Jack Chick

Jack Thomas Chick (April 13, 1924 - October 23, 2016) was a controversial American Evangelical Christian cartoonist who produced religious tracts. According to the Chick Publications website, hundreds of millions of copies of Chick tracts have been read worldwide. Jack Chick himself had limited interaction with the public, leading to speculation that he was a pen name for several unnamed authors and artists. He died on October 23, 2016 at the age of 92. David Daniels now heads Chick Publications as its main cartoonist and spokesperson.

Chick Tracts

His works were featured in "Chick Tracts," inexpensive comic books designed to be left in public places and to reach out to people who might be passing by. A major theme in his tracts are emotionally wrought portrayals of God's perfect love for his children alongside somewhat more violent images, like homosexuals writhing in agony while being burned alive in the streets of Sodom and Gomorrah. Chick tracts take a Fundamentalist approach to the Bible, with an emphasis on the act of becoming saved. Also, Chick tracts emphasize that becoming saved is something that can be done at any time during one's life, whether that person is a small child or a death row inmate minutes from execution. He is also a member of the King James Only movement, which believes in the superiority of the KJV over other English translations of the Bible.

All current and former Chick tracts can be read for free on the Chick Publications website. Out-of-print tracts can be ordered with a minimum printing of 10,000.

Some recurring themes include: non-Christian "wicked" characters being converted at the end of the tract (while more "moral" non-Christian characters reject Christ; at the end the "wicked" character enters Heaven due to his/her conversion, while the "moral" character enters Hell due to disbelief), Chick's belief that the Roman Catholic Church is a tool of Satan (no fewer than 20 tracts promote this view, along with a full-length book and a series of six full-length comics defending Alberto Rivera, a controversial and supposed former Catholic priest), battles over human salvation between angels and demons, arguments for evolution being presented by old, aggressive and quick to anger teachers, the use of an 'accept Christ' form at the end of tracts (followed by Chick's belief that one should study the Bible--the KJV, of course--to better know God), and suggestions of demonic influence in even comparatively minor events such as the creation of TV series such as Bewitched.

As a confessing Christian, Chick opposed the views of those who do not have a biblical worldview, including Jews, Muslims, Roman Catholics, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, people that practice witchcraft and/or read Harry Potter, homosexuals, evolutionists, Dungeons and Dragons players, and fans of all types of rock music including Christian rock, which can be seen in his tracts. In response to claim that he hates these individuals, Chick responded that this is not the case, but rather that he hates the system they belong to, which is feverishly working to win millions of souls for Satan.

Criticism

Critics have argued that Chick's tracts rely on stereotypes, faulty logic, and conspiracy theories, including suggesting that the Pope is the Antichrist and that Roman Catholicism actually started Islam, Communism, the Nazi Party and Freemasonry.

External links

• Chick Publications