Jack Chick
A fundamentalist cartoonist whose tiny, fiery comic tracts spread a stark vision of salvation and sin to millions.
1924–2016 (age 92)·American cartoonist·Birthday: April 13·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Jack Chick operated from the shadows, but his impact on American evangelical culture was outsized. A former sign painter, he found his calling in the 1960s, creating pocket-sized comic books known as Chick tracts. These stark, black-and-white cartoons presented a world of clear moral binaries, where Catholics, rock musicians, and Dungeons & Dragons players often stood on the road to hell. Working in near-total secrecy for decades, he built a publishing empire from his home in Southern California, distributing billions of tracts worldwide in dozens of languages. His style was blunt, his theology uncompromising, and his narratives often controversial, accusing other faiths of conspiracy. Whether viewed as effective evangelism or paranoid propaganda, Chick's unique art form made him one of the most widely distributed cartoonists in history.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Jack was born in 1924, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jack Was Born
The biggest hits of 1924
#1 Movie
The Sea Hawk
Jack's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1924Born
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1929Started school
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1937Became a teenager
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Could drive
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1942Could vote
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Turned 21
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1954Turned 30
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 40
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 50
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 60
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 70
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 80
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2016Died at 92
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Created and published Chick tracts, an estimated 900 million of which were distributed worldwide.
- Built a self-contained publishing and distribution company that operated for over 50 years.
- His work was translated into over 100 languages, reaching a global audience.
Did You Know?
He maintained such intense secrecy that no confirmed photograph of him was published until after his death.
The famous 'This Was Your Life' tract, featuring a man hit by a car and judged by God, is one of the best-known.
He believed the Catholic Church was a sinister conspiracy and produced many tracts attacking it.
“These little tracts are my way of warning people about the road to hell.”
