Posted on 10/29/2013 10:06:13 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Dying of a stroke on April 7, 2007, Johnny Hart, creator of the caveman comic strip B.C., could not have arranged a departure with more evocative symbolism. He died with his boots on, so to speak—at his drawing board, like the dedicated brandisher of pencil and pen he was. But he wasn’t at his drawing board because he was chained to it, like most of his brethren, by the perpetual deadlines of the syndicated cartoonist.
[SNIP]
Hart was in his studio by choice, not servitude. The studio’s atrium—30 feet high, the walls richly paneled—is filled with incidental amusements, two pool tables, a piano and set of drums, a bar and exercise equipment, but its most engaging feature is a panoramic picture window overlooking Hart’s 25-acre lake on his 250-acre estate.
[SNIP]
Another reason for saying that April 7 was symbolic is that it was a Saturday, the day before Easter, and if Hart had to pick the day of his death, he might well have chosen that day in the Christian calendar. Holy Saturday, which he usually called “kick-butt Saturday,” is the day before the annual remembrance of the Resurrection, and Hart fully expected to be resurrected.
A “re-committed” fundamentalist Christian who taught Sunday School every week in the little Presbyterian church in the nearby New York town of Ninevah, Hart frequently delivered sermons in his comic strip. Said Maxwell: “Hart believes the Lord put him into the cartooning world for a reason. Every prudent chance he gets, he takes advantage of it. On Hallowe’en, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter—and many days between—Hart’s characters offer messages reflecting the cartoonist’s own firm belief in the gospel message. ‘I find myself trying to put the gospel into practically every strip I create without being obvious about it,’ he says.”
(Excerpt) Read more at tcj.com ...
A “re-committed” fundamentalist Christian who taught Sunday School every week in the little Presbyterian church in the nearby New York town of Ninevah, Hart frequently delivered sermons in his comic strip....
Later in the article, Hart is quoted as saying “I know it sounds like I know all the answers...I do. This is the truth. What purpose would I serve if I had the answer to the mystery of life only I did not tell it for the sake of what other people believe?” The meat of the 5000+ word article is a discussion of the role of religion in the funny papers, and the tone can be summed up by the author's assertion that "Hart’s certitude is disturbing. Certainty in any arena of human affairs is a dubious attribute. Certainty breeds intolerance...." Despite the tone, IMO the article is worth reading for fans of Hart, the comic strip B.C., or religion in the arts in general.
Related threads:
B.C. cartoonist's widow says he got to heaven ahead of her
When a warm puppy is not enough
Tragic Comic -- Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography
‘Fear not … I bring you tidings of great joy’
Johnny Hart was a great guy, and a great man...He gave a ton to this community...
Certainty can breed competence, success and excellence.
That he did.
Many Roman Catholics have issues with our assurance of Salvation as well.
May he rest in peace
"It so happens that the way I did it the first time was using a screen shot from Caddyshack, where the pastor gets hit by a lightning bolt. Being a bit of a fan of the comic strip "B.C." I captioned the photo with the lightning bolt sound that Johnny Hart used in his strip- ZOT! That is where the term Zot originated."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1686991/posts?q=1&;page=21
Post #38.
Your origin revealed; or at least one version.
You know who else exhibits certitude and does so falsely? Leftists.
My favorite cartoonist.
BC made me actually laugh out loud. Not many today can boast of that. His sense of humor was spot on.
I just bought a whole bunch of his earlier books on ebay. Sitting reading them is a very enjoyable pastime. I become a kid again.
“Certainty in any arena of human affairs is a dubious attribute. Certainty breeds intolerance”
This explains the intolerance of our demoncrat left, they are absolutely certain about so many things. (global warming, ObamaCare, abortion, etc. etc.)
"It so happens that the way I did it the first time was using a screen shot from Caddyshack, where the pastor gets hit by a lightning bolt. Being a bit of a fan of the comic strip "B.C." I captioned the photo with the lightning bolt sound that Johnny Hart used in his strip- ZOT! That is where the term Zot originated.”http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1686991/posts?q=1&;page=21
Post #38.
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Johnny Hart seams to have influenced a lot of people, I wonder if the cartoon also had a influence in the title of the movie Zotz!.
Enraging Muslims since 2003 (give or take 1300 years)
His best comic ever!
Ho-ho-ho! What a hoot! Thanks - I’d forgotten that one.
When he passed, I was moved to write a limerick in his memory, which I sent to his family.
I was thrilled to receive a thank you not from them, expressing their appreciation.
There once was a cartoonist named Hart
For the Gospel he did his small part
And he proved it’s not a rumor
That God has a sense of humor
Picking Easter for Johnny to depart April 8, 2007
Lib newspapers hated his pro-Christian Sunday cartoons and often they would not print one.
I loved his take on Halloween.
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