April 2009 Archives

We received a letter from a woman whose father happened to share initials with his favorite comic strip! B.C. was such a huge fan of B.C., that when he passed away in 2000, his family carved it on his headstone.

Here's Melanie's letter:

My Dad, B.C. Smith, nicknamed "Boots" as a teen, lived in Garrett, Indiana his entire life. He was a natural joke and story-teller, fooling his own children many times with the same stories year after year. In the 1960's, Dad began reading B.C. and loved it's style of humor. After that he became B.C. to many people. He enjoyed the strips and often quoted them. He loved the one, "When I was young we were so poor, the only thing we exchanged for Christmas was glances."
Dad had most of the little paperback books of daily strips and reread them many times. He was an engineer on the B&O railroad and when he was called for a run he would leave notes for Mom signed with an ant hill and two ants ala "Jake and Maude" from the strip.

When my father turned 80 in 1994, in response to my brother's letter of request, Johnny Hart sent Dad an original strip signed "God bless you 80 times". My father was very impressed and LOVED the gift! When Dad died in 2000, it seemed only natural to put the signature style B.C. on his grave stone.
Although he's been gone for 9 years, there is still a B.C. strip hanging above Dad's workbench. Something about a "door-to-door salesman selling back-to-back tape for wall-to-wall carpet in Walla Walla".
Here is a picture of Dad's headstone.
Thank you,
Melanie

Melanie, Thank YOU for sharing this wonderful story!
We are honored to have the B.C. initials carved on such a very special stone!
Sincerely,
Patti

When readers don't understand... we receive letters!
Such was the case on April 22, about the following BC strip.



I had a question about the BC strip for 4-22. I normally enjoy the strip a lot and find it very amusing. But the strip for that day with the shark confused me. I was wondering if someone could explain the green backhoe. Thank you.
Tara
Tallahassee, Florida

I really enjoy BC and the humor it brings. For some reason, I cannot "get" April 22nd's strip. The sharks and the suntan. Could you please explain? Earth Day, backhoe, dark, white????
Thank you. Thank you.
George
Newark, Ohio

Your B.C. strip for 4/22/09, we don't get. Can you explain?
John
Dallas, Oregon

It's actually a killer whale (an orca) and the joke is that someone keeps pushing him back into the ocean when he just wants to get a tan! The strip was a subtle attempt (perhaps too subtle??) to give a nod to Greenpeace on Earth Day.
Thank you, Tara, George and John, for writing.
Patti
PS- Check out our "Earth Day" merchandise at Cafepress. BC goes Green

"I Did it HIS Way" is in book stores now! Get your copy TODAY from Amazon!

Here are some letters we received about the April 12, 2009 B.C. Easter Sunday.
Thank you all for writing!

Your Easter B.C. strip is a classic.
Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us.
HAPPY EASTER.
Sol and Myrna
Pawleys Island, South Carolina

I've enjoyed your comic strips for years.
Today however, I was especially appreciative for the content of B.C.
Thanks.
Steve
Wooster, Ohio

You did good today with the Easter comic.
Your granddad would be really proud.
God bless all of you.
Bill
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Thank you for the thought of Easter and what it is really about.
Frank
Havelock, North Carolina

This morning my 83 year old mother called and asked me if I would send you this message. She has enjoyed your comic strip throughout the years and again enjoyed today's Easter message. She has last year's Easter Sunday poem (March 23, 2008) and the Rosa Parks poem (Jan. 18, 2009). She is planning on adding today's strip to her collection of favorites. She said for you to keep up with your philosophy and messages through humor.
Thank you.
Annette
West Salem, Wisconsin

I read the B.C. strip in the Easter newspaper and it was the only Christian comic in there. It was phenomenal! I was very happy to see that some people still hold onto the true meaning of Easter.
All of the other comic strips either didn't mention Easter at all or talked about the Easter bunny or chocolate eggs.
I am so happy that B.C. still stays Christian.
Thank you and please continue to be the shining light in the dark.
Christina
Katy, Texas

This morning (4.12.09), I read B.C. and found you had captured the EASTER story in one short cartoon.
Yours is a remarkable and God given talent...
Thank you for what you do.
Bill
Dunwoody, Georgia

Many thanks to all of you for your family efforts that continue the legacy of the bravest theologically-correct comic strip in the world! Your exacting depictions of the Easter message will be looked upon favorably by the One who walked on water and guarantees "everlasting" benefits. I attribute your continued success before and after the passing of your beloved founder, to your faithfulness to that expression. Your illustrations are used in my church on these occasions to show how humor can be seen in relation to the resurrection truth.
How you are loved, how you are prayed for.
Thank you for being consistent and immovable in your work.
Jerry
Pittsburg, Kansas

I am THRILLED that you included the Gospel message in your comic today, April 12, 2009! Thankfully you KNOW what Easter is about. Thank you so much for listening to the Father and spreading the Gospel.
May God bless you richly and may someone find Christ because of you.
Happy Easter!
Angel
Lincoln, Nebraska

Thank you for your Easter strip. Excellent message.
I think it was the best I have ever seen.
Thank you.
Larry
Essexville, Michigan

Hallelujah! A great Easter treat today. I believe Johnny Hart is up There smiling.
Thanks for today's cartoon.
Elizabeth
San Antonio, Texas

Kudos for your Easter Sunday strip. Subtle yet powerful. Keep 'em coming.
Buck
Prescott, Arizona

Thanks for sharing the message and hope we have in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Sunday's comic, April 12, was awesome!
Alan
Houston, Texas


In the April 12th cartoon, the message of Easter is right on - what's the alternative? Thanks for your continued inspiration and upholding Christian values.
Michael
Mesa, Arizona

Just want to thank you for being one of the two cartoons that focused on the real meaning of Easter today.
Sally
Henderson, Kentucky

Thank you so much for your Easter strip and for remembering the reason for Easter.
Gary and Deborah

Thank you for the Easter strip. I read you every day in the Sun Herald. I have saved one of Wiley's poems that had a great impact on me:
"I told him he could and he should if he would...
and he could have and should have and knew it!
So it ain't like he thought he couldn't or shouldn't,
it's more like he just wouldn't do it!"
I put this in the context of God speaking to me, and it motivates me to get busy for Him!
God bless you...
Gail
Gulfport, Mississippi

At 7:18 this morning, I received the first email reaction to Mason's Easter Sunday B.C. strip. Ready and armed with my laptop, I was prepared for the many more to come. Rubbing my hands together, I said to my husband, "The first one. Here we go!", then suddenly realized... "But ... it's only SATURDAY ... What the heck is going on ... ?" The reader had signed the letter with a military APO address so I couldn't tell where the email had originated. I immediately wrote her back to find out.
Here's our correspondence:

Thank you for your Easter cartoon.
I've been missing your Christian messages and really appreciated this one.
Happy Easter! Cheryl

Dear Cheryl, You're welcome! Where are you located that you are 17 hours ahead of us here in the Eastern Time Zone? It's not even noon yet on Saturday! Patti

We are in Okinawa, Japan. Easter morning is here now and we are headed to sunrise service. They deliver our Sunday paper on Saturday night. Cheryl

Isn't that cool? This whole "world wide web" thing is awesome! It certainly brings new truth to the old expression, "Small world" ...
Thanks, Cheryl, for giving me some fun fodder for the John Hart Studios blog!
Happy Spring.
Patti

We are proud to share this batch of mail we received commenting on the Wizard 3/29/09 Sunday. Thank you!

The Sunday 29 March Wizard of ID cartoon was just PERFECT!
Send it to everyone in Congress.
Roger
The Villages, Florida

March 29th's Wizard of ID hit the nail on the head! Thanks for the laugh in speaking the truth.
Tracy
Cleveland, Ohio

[Today's Wizard] comparing the attitude toward industry bailouts and the attitude toward helping the small business owner (and other little people) nails it. Timely, honest, and much appreciated.
Thanks.
Duane
Anchorage, Alaska

I don't send a lot of e-mails about the Sunday paper but I have to comment on this [comic strip] in todays paper. The Wizard of Id was exactly up to date on the government bailout for company's that got into financial difficulty on their own.
Keep up the good work.
Ovid
Carrollton, Georgia

Loved Sunday's 3/29/09 Wizard comic. It hits the nail on the head!
Dennis
DePere, Wisconsin

THANK YOU for the March 29th Wizard of Id. I couldn't say it any better myself.
John
Prescott Valley, Arizona