When Satan hears that the world will be destroyed in a war to end all wars, he’s delighted- his chance to truly rule the world has come! But he’s forgotten that Jesus’s followers will be brought to join their Eternal Father!
I have to agree with those who say that Chick (or whoever’s writing these nowadays) is getting soft- other than a slam at Muslims, there isn’t really much in this one. Although there’s a lot of Satan and his minions, and the shot of the dead being raptured up to Heaven from their graves is sort of amusing.
Plus, what I believe is the first “black tract” that isn’t a retread of a white tract: Unforgiven? This is an anti-Islam tract for blacks that points out that Muhammad doesn’t care about black people. There’s no mention of Satan’s Catholic Church inventing Islam, however.
I laughed out loud at the bodies springing out of the ground – it was missing a little sproing! sound. I swear, they were spewing out like spring loaded zombies! sproing!
Hee.
Man. Oh, and the first box? GOLD (sob! sob!) The rest kind of didn’t have that edge of the olden days. Worth a good giggle though.
Dammit, I wanted Muhammed to give a hearty “HAW HAW HAW!” when throwing the saintly grandma out of the house. Anybody notice though, that if she hadn’t called her grandson in 7 years, it meant she didn’t call or visit him all that time he was in jail? Somebody famous once said that it was a good thing to visit those in prison, can’t remember who…
Good artwork, though. I think the artist reallllly enjoyed drawing the muscles on those prisoners, IYKWIM.
The “moon god” thing is a callback to one of the first anti-Muslim tracts–somebody’s been reading the damn things before he draws new ones.
The first one–kinda bland–but you gotta love the Devil sitting in a seminar, taking notes on what the KJV says about the Rapture.
Akbar?! Haha proving God has a sense of humor pulling that zinger on those Muslim heathens about to behead that righteous American. I didn’t read the second one, they’ve become more rambling. I like the ones that have Grandpa who wears the funky funky eye patch. Did he die or something or just get some work done?
Whoa check out the magic powers grandma has in the second tract. If it worked like that I’d have no problem believing. “Get your hands off me in Jesus name! Make a doughnut appear in Jesus name! Create a second Season of Firefly in…” ahh you get it.
The popping grave people amused me too. Reminded me of popcorn I can picture god there watching his spiritual microwave. “Hmmm just about done. I can count to three before each spirit pops now”
Yes, you’re right; you can’t blame the method of avoiding badness if people don’t elect to change it. OTOH, we can at least partially blame that which set up the damnation/illnesses in the first place.
I’m surprised Satan would be made to appear so bumbling. An idiotic Satan seems less of a threat.
Why is someone wearing a bandana with a feather (ala generic Indian) behind the fat lady missing her soaps at the funeral? Pastor Weber was popular across all cultural and stereotypical lines apparently.
Or the US isn’t mentioned in scripture because there was no US when it was written and the people who think it’s there are delusional. Or stupid. Or both.
Oh, I don’t know. The rather overt Jewishness of Satan is pretty good.
Other random observations on the first tract:
Chick violates a compositional rule, “crossing the center line,” when cutting back and forth between the demons in panels three and four, and seven and eight. Makes it hard to keep track of who’s talking.
Down further, the little possumy lookin’ critter dispatched by Satan to appoint somebody to observe the graveyards… is it just me, or does it look a lot like the stamp-collecting Trollusk?
And finally, the helper demon in the very last panel is obviously a Beatles fan.
Re the second one:
I didn’t know Cheech Marin was present at the Sermon on the Mount.
I also didn’t know that when we stand for Judgment we will be required to wear a Speedo.
And generally, despite this whole “love of Jesus” thing, these tracts are awfully overstuffed with some angry, angry people on both sides.
Yes, except for the way they’re completely different.
The people who make a vaccine didn’t create the disease and have no control over the disease. God, on the other hand, made the rule that people who don’t worship him get sent to eternal damnation. If, as so many Christians claim is true, God really doesn’t want anybody to go to Hell, then all he has to do is stop sending them there. The reason those people are “unforgiven” is because God won’t forgive them.
Anybody else notice how some Christians end up sounding like abused spouses? “God doesn’t want to hit me. It’s my fault. I do something wrong and he has to hit me. God really does love me.”
And here I was wondering if there had been any new Chick tracts lately.
Where Did They Go?
So Satan has nothing to do but taunt one old preacher after his death? Oh, wait, he also has to go to the End Times meeting at the church. Looks like being the Prince of Darkness isn’t too demanding of a job.
The flying possum squirrelly creature is great. He’s more competent than Satan!
Unforgiven
Who did the art for this tract? He’s too good for Chick tracts.
I wonder what the neighbor’s thinking in the third-to-last page. “Damn, people, can I make replicas of the St. Louis Arch in peace?”
It was nice of God to give Lamont/Muhammad a butterfly to cover his groin.