Faith and the Funny Pages [15 US newspapers now carry new Christian comic strip]

Sunday NY Times - Week in Review ^ | August 27, 2006 | JOHN LELAND

[summer]

THE WORD IN BUBBLES - The Christian comic strip
“Heaven’s Love Thrift Shop” [above] now appears in 15 newspapers.

...The strip, called “Heaven’s Love Thrift Shop,” made its debut in 15 American newspapers this month, with quotations from Scripture and characters talking about their faith. Though other comics occasionally address religious themes, mainstream newspapers and syndicates have largely avoided strips that make religion so central....

Because of the religious content in “Heaven’s Love Thrift Shop,” several papers have run it in the news pages rather than with other comics.

Kevin Frank, the strip’s author, said his goal was “very simplistic, to remind people that there is a God and God loves them.” To this end, he said, he planned to avoid “hot-button political issues, because even among people of faith those are divisive.”

The strip comes from King Features Syndicate, the largest distributor of daily comic strips in the United States. “It’s new ground in terms of syndication,” said Jay Kennedy, the company’s editor in chief...

...Mr. Frank, who calls his strip a ministry, said he took satisfaction in placing Christian messages in secular newspapers. “It’s sneaky,” he said. “People in papers are bending over backwards not to portray the beliefs of people of faith, so I feel great to be breaking into that.”

[summer]

Very interesting...

[summer]

FYI.

[ndt]

Is that rally a Christian comic strip? It kind of seems like they were trying to make the kid come across as annoying.

[summer]

BTW, the article did not mention which American newspapers now carry this comic strip.

[ndt]

rally = really

[pointsal]

Good News strategy

[summer]

I didn't get that feeling -- I thought it was a clever and entertaining take on the annoying habit of people talking aloud on their cell phones; now, this character is putting that habit to use for a different purpose.

[summer]

Yes, A+ on strategy for this cartoonist!

[summer]

PS And, yes, it's a good "Good News" strategy. :)

[summer]

PS It's also just a good strategy, period. Anytime you can get something in the comics, you reach people. :)

[T Minus Four]

Very cool. We'll see if it plays here in LDS land.

[ndt]

I'm just noting that the last frame has one guy saying what sounds like a brush off and a "yeesh whatever" look on his face. If I had not seen this marked as a Christian comic strip I would have assumed it was a critique on Christian proselytizing as being pushed on others without their consent. IOW I would have assumed the author was taking a jab at Christians.

[summer]

Yes, it will also be interesting to see how many other newspapers pick up this comic, and what kind of demand exists for it elsewhere, in newspapers not yet carrying it.

[summer]

LOL...well, just goes to show: every comic can be interpreted in different ways.

[ladyinred]

This will never make it my leftist paper. There are at least three strips that make no bones about liberal, but a Christian one? Never.

[ndt]

"This will never make it my leftist paper. "

Have you called your paper and requested it?

[Dog Gone]

Interesting. I'd have to see a few more examples from it before forming an opinion as to whether it will work.

B.C. has been doing it for decades, but it's usually far more subtle.

[perfect stranger]

bump

[Grizzled Bear]

I did a search and found the cartoon's website -

http://www.heavenslovethriftshop.com/

[Cobra64]

I agree. But most cell phone users are annoying. The real dolts are the ones with the ear clip. They're subscribers to the Dork Plan.