html) is my favorite. (Third one down.) ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/15 "2007-04-09T00:57:43Z")
Then there was Wiley’s Dictionary: Bereft - v. “To miss the last plane to Japan” ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/16 "2007-04-09T01:01:27Z")
Good strips in their day. Long since without much pizzaz. A good cartoonist, bless him. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/17 "2007-04-09T01:02:18Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Is that a supposition, or have they said that explicity? (Genuine query btw.) [/QUOTE] I do recall Larson saying that he didn’t want to be one of those cartoonists that runs out of things to say and just keeps cranking garbage out; I don’t recall if he said anything specifically about Hart. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/18 "2007-04-09T01:36:56Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] He was ground-breaking in his day. And his example led to wise decisions by Watterson and Larson. **Aurë entuluva,** Jonny. [/QUOTE] Qadgop, I’m assuming the highlighted portion of your quote is Elvish. Is it Quenya or Sindaran? What does it mean? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/19 "2007-04-09T01:52:32Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] Qadgop, I’m assuming the highlighted portion of your quote is Elvish. Is it Quenya or Sindaran? What does it mean? [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > “Last of all Hurin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed; and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black > blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time that he slew Hurin cried ‘Aure entuluva! Day shall come again!’ Seventy > times he uttered that cry; but they took him at last alive…” > > -The Silmarillion from [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:HSRZ5-X5dMUJ:englishscholar.com/TolkienQuotes.htm+Aurë+entuluva&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us](http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:HSRZ5-X5dMUJ:englishscholar.com/TolkienQuotes.htm+Aur%C3%AB+entuluva&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229/20 "2007-04-09T02:37:19Z")
Until I read the linked obituary, I never knew Hart lived in Endicott, NY, a town I’ve been in several times. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cartoonist-johnny-hart-dies/399229.md?page=2)