• and so it goes

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Leaving your Creative Imprint

Lost a couple friends last week. I never met either one of them, but their impact on my life was as real as if we had been roommates or beer-drinkin’ buddies. (Except I don’t drink beer.)
    My first friend has been in my life since 1958, but has been around since prehistoric times. He lives the simplest of lives--in a cave. The man who drew giggles from us all when every week he drew the simple inhabitants of “B.C.” is dead. Johnny Hart’s body was 76 (18 Feb. 1931) but his heart was that of a curious and mischievous school boy. Whether he was inserting the social missteps of modern times into the lives of cavemen and cave ladies, or reworking our language in his big dictionary, “B.C.” always made us smile. Sometimes he just told a simple little joke: guy walks into an out house, slams the door and, moments later, says, “Is it just me, or does it stink in here?” I know, juvenile. But it was a dumb caveman stating the obvious-just like everyone of us has done. Apparently the eradication of stupidity is as difficult as the cure for cancer all these thousands of years into human development.
    Along with creating "B.C."  as well as drawing and writing every frame, Hart was also the co-creator, in 1964, with Brant Parker of the delightful strip "The Wizard of ID"--a look at politics, power, and human social structures through the prism of Medieval king, Wizard, castle guards and ill-assorted villagers.
    Johnny Hart will be missed for his humor, creativity, his insights into the human psyche and deep spirituality. His impact on society was that of a gentle commentator on our lives, politics, and issues of faith and belief. He leaves a lasting influence on me in expressing who I am through my work. Johnny Hart never held back from expressing his beliefs in all areas through his delightful cave folk and Medieval monarchs, villagers, and wizards. But whatever he had to say, it was always done in an engaging style. Only his cavemen carried clubs. Johnny Hart wielded an ink pen. If you have been stuck in YOUR cave and never been a BC-ist, here’s a sample. Hopefully this will whet your appetite and tickle your funny bone to the point that you will want more.







































There have also been, not surprisingly, a mountain of memorials by other great cartoonists. Here are a few favorites I found on the web-o-meter.

There's also a great website of political cartoons and on their latest posting many of the country's greatest have created memorial cartoons to "B.C." and Johnny Hart here: CARGYLE'S INDEX

Artists (L to R, beginning with upper L): Steve Breen, Gary Markstein, and Gary Marvel (click each to enlarge)

 

 

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And now this... Another  "friend" slipped from out midst last week.  He was required reading when I was in college, if not by  faculty, certainly peer pressure required that we read Kurt Vonnegut , or be left out of late night conversations at the Black Forest  at the corner of 26th and Nicollet. As students at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design we found him inspiring and creative in his singular style of story weaving. Vonnegut broke rules both in his writing and his life. He taught us time travel in Slaughter House Five and  kept us engrossed in other works: Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions. He was an outspoken critic of political policies. He also battled lie-long depression. Having tried to commit suicide in 1984, he even joked about being a failure at that.

Aside from his literary words I have run across a few choice quotes from his many  interviews, which he seem to enjoy: 

(Talking about when he tells his wife he's going out to buy an envelope)

"Oh, she says well, you're not a poor man. You know, why don't you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I'm going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babes. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don't know. The moral of the story is, is we're here on Earth to fart around. And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don't realize, or they don't care, is we're dancing animals. You know, we love to move around. And, we're not supposed to dance at all anymore."

"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"

He was also a known in some circles for his drawing and painting.  At right, a letter to an admiring fan with original self-portrait art added. (Click to enlarge)

WHen signing books, his signature included a cartooned self-portrait. This  appears to be his S.O.P. for everyone not just books inscribed to friends.

(Below my McSignature.)

 

" . . . and so it goes. "

   

Comments

[nutster]

....and then, to complete the trifecta, Don Ho dies too! No more BC...Wizard....Vonnegautisms....or Tiny Bubbles.

Bad week

[2ndRodeo]

I hadn't heard about Johnny Hart. It was always great to see his boldness in expressing his beliefs freely, not forceful, and well put. He had an incredible sense of humor and human observation. He will be missed. Just think of how he is able to express himself now!
It was also sad to hear about Kurt. Those are some great quotes.

[Michael Dennis Stagg]

Johnny Hart was a genius inspired by God to see the ridiculous pretensions of modern English and American society and some of the sillies we were taught at School and University in my case usually by staff who pointed out the errors

University College of Wales and City of Bath Technical School.

As an inspiration to Geology hydrology and soils and for those of us who studied ancient Greek history Judaist society Christian Church

and suffered from the glorification of war after 1945

the Americans allowing the Nazis to blow up their country before they blew up the children of Japan using an atomic bomb
the only two used in anger, the others have been tests,

he was brilliant.
I love his Neolithic style
his comments on female male relationhips and the principles of primitive superiority we still survive with today right back through the time of Jesus
which he draws really well
his observations on medicine and psychology
salesmen and his friendship
our endless love of the wheel as described by Ezekial. Round and round in circles (New Seekers 1973).
I used one cartoon to help a Psychlogy graduate by re-drawing to make a point, I shall redo and post that again on web. with reference to his source and Brant.
It also helps my daughter's attempts to stop viruses killing people.

Kipper Williams put the Four Horses of the Apolcalypse arrive in Lloyds Bank Foyer in the The Guardian newspaper

Jesus set before me an open door in research and teaching in hydrology that no one can close Revelation 3.8 1969 by degree qualification UCW.

We owe a lot to Hart and the people alike him who keep our feet on the ground where God put them with our Heads in the clouds however good we are at research we still have a lot to do.