Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Weird Religious Tract Number 3: Jack Chick's The Beast (48-page oversized version with Retro-Futuristic Car)

Troy Davis writes:
Chick The Beast Oversized 48 pages
Cover
As I previously mentioned, the centerpiece of the museum's huge collection of religious tracts is an extensive collection of Jack Chick tracts and Chick-related items. The museum has several copies of the 40-page oversize tract "The Beast" and one copy of the scarcer 1966 48-page version. The back cover of the 48-pager shows that it was distributed by Rusthoi Publications, a tract publisher started by Ralph Rusthoi (The museum has several tracts published by Rusthoi). UPDATE: more on the Ralph Rusthoi/Jack Chick connection here.

What the 48-pager has that the subsequent 40-pager and current 24-pager don't have is a panel with a groovy 60's retro-futuristic limo that The Antichrist tools around in (click on the image to enlarge).
Ralph rusthoi publications
Back Cover

retro-futuristic automobile
The Antichrist's Cool Ride

ADDENDUM: Some people have compared this pic of Trump with a campaign crowd to the cover of "The Beast." 
trump jack chick The beast maga crowd

NOTES ON JACK CHICK: In my introductory post, I listed just a few of the many rare and valuable objects from The Museum's extensive Chick-related collection . . . I discuss the role of Bill Bright's prolific tract The Four Spiritual Laws in leading to a format change in Chick tracts that was a key reason why they have become much more popular since the late 1960s . . . My thoughts on Jack Chick's spreading of the peace symbol/broken cross mythology . . . Chick tract parody "Constitutional Rites" . . . Chick tract parody "Donald Trump Is The Antichrist; Prepare for the Rapture!" . . .The 1972 Chick tract "The Last Generation." . . . The extremely rare 1970 Chick tract "Operation Somebody Cares" . . .The rare Chick Publications comic book "Jonah" by Chick and Fred Carter . . . The museum's prized cultural artifact, original art by Jack Chick. . . Jack Chick's cold war tract "Ivan The Terrible" . . . Article on Chick by fellow Catholic-baiting Bob Jones University magazine . . .Catholic-bashing tract by Chick's protege Alberto Rivera . . . Knock-off of a Chick tract by James Lloyd:"Left Behind" 
. . . Artifacts from the museum's collections:all of Jack Chick's high school yearbooks (which include the first published cartoon by Chick) . . . "Closet Witches" by Jack T. Chick (audio-cassette interview with Dr. Rebecca Brown and "Elaine").

 
The Museum of Weird and Demented Religious Tracts is a project of Les Zazous Postmodern Art Galley of Bellaire, Ohio. Read the Welcome Statement of The Museum here.

For more on the gallery, check out the web site here and the gallery's Twitter handle is @ZazousLes.  The Twitter handle for the museum is @WeirdTracts

The index of tracts for the museum's website is here

Contributions of weird tracts to the museum can be made by mail: send your weird tracts to Les Zazous Postmodern Art Gallery 3475 Guernsey Street, Bellaire, Ohio 43906.



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