Chick Publications

Chick Publications

Company type	Private
Industry	Publishing
Founded	1960s
Founder	Jack Chick
Headquarters	Rancho Cucamonga, California , United States
Products	Chick tracts, comic books, printed works, posters
Website	www.chick.com

Chick tracts are brief evangelical gospel pamphlets presented in a comic book style, originally created by American artist Jack Chick during the 1960s. The publisher he established, Chick Publications, continues to distribute these tracts along with similar materials authored by others. These publications are recognized for their provocative perspectives, notably their pronounced anti-Catholic stance and criticism of various other religions.

Chick Publications

Chick Publications is responsible for producing and distributing Chick tracts as well as related comic books, printed works, and posters. The company operates out of Rancho Cucamonga, California, with its mailing address located in Ontario, California. It has released more than 250 different titles, with approximately 100 still actively printed and accessible in over 100 languages worldwide.

Format and design

Typically, Chick tracts are about twenty pages long and have dimensions close to . Their presentation mimics that of comic books, featuring the title on the front cover and a standardized sinner's prayer on the inside back page. The rear cover offers space for churches to imprint their contact details; customized back covers can be ordered when purchasing at least 10,000 copies.

Douglas Bevan Dowd and Todd Hignite observe that Chick’s layout bears resemblance to Tijuana bibles, aiming at a comparable readership. According to Print magazine, the graphic design of these tracts is both "disturbing and compelling," owing to their intentionally straightforward artistic approach.

Themes

Each Chick tract ends with a prayer inviting readers to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, frequently including options to check "yes" or "no." Tracts that discuss "false religions" incorporate additional statements for rejecting those beliefs and provide guidance on converting to Christianity; these instructions are reiterated on the inside back page.

Media such as television, movies, and rock music—including Christian rock—are portrayed as instruments within a satanic plot promoting homosexuality, evolution, and related topics.

Some tracts focus on societal concerns like child abuse and domestic abuse. Early titles include Somebody Loves Me, which depicts abuse by an intoxicated guardian. Others such as The Outcast and The Secret highlight domestic violence issues. More recent works like God's Little Angel address family separation resulting from abuse.

A significant number of tracts emphasize apocalyptic themes, particularly reflecting the Futurist biblical interpretation. Prominent examples include Almost Time, The Beast, Global Warming, The Great Escape, and The Last Generation. These narratives portray events such as Christianity being banned, educators promoting witchcraft in schools, and conspiracies involving the Catholic Church orchestrating a one-world government controlled by the final pope who is possessed by Satan. For instance, The Great Escape identifies biblical Magog with contemporary Russia and Gog with its political leader.

These publications echo conspiracy theories akin to those associated with the John Birch Society worldview, depicting malevolent communist schemes undermining American ideals. They represent a unique blend of evangelical doctrine intertwined with conspiracy theory within their market segment.

Controversies

Chick Publications has been classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center due to its tracts containing anti-Catholic, anti-Muslim, and homophobic messages. Similarly, the Hindu American Foundation has condemned Chick Publications for spreading animosity toward Hindus, Muslims, Catholics, and other communities.

Churches that distribute Chick tracts have encountered public criticism. For example, in 2011, Northview Baptist Church in Hillsboro, Ohio handed out the tract Mean Momma on Halloween, which includes graphic depictions such as child fatalities and suicide. The church issued an apology, clarifying that it does not support such extreme content and emphasized its dedication to sharing the Gospel with compassion.

In July 2020, Avon and Somerset Police in Bristol, England, launched an investigation into the dissemination of Chick Publications materials amid concerns over homophobic and anti-Semitic content potentially constituting hate speech. Several tracts have subsequently been prohibited from republication; by 2024, at least 24 titles were removed from the Chick Tract website. Among these is Wounded Children (1983), which illustrates Satan corrupting a boy’s innocence through exposure to pornography and homosexuality.

Anti-Catholicism

Chick tracts often target Catholicism, with over twenty titles addressing this theme. Examples include Are Roman Catholics Christians? (which argues they are not), The Death Cookie (criticizing the Catholic Eucharist), and Why Is Mary Crying? (questioning Catholic veneration of Mary). The tract Mary's Kids portrays disputes over Catholic doctrines intertwined with allegations of sexual abuse by priests.

Many tracts incorporate narratives from anti-Catholic conspiracy theorist Alberto Rivera, who claimed that the Catholic Church was behind the creation of Islam, Communism, Nazism, and Freemasonry. For instance, Love the Jewish People alleges that "Catholic Germany, serving under the Vatican," orchestrated the Holocaust. Religious historian Philip Jenkins characterizes Chick’s publications as perpetuating "bizarre allegations of Catholic conspiracy and sexual hypocrisy" to maintain anti-Catholic myths. Additionally, sociology professor Michael Ian Borer has examined these anti-Catholic themes in academic lectures and writings.

The American Catholic apologetics organization Catholic Answers released a critique titled The Nightmare World of Jack T. Chick, addressing his anti-Catholic rhetoric. Chick himself believed that "right theology and a knowledge of evil's true nature" were essential defenses against what he described as a "satanic onslaught" orchestrated by a godless Catholic media.

Anti-Islam

Islam is frequently addressed in Chick tracts, with more than ten publications focusing on it. The most prominent is Allah Had No Son, first issued in 1994, which depicts a Muslim converting to Christianity after being informed that Allah is a pagan moon god. Another tract, Camels in the Tent, warns that Muslim immigration might result in Sharia law being imposed in the United States along with forced conversions. Chick Publications represents Islam as a false faith created by the Roman Catholic Church under Satan’s influence.

These portrayals have sparked considerable controversy. In 2008, a couple in Singapore faced sedition charges for distributing Chick tracts The Little Bride and Who Is Allah?, accused of inciting hostility between Christians and Muslims. As a result, Singapore has blocked access to Chick Publications’ website.

In 2014, Bible Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia distributed the Chick tract Unforgiven, which angered local Muslim residents. Although the church did not produce the tract, its distribution brought attention to ongoing tensions surrounding Chick Publications’ content directed at Islam.

Opposition to Homosexuality

Chick tracts take a clear stance against homosexuality, focusing on two main points: that God deems homosexuality sinful, and that its true character is unveiled through the Christian reading of Sodom and Gomorrah as found in the Book of Genesis.

The earliest tract addressing this subject, The Gay Blade (1972), claimed the presence of a gay agenda and called for repentance. Updated in 1984, it is now only available by special request. Cynthia Burack observes that it adapted visuals from a 1971 Life photo series about the gay liberation movement, modifying images to portray gay men in a more negative light.

Later tracts depict gay rights advocates as hostile and violent. For example, Doom Town accuses HIV-positive gay men of attempting illegal blood donations to highlight deficiencies in HIV/AIDS research funding. In Sin City, activists assault a pastor protesting a gay pride parade, resulting in his hospitalization. Other tracts such as Home Alone promote conspiracy theories about gay recruitment efforts and assert greater promiscuity among gay and lesbian populations.

These assertions have sparked opposition from LGBTQ+ activists. In 1974, the Gay People's Liberation Alliance and Women's Coalition protested the distribution of Chick tracts at Iowa State University, contending that they distorted the realities of gay and bisexual individuals.

Opposition to Evolution

Chick produced multiple anti-evolution tracts, with Big Daddy?—which also questions the existence of the strong nuclear force—being described as "the most widely circulated anti-evolution booklet ever." Critics highlight that Big Daddy? heavily depends on Kent Hovind, a Young Earth creationist lacking formal scientific qualifications.

Perspectives on Satanism and Satanic Influence

Among Chick’s tracts addressing astrology, witchcraft, and Satanism is Gladys. Another tract, The Poor Little Witch, portrays acts such as child sacrifice and ritualistic blood consumption by Satanists. According to Catholic Answers, Chick’s narratives present a world steeped in paranoia and conspiracy theories, where numerous events are interpreted as Satanic schemes designed to mislead people.

Film Adaptations

• The 2014 film Dark Dungeons, adapted from a Chick tract linking Dungeons & Dragons with Satanism, was produced by JR Ralls, who secured the rights at no cost after reaching out to Chick.

Print Parodies

Various cartoonists have created satirical works emulating the style of Chick tracts, including Daniel Clowes' Devil Doll?, Adam Thrasher's Antlers of the Damned, Jim Woodring and David Lasky's Jesus Delivers!, and Justin Achilli from White Wolf Game Studios' Demonic Deviltry. Daniel K. Raeburn’s zine The Imp contains both an essay and a concordance on Chick’s oeuvre, formatted similarly to a Chick tract. Trick Publications issued two parodies: Chemical Salvation? (2006) and ADAM & EVIL?! (2007), exploring the histories of LSD and MDMA respectively. Hal Robins’ parody titled The Collector was featured in Kurt Kuersteiner’s 2004 book The Art of Jack T. Chick. Additionally, the initial release of the Rick and Morty Season 1 Blu-ray included The Good Morty, a parody comic crafted by co-creator Justin Roiland and Ryan Ridley with illustrations by Erica Hayes; this comic appeared within the episode "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind".

See also

• Anti-Catholicism in literature and media

External links

• Official website of Chick Publications
• God's Cartoonist - The Comic Crusade of Jack T. Chick – Documentary exploring Chick’s life and his comic works.
• Freemason perspective critical of Chick
• The Jack Chick Museum of Fine Art
• Archived article "The Nightmare World of Jack T. Chick" from Catholic Answers