Jimmy Akin's rendition of Jack Chick.

Jack Thomas Chick (born April 13, 1924) of Chick Publications is an American comic book artist and publisher. Chick is known for his controversial comic-style tracts, known as Chick Tracts, as well as for larger comic books for the purpose of Christian evangelism from a fundamentalist point of view. Chick is an Independent Baptist, a premillennial dispensationalist, follower of the King James Only Movement, and an opponent of Roman Catholicism. Copyright 2004 Jimmy Akin. ... Copyright 2004 Jimmy Akin. ... Jimmy Akin is a Catholic apologist for Catholic Answers who has authored several books on Catholic apologetics, evangelization, liturgy, and controversial issues. ... April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Chick Publications is an American publishing company based in Ontario, California, run by Jack Chick which produces and markets Protestant fundamentalist pamphlets, DVDs, VCDs, videos, books, a poster, and (most famously) comic tracts in many languages. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Chick Publications is a publishing company run by Jack Chick which produces and markets religious pamphlets, DVDs, videos, books, posters and (most famously) tracts in many languages. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In comparative religion, fundamentalism has come to refer to several different understandings of religious thought and practice, through literal interpretation of religious texts such as the Bible or the Quran and sometimes also anti-modernist movements in various religions. ... It has been suggested that Independent Fundamental Baptist be merged into this article or section. ... This article specifically relates to Premillennialism in Christian eschatology; for political millenarianism and other uses of the word see Millenarianism Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the belief that Christ will literally reign on the earth for 1,000 years at his second coming. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The King-James-Only Movement is a movement within the Protestant fundamentalist Christianity of the English-speaking countries which rejects all modern translations of the Bible, and accepts only the King James Version (KJV). ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

History

Chick was born the first of two children of commercial artist Thomas Chick (1903–1973) and his wife Pauline (1903–1991), in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, California.^{[1] [2] [3]} He experienced health problems as a child. The family later moved to Alhambra where Chick was active in the high school drama club. After his graduation he continued his education in this area at the Pasadena Playhouse School of Theater on a two-year scholarship. Boyle Heights is a district just east of Downtown Los Angeles on the East Side of Los Angeles, California, USA. The neighborhood was once known for its diverse demographics, including large Jewish and Japanese populations, as well as Russian and Yugoslav populations. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type mayor-council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D)  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  465. ... Location of Alhambra within Los Angeles County, California. ... Main article: Secondary education High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory education. ... The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic theatre located in Pasadena, California. ... Scholarship is the pursuit of academic research, whether in the arts and humanities or sciences, and in all such fields means deep mastery of a subject, often through study at institutions of higher education. ...

During World War II and his first year at the Playhouse, eighteen-year-old Chick enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army on February 1, 1943, and served in the Pacific theater.^[4] Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) is the term used in the United States for all military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, in World War II. Pacific War is a more common name, around the world, for the broader conflict between the Allies and Japan...

After the war he returned to the Pasadena Playhouse and met his wife while working on a production there.

His wife, the former Lola Lynn Priddle, a Canadian immigrant,^[5] came from a family that held highly fundamental Christian beliefs, and Chick's current religious beliefs can probably be traced to their influence. It was Lola's mother who converted Chick to Fundamentalist Christianity. Chick also counts Rev. Charles E. Fuller as a major influence. In the 1950s, previous to Chick's publication of comic tracts, the producers of the Christian radio drama series Unshackled! put out comic book versions of some episodes. Chick is said to have drawn much influence from these. Chick said in an interview that he got the idea to draw cartoon tracts from the Communist Party of China, which handed out cartoon tracts explaining its philosophy to peasants. Fundamentalist Christianity is a fundamentalist movement, especially within American Protestantism. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ... Look up belief in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Religious conversion is the adoption of new religious beliefs that differ from the converts previous beliefs; in some cultures (e. ... Dr. Charles Edward Fuller (April 25, 1887 - March 18, 1968) was an American Christian clergyman and a radio evangelist. ... Christian radio is a radio format that focuses on transmitting programming with a Christian message. ... Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. ... Unshackled! is a radio drama series produced by Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, Illinois that first aired in 1950, the longest-running radio drama, and one of very few still in production, in the United States. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China, a position guaranteed by the countrys constitution. ...

After marrying, he began working at the AstroScience Corporation in El Monte, California, and began an evangelistic hobby, self-publishing his first tract, "Why No Revival?". Chick founded his own company (originally based in his kitchen) soon afterward. Location of El Monte in the County of Los Angeles Country United States State California County Los Angeles County, California Government  - Mayor Ernest Gutierrez Area    - City 0 sq mi (0. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Publications

A frame from the Chick tract "Doom Town"

Main article: Chick Publications

Chick published 24 comics between 1970 and 1989. The first 17 form the Crusader Comics, starring two fundamentalist, born again Christians. The duo travel the world rescuing stray Christians, fighting Satanists, and winning converts. The final six Crusader comics focus on Alberto Rivera and present his claims about the Catholic Church in comic-book format. Typical frame from a Jack Chick tract. ... Typical frame from a Jack Chick tract. ... Chick Publications is an American publishing company based in Ontario, California, run by Jack Chick which produces and markets Protestant fundamentalist pamphlets, DVDs, VCDs, videos, books, a poster, and (most famously) comic tracts in many languages. ... Jack Chicks rendition of Alberto Alberto Magno Romero Rivera (1935 - 1997) was a Jesuit priest who later defected from the Catholic Church and reported in numerous interviews and publications that the Catholic Church was Babylon the Whore from Revelations and that the Pope was the man name calculated to...

At the same time Chick produced small cartoon pamphlets, often known as Chick tracts, designed to be easy to distribute and understand.

Chick created the Bible series, featuring a fundamentalist Christian, Robert "Bob" Williams.^[6] The character would attempt, though not always successfully, to lead people down what he perceived to be the right path. The Bible Series covers many of Chick's core beliefs on topics such as evolution, witchcraft, and the Catholic Church.

Chick's tracts follow an established pattern whereby an individual, either a non-Christian or a lapsed Christian, comes into contact with an evangelical who attempts to convert him. Chick does not bias the endings with only a repentant sinner going to heaven – unrepentant sinners going to hell are featured regularly (when two sinners are featured, it is not uncommon to have both featured). Chick frequently cites Bible verses to support his tracts and often quotes them directly (always using the King James Version). Every tract ends with a message about salvation and prayer, as well as recommendation as to what the new convert should do next.

Several earlier comics were re-edited in the 1970s to reflect Chick's increasingly negative views towards Catholicism. In one example, in The Beast, a portrayal of the Antichrist as a man wearing a business suit was changed to a representation of the Pope. For the Gorgoroth album, see Antichrist (album) Antichrist is translated from the Greek αντίχριστος antíkhristos, which literally means opposite of Christ. A broader meaning is in place of Christ. Therefore, antichrist means opposed to Christ by being in the place of Christ. ... A suit, also known as a business suit, comprises a collection of matching clothing consisting of: a coat (commonly known as a jacket) a waistcoat (optional) (USA vest) a pair of trousers (USA pants) Though not part of a suit, a shirt and tie very frequently accompany it. ... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ...

Chick's cartoons depict conspiracy theories featuring Satan, the Catholic Church, Communists, Muslims, rock musicians, scientists, and politicians, as well as other groups and subjects behind popular entertainment, (role playing) gaming, and other perceived ills of modern culture. Chick believes many of the world's problems are caused by the Catholic Church. In the tract Holocaust, he claims that the Holocaust was part of a plot by the Roman Catholic Church, and that the Nazi party was run by the Vatican.^[7] Chick believes that Satanism is not only real but an active force trying to corrupt children as it helps bring in the New World Order.^[8] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Some of his tracts have been regarded by Jewish groups^{[citation needed]} as anti-Semitic, especially Where's Rabbi Waxman?.^[9] He has also published other tracts, especially Support Your Local Jew and "Love the Jewish People" that have been regarded as pro-Jewish;^[10] however, he falsely claims that both Lenin and Stalin were "of Jewish extraction" and that the House of Rothschild controls the Illuminati.^[11] In some tracts where Chick denounces anti-Semitism, he claims that the blame for historic persecution of Jews rests on the Catholic Church.^[12] Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... Rothschild Coat of Arms The Mayer Amschel Rothschild family is a successful banking and finance dynasty of German Jewish origin that established operations across Europe, and was ennobled by the Austro-Hungarian and British governments. ... A claimed Illuminati symbol (unfinished pyramid with all-seeing eye capstone) from the back of the United States one dollar bill. ...

Personal

Chick lives a reclusive life; he has given only one interview since 1975 (to documentary filmmaker Scoobie Davis in 2004).^[13] His reclusiveness created speculation for a time that he never even existed except as a nom-de-plume for an unnamed author or authors. Several audio cassettes of his preaching distributed to his subscribers purport to contain his voice. He and his wife Lola had one child, a daughter.^[14] Lola died in 1998; he has since remarried. Scoobie Davis is the pen name of a self-described media hacker whose political weblog Scoobie Davis Online is consistently ranked as one of the internets most influential blogs[1]. Davis (who does not publicly disclose his real first name) earned the nickname “Scoobie” from friends because, like the... A pen name or nom de plume is a pseudonym adopted by an author. ...

In the 1970s, Chick also hired much-lauded artist Fred Carter to help him with his work, and Carter has drawn many of Chick's tracts. Carter originally worked anonymously for Chick, creating much speculation among Chick's fans as to the identity of his "good artist." Chick revealed Carter's involvement in a 1980 issue of his newsletter Battle Cry. He collaborated again with Carter on the recently-finished film, The Light of the World, presenting the Bible in oil paintings by Carter. Look up artist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fred Carter is an artist best known for his work for Jack Chicks tracts since 1972. ... Look up anonymous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. ... DVD cover The Light of the World is a 2003 film by Jack T. Chick depicting events from the Bible through 360 oil paintings by Fred Carter. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... Mona Lisa, Oil on wood panel painting by Leonardo da Vinci. ...

Jack Chick currently publishes his own newspaper called Battle Cry. Little is known about Chick and there is no present portrait of him available, although Jimmy Akin's Blog has a drawing of him and a high school photograph.^[15] He has currently started the Children's Series of the tracts, which stars a girl named Li'l Susy and also features her battling against a teacher named Ms. Henn, who represents schools as a corrupting force against God. Lessons in these tracts have included Chick's view that evolution is false and that homosexual acts and celebrating Halloween are immoral. (In contrast to the ideas promulgated by the anti-homosexual Westboro Baptist Church, Chick's tracts on the subject teach that homosexuals are able to repent and renounce their lifestyle, should they so choose.) They are presented in a more simplified format with the intent of being read to children. For more publications see Chick Publications. Ms or Ms. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... Halloween or Halloween is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other gifts. ... WBC member Jael Phelps (right) and an unidentified WBC child protesting in Tulsa, Oklahoma Westboro Baptist Church is a U.S. religious organization headed by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka, Kansas. ... Chick Publications is an American publishing company based in Ontario, California, run by Jack Chick which produces and markets Protestant fundamentalist pamphlets, DVDs, VCDs, videos, books, a poster, and (most famously) comic tracts in many languages. ...

Recently^{[citation needed]}, at the screening of Jack Chick's new film, Light of the World (which premiered in Ontario, California) Catholic Answers aplogist Jimmy Akin met Jack Chick, and exchanged a brief dialogue with him.^[16] It was from this meeting that Akin produced his sketch (seen above). Akin reported that Jack Chick seemed polite and charming, though Chick did refer to himself as being "in the war" with Akin. He casually mentioned that the Vatican had copies of "all my stuff," and that the Pope personally viewed his work. Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California. ... Catholic Answers, based in El Cajon, California, is one of the largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization in the United States. ... Jimmy Akin is a Catholic apologist for Catholic Answers who has authored several books on Catholic apologetics, evangelization, liturgy, and controversial issues. ...

One author, Gary Dale Cearley, published a book entitled Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness: The Truth About the Vatican and the Birth of Islam refuting Jack Chick's comic book about the testimony of Alberto Rivera. Rivera claimed in Chick Publications comic book tract "The Prophet" that the Roman Catholic Church had a hand in "creating Islam" in order to get rid of rival Christian groups. Cearley's book refutes Rivera's story point by point, giving historical references for each argument. Jack Chicks rendition of Alberto Alberto Magno Romero Rivera (1935 - 1997) was a Jesuit priest who later defected from the Catholic Church and reported in numerous interviews and publications that the Catholic Church was Babylon the Whore from Revelations and that the Pope was the man name calculated to...

In the 1980's, Chick published two books by Rebecca Brown, M.D. (born Ruth Irene Bailey). These books were her reputed testimony of her activities in an international Satanist network. Much of her testimony became the inspiration for Chick's tract The Poor Little Witch. ^[17] After Brown was exposed to have had her medical license revoked in Indiana after she had "knowingly and intentionally misdiagnosed her patients", blamed their illnesses on "demons, devils, and evil spirits" and over-medicated her patients [1] [2] [3], Chick and Brown severed ties. Chick took her books out of print (but continues to publish The Poor Little Witch), and Brown later married Daniel Yoder and started their own ministry that publishes their own books [4] [5]. Rebecca Brown M.D. is a controversial Christian doctor linked to Jack Chick. ...

In the September/October 2005 Issue of Battle Cry, Chick states that within the previous two years he had a flu which turned into pneumonia. His blood sugar dropped to 20 mg/dl (Chick is apparently diabetic); his wife called 9-1-1, and while help was en route Chick had a heart attack. A day or so later he had a triple bypass.^[18] This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ...

See Chick Publications for information about Jack Chick and his views, and Chick Publications tracts for examples of some of his better known work. Three books have been published about Chick Tracts. They are The World Of Chick? by Robert B. Fowler (ISBN 0-86719-512-6), The Imp #2 by Dan Raeburn, and The Unofficial Guide to The Art of Jack T. Chick: Chick Tracts, Crusader Comics, and Battle Cry Newspapers by Kurt Kuersteiner (ISBN 0-7643-1892-6, which includes a candid meeting with the reclusive Mr. Chick). Chick Publications is an American publishing company based in Ontario, California, run by Jack Chick which produces and markets Protestant fundamentalist pamphlets, DVDs, VCDs, videos, books, a poster, and (most famously) comic tracts in many languages. ... This article describes some of Chick Publications tracts and other publications, written by Jack Chick. ...

An alleged recent (Summer 2006) photograph of Jack T. Chick can be found at Jimmy Akin's weblog. Chick is to the left, and Pastor Bob Nogalski, supposedly the inspiration for Chick's tract Bad Bob, is on the right.

Cultural References

David Cross' comedy DVD, David Cross: Let America Laugh, has the titles of each segment ("Is There Another Christ?", "Gomez Is Coming", "This Was Your Life", etc.) taken from the titles of Chick's tracts. (Mr. Cross is a self-professed atheist.) David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an Emmy-winning American actor, writer and comedian. ... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ...

References

External links

Official website

• Chick Publications website

Pro-Chick websites

• ChickComics.com - A largest on-line archive of information on the tracts, the comics, and the illustrated books by Jack Chick. Opinions from all corners are included, but most information is contributed by fans of the comic artist.
• Jack Chick - A testimonial describing one person's salvation by Jack Chick's cartoon tracts
• World Christian Tract Ministry a ministry that supports distribution of Jack Chick's tracts
• Born Again Christian Info - Positive summaries of the cartoon tracts

Anti-Chick websites

• Catholic Response to Jack Chick
• Gary Dale Cearley, an author who wrote a book discrediting Chick's Vatican Islam Conspiracy
• Trick Tracts: The Truth Behind Those Little Comics
• Pocky Box - Chick Tract Trashing -- A Look into the Infamous Chick Tract
• Another expose on Jack Chick and anti-Catholic sayings in his tracts.
• The Jack T. Chick Parody Archive
• Chick Parody Wing
• Rotten.com article on Chick
• Pagan Protection Center: Kerr Cuhulain on Jack Chick
• EnterTheJabberwock's humorous dissection of Jack Chick's tracts.
• Comiconsipiracy by Andrew Hultkrans
• PvP's Scott Kurtz responding to Jack Chick
• The Jack Chick Universe -- Serious discussion with lighthearted reviews.
• The Satanic Cosmology of Jack Chick
• Catholic Defense Directory -- Links to sites critical of Jack T. Chick

An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy one of the guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia on one of the following topics: If you are familiar with the subject matter, please expand the article to establish its notability, citing reliable sources. ... Charles Ennis, aka Kerr Cuhulain Kerr Cuhulain is known to the mundane world as Detective Constable Charles Ennis. ...

Others

• The Art of Jack. T. Chick. A detailed book written by Kurt Kuersteiner about Chick, his tracts, his controversial newspaper, and his full color comics. Includes the history of Chick and a rare interview with the reclusive artist.
• The Light of the World at the Internet Movie Database - A movie written by Chick
• Chick Publications
• Los Angeles Magazine article by Robert Ito
• Images and Drawings of Jack Chick
• "Hot Chicks": a collection of 9 filmed tracts