20/05/2020
Art from the Chick Publications Jumbo Comic Pack
Sin, Hell and Heaven.
Jack T Chick (1924 –2016) American cartoonist and publisher of religious tracts (Chick Tracts), also published a series of full colour “The Crusaders” comics featuring professionally rendered evangelical parables designed to promote often bizarre conspiracy theories about the corrupt origins, purposes and practices of non- protestant fundamentalist religions; also to warn of the dangers and temptations of the modern world, including satanism, communism, fascism, drugs, s*x, liberalism, secular education, and more; and to scare readers who have not been personally saved by Jesus into action to avoid the fires of hell.
The usual pictorial approach is blunt and sometimes brutal. One particularly visceral depiction of cruelty is repeatedly reserved for the passion of Jesus Christ (not a picnic according to The Crusaders).
Visualisations of heaven and grace are rare and usually anodyne, compared to the graphic imaginings of the worst of the human world, and of hell and its denizens.
The Crusaders comics vilify hippies, bikers, Catholics, Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, Buddhists, Freemasons, cults, evolution, N***s, Druids, the K*K, witches, the occult, liberal education, rock music, the media, just about every American president up to and including Obama and, especially, Jesuits!
This compendium of images is a personal selection from the 28 Chick Publications full colour comics dated between 1974 and 2016 (only five are dated after 1988). The only artist credited is Fred Carter, although later editions vary in style and are uncredited.
The imagery is by turns clichéd, potent, funny, scary, outrageous, inspired, thought-provoking and enraging.
Sometimes it’s brilliant.