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You've probably seen them before. The little comic book tracts ... they measure 2-7/8"x5" and have 24 unnumbered pages. They are the brainchild of Jack T. Chick, World War II veteran and founder of Chick Publications. He's the most widely-published author in the world. His current (February 2011) catalog lists 105 English-language tract titles. Another 131 titles have been permanently retired over the years, or are available only by special order in quantities of 10,000 or more. And that list doesn't include his full-size comics. About ONE BILLION copies of his works have been printed in over 100 languages. You can order Chick tracts directly from his website. He'll sell you any quantity you want. If you want only one, it's sixteen cents plus postage. Or you can order an assortment — all of the English-language tracts that are currently in print — for $15.95 plus postage. In his tracts, he comes down hard on homosexuality, witchcraft (the occult), Communism, the Catholic church, abortion, Mormons, Islam, Freemasonry, the theory of evolution, pedophilia, pride, Jesuits, lukewarm Christians, and liberal preachers. Some of the "permanently retired" tracts are quite rare, and sell for hundreds of dollars. I myself am a collector; I have most of the 237 known English-language titles. One very rare Chick tract recently sold at auction for $500.00. If you have the Negro version of "A Demon's Nightmare," I'll give you $500.00 for it. Some tracts have been re-issued with new titles. For example, "Support Your Local Jew" became "Love the Jewish People." Some of the tracts listed at the bottom of this page are nothing more than promotional tracts — their "message" is that you should buy Chick tracts! Some tracts are stories from the Bible. Some recurring themes/motifs are:
And there's a bent-eared dog named "Fang" who appears, in one form or another, in 25% of the tracts. "Fang" was in the very first Chick tract ever printed. Any character in a Chick tract who smokes is a bad guy. The Christian character NEVER smokes. And any woman who wears pants is a bad person. Chick has been at it since 1961. His very first tract was "Why No Revival?" in a large, booklet size (about 5"x7"). It was followed by "A Demon's Nightmare." His third tract, which originated in 1964, is the well-known "This Was Your Life!" which is the most popular Chick tract of all time. Some tracts have been updated over the years ("Is There Another Christ?" which was "retired" in 1992, was re-introduced in 2009, and now includes a quote from George W. Bush). One tract, now retired, predicted a Communist takeover of America in 1973 ("Operation Somebody Cares"). The little Chick tracts have been compared to pornography: You get broad characterizations (or archetypes, or even stereotypes); you get character interaction which hits fairly predictable points along an assigned/expected spectrum; and you get some version of the climactic outcome you were expecting when you first started reading. Everything is either black or white; there are no gray areas in a Jack T. Chick tract. I have compiled a treasury of actual quotations from Chick tracts HERE.
Below is a list of all 237 English-language Chick tracts, including the ones that are no longer in print (those shown in boldface below are the ones I don't have. Please check your attic and closets, and send me an email if you find one):
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Accident, The Allah Had No Son Angels? Apes, Lies, and Ms. Henn Are Roman Catholics Christians? Assignment, The Attack, The Baby Talk Back From the Dead? Bad Bob! Beast, The Best Friend Bewitched? Big Daddy? Big Deal, The Big Spender, The Birds and the Bees Boo! Brat, The Breakthrough! Bull, The Bully, The Burn Baby Burn Busted Cats Caught! Chaplain, The Charlie's Ants Choice, The Cleo Congratulations! Contract, The! Crazy Wolf Creator or Liar? Crisis, The Curse of Baphomet, The Dark Dungeons Death Cookie, The Deceived, The Demon's Nightmare, A Devil's Night, The Dirty Diamond, The Don't Read That Book Doom Town Dreamer, The Earthman Empty Tomb, The Escape, The Evil Eyes Execution, The Fairy Tales Fallen Fame Fat Cats Fatal Decision Fire Starter? First Bite First Jaws, The Flight 144 Fool, The Four Angels Four Brothers Frame-Up Framed Free at Last Gay Blade, The Gladys God With Us Going Down? Going Home Going to the Dogs Gomez is Coming Good Ol' Boys Great Escape, The Great One, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Guilty? |
Gun Slinger Happy Halloween Happy Hour Hard Times He Never Told Us! Heart Trouble? Here He Comes! Here, Kitty Kitty! Hi There! Hit Parade, The Hit, The Holocaust Holy Joe How to Get Rich (And Keep It) Humbug Hunter, The In the Beginning Is Allah Like You? Is There Another Christ? It's a Deal It's All About You! It's Not Your Fault It's Coming! It's the Law It's Your Life! Ivan the Terrible Jeopardy Kidnapped! Killer Storm, The Kings of the East Kiss India Goodbye Kiss the Protestants Goodbye Last Generation, The Last Judge, The Last Missionary, The Last Rites Letter, The Li'l Susy Lisa Little Bride, The Little Ghost, The Little Princess, The Little Sneak, The Long Trip, The Loser, The Losing the Old Zippp? Lost Continent, The Love Story, A Love the Jewish People Love That Money! Macho! Mad Machine, The Man in Black Mean Momma Men of Peace? Miss Universe Missing Day, The Missionaries Are Fools Monster, The Moving On Up! Murph My Name? ... in the Vatican? Nervous Witch, The No Fear? No Liars in Heaven One Way! Only Hope, The Oops! Operation Somebody Cares Outcast, The Outsider, The Papa? Party Girl Passover Plot, The Payback! Peace Maker, The Pilgrimage, The Plagues Poor Little Lamb Poor Little Witch, The Poor Pope, The? Poor Revolutionist, The Present, The |
Promise, The Pssssssst! Isn't it Time? Ransom Real Heat Reverend Wonderful Room 310 Royal Affair, The Sacrifice, The Satan's Master Scam, The Scoundrel, The Scream! Secret of Prayer, The Secret Weapon, The Secret, The Set Free! Sin Busters Sin City Sissy, The? Sky Lighter, The Slugger, The Some Like It Hot Somebody Angry? Somebody Goofed! Somebody Loves Me Something in Common? Soul Sisters Soul Story Squatters Star, The Still No Revival? Stinky Story Teller, The Superman? Superstar, The Support Your Local Jew Terminator, The? That Crazy Guy! That Old Devil That's Baphomet? There Go the Dinosaurs! Thief, The Thing, The Things to Come? This Book Has Been Banned! This Was Your Life! Tiny Shoes Titanic Traitor, The Trap, The Trial, The Trick, The True Path, The Trust Me! Tycoon, The Unloved Unforgiven? Uninvited Unwelcome Guest, The Visitors, The Walking Dead, The Wall, The War Zone Warning, The What's Wrong With This? What's Your Score? Where Did They Go? Where's Rabbi Waxman? Who Are They Gonna Remember? Who Cares? Who is Allah? Who Loves You? Who Murdered Clarice? Who, Me? Who's Missing? Why is Mary Crying? Why No Revival? Wicked Magistrate, The Word Became Flesh, The Wounded Children, The You Are About to See ... |
