Speaking of Easter, cartoonist Johnny Hart has died. What does the creator of the comic strips B.C., and The Wizard of Id have to do with Easter? After hitting bottom as an alcoholic, Hart found Jesus, big time. He embraced Christianity in a way that was, shall we say, insensitive to the beliefs of others. Hart’s faith found expression in his work, and was most notably depicted in the controversial comic strip in the upper left corner. Click the thumbnail picture to enlarge. The always even-handed Mark Evanier (and I mean that sincerely) has a remembrance of Johnny Hart. [Link]
That installment of B.C. was published on Easter Sunday, 2001. Not sure if it’s ironic that Hart died on Easter eve. His wife said he had a stroke while sitting at the drawing board, but it’s been debatable for some time how much drawing Hart has done. For years, a lot of his strips were rumored to be paste-ups of old art.
But these days there are comic strips done on computer, so does it matter? I think the now-defunct “Boondocks” was done with the same stock images simply copied day after day into a template of panels.
I figured you’d post the infamous menorah-into-cross strip. The article I sent you said Hart “claimed” he was embracing both religions. I guess you could argue that it was Judaism turning into Christianity, but it sure looks like a slap at the Jews to me! Mel Gibson, anyone? Why is it that so many people who have “found Jesus” are just plain “mean, mean, mean” as one of my favorite soap opera characters used to say? They had a special on CNN the other night called “What would Jesus Really Do” with a minister who said that the anti-gay and anti-abortionist right-wingers are intolerant and they are using Jesus’s name in vain. Sure, nobody likes the idea of abortion! But the whole anti-gay issue has become so tied into “being a true Christian” it is ridiculous! Back then, men hugged and kissed each other on both cheeks (and still do in those countries). What would the religious right think of THAT?