Chick Publications

Who exactly IS Jack Chick? Is that his real name? Is he still alive? I recall seeing ridiculous and vitriolic religious tracts from Chick Publications which often made outrageous claims against anyone that basically disagreed with Jack Chick’s version of Christianity. I recall a series called “Alberto” which described how a man “Alberto” studied to be a Catholic priest and was taught to burn Protestant Churches. I know Alberto was debunked, but Jack Chick then insisted that the Vatican sent Alberto with a false story to make him look bad. Does anyone know the sordid history of Jack T. Chick and why he became such a religious fanatic?

He is a fundamentalist Baptist cartoonist who writes various comic books to convert people to Christianity.

Yes

Yes

Jack Chick hasn’t actually, in fact as far as I can tell he still promotes Alberto’s conspiracy theories regarding the Catholic Church.

Probably because of his denomination (the Independent Baptists) who are probably the most hardcore fundamentalist (excepting minor groups) in the United States and who retain pre-ecumenical anti-Catholic attitudes.

Is Jack Chick still personally writing and drawing those tracts? He must be getting on in years, n’est-ce pas? I’ve assumed in recent years that he’s got a company continuing his work in his name even if he might not be so active himself any more. Anybody know about this?

His tracts have been around for at least 40 years that I’ve been seeing them — long before the Internet.

While his anti-Catholic and anti-gay screeds are truly venemous, he’s also done others that were simply silly and entertaining. The Mad Machine was a goofy comical classic.

I’d say in about a third of his comics, somebody will say to some unsaved person “Jesus died for our sins” or some such, and the sinner will say, “I didn’t know that!” Like they’ve never heard of Jesus before. Yeah, sure. How stupid does this guy think the average yokel is?

All of the unsaved people either have never heard of Jesus, or else actively hate him.

Jack Chick, age 88 now.

A friend back in my Texas days took Jack Chick’s anti-Catholic rantings dead serious. He thought we did too until he realized we were laughing at how serious he took it and not agreeing. Then he kept it to himself. But before that, he was always trotting out Jack Chick as “proof” of worldwide Catholic domination.

I can also recommend The Last Generation.
It is scary to think anyone takes this shit seriously though.

</semi-hijack>

My friend who introduced me to these things (he and I also used to laugh at them) especially enjoyed one called “Somebody Goofed” that featured a bunch of laughing demons on the cover. Another one I got a kick out of was called “The Bull” about a tough convict at a prison called Blakefield. This one was so ridiculous, I think even Jack Chick realized how silly he sounded because at the end it says “if you find yourself laughing at this story, just ask yourself this question: Where will YOU spend eternity? In Heaven or in Hell?” Well as a practicing Cafeteria Catholic myself, that is a valid question. The problem is that Jack Chick seems to think that HE HIMSELF knows who’s going to Heaven and who’s going to Hell, and I believe that GOD decides that.

There’s no beating Dark Dungeons for sheer insanity.

I don’t think he drew any but the earliest ones. And I have noticed that there’s a lot of recycling, making me think he doesn’t do as much anymore. Those could be redone by someone else. But there are occasionally some new ones, and I have a hard time thinking anyone has quite the exact set of beliefs as Chick.

In case the OP isn’t aware (I apologize if you are), Jack is a bit of a minor celebrity on the SD. His new tracks are usually featured in The Pit.

I actually enjoy his publications, and find them a little humorous. Apparently others are a little more thin skinned, and any time he has a new one it’s posted in the Pit.

Oh, I like them too. Lots of bang for the buck. And we can’t say we were never warned if he turns out to be true!

Years ago, you could find his comics on left on library shelves and desks. I cannot recall the last time I have seen one out in public. The only time I see them anymore is when they are linked to from here.

I see tracts left at restaurants occasionally. I go to some independent places, the sort of diner that has a table and bulletin board for people to leave flyers and cards. Sometimes I see a stack of tracts. Sometimes people (I assume female type people) leave tracts in restrooms in restaurants and shops. Back when there were still public phones, I’d sometimes see tracts left on the shelves.

Unless the tracts are left in a place that’s designated to hold flyers and such, I treat them as I would other random bits of trash left by litterbugs…I gather them up and toss them.

I would have agreed with you entirely…

Then, yesterday, I found a Chick track on the top of the toilet in our public library. I forget which one it was.

Good on the library for filing it in the proper section. :wink:

Ran across them all the time in college. Graduated in 2005, so not all that long ago.

He has had for a while a team of collaborating illustrators and writers – you can identify a handful of distinct styles in some tract series – while Chick retains editorial control at Chick Publications. They not only update some of the tracts but also draw distinct international versions to fit other cultural environments (e.g. the African and Asian versions of This Was Your Life are very distinct styles).

The photo-realistic art (such as from the Chick color comic series 'The Crusaders", in which the Alberto ones were a sub-series) is done by a black man named Fred Carter, who I think is a retired pastor. The two main characters dubbed ‘The Crusaders’ have been said to be idealized versions of Jack & Fred. From what I gather, Jack outlines those stories & Fred illustrated. The more cartoony ones are supposed to be Chick’s own art. They are getting simpler as he ages.

Btw, you could find his stuff at most Christian book stores until he got on the Alberto/Anti-Catholic trip. The big chains effectively banned them, so people either order them personally or get them from independent Christian stores or their own fundamentalist churches.

The documentary ‘God’s Cartoonist’ refers to him as the most prolific & widely read underground comic publisher in history.