I acquired a physical copy of a Chick Tract.

MadassAlex · 2012-05-31 08:25:36

I was hanging out with some friends last night, and they had been in the city. In what I guess was an effort to be polite, they accepted a small collection of short comic strips by none other than Jack Chick. It's one thing to read them on the internet and another to hold a physical copy, complete with the "Chick Publications" icons and a "Jesus Saves Sinner Ministry" stamp on the back. Things like this seem quasi-mythological when viewed from behind a screen, but there's a bittersweet hilarity in having one in possession; sweet because of the humour value, and bitter because physical copies found their way to Australia to be distributed by wacky fundamentalists.

These would, of course, be straight-up propaganda if the execution didn't fall entirely flat, but the horrible writing, poor characterisation and the use of strawman positions prevents them from being taken seriously by anyone but their sidewalk distributors. As it stands, I feel like I now hold a small piece of internet folklore, something that only existed to me in theory. Perhaps I'm overreacting -- they're just shitty comics, after all. All the same, I'm glad I have one. Perhaps I should begin collecting "internet folklore"?

ClockworkUniverse · 2012-05-31 09:08:24

I've had a few over the years. Living in the South does that.

DonZabu · 2012-05-31 09:34:28

Can you perhaps take some pictures?

ClockworkUniverse · 2012-05-31 09:38:28

Incidentally, the only one I specifically remember having was "Gun Slinger," which is probably his least terrible work; it reminds people that in Christianity, whether you go to heaven or hell has nothing to do with whether you're good or evil.

Though in theory it's supposed to be pro-Christianity, so that's still kinda a fail.