This vintage Halloween safety video from 1985 is a real treat

Not for Hallowe’en, but an acquaintance - a friend of my Mother’s - sends me tracts every Christmas. She’s a Baptist, and used to run a Gospel Shop in Belfast - the kind of place that sells bibles and books with an evangelical theme, “sacred song” and little religious notions. The most recent one alleged that George Best became a born-again Christian before he died. This does not inspire me to become a born-again Christian. The little comic books - Chick Tracts - have their counterpart here in in the UK. The best, the collectors items, are the ones drawn by Dudley D. Watkins, who created “Oor Wullie” and “The Broons” in the Scottish “Sunday Post”. These are still going today, although Watkins died in 1969. Watkins allegedly invented the term “Crivvens” because he didn’t want profane swearing in his comic strips. You will certainly hear scottish people saying “Crivvens” even now. I used to have one of his tracts about a character called William, who was “backsliding”. Horrors!

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Jings, Crivvens, Help ma boab!

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Holy Jeebus!. Thanks, these are “the bomb.”

36%20PM

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I just looked at the newest tract when I went there. I was a little surprised, because at first the message seemed to be an actual Christian one about putting personal relationships before materialism and money. But of course, being a Chick tract, it sinks into threats about eternal damnation and (spoiler) ends up rewarding the born-again protagonist by making it all about money in the worst spirit of “prosperity gospel”. Thanks for never failing to be ridiculously horrible, Chick tracts!

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Jack Chick died several years ago, I wonder if someone else is making new tracts for them now.

I’m gonna have to dig out my original copy of “Fat Cats” to scan the unedited “Jesus was a communist” panel.

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Aye, ilka yin a’ thems!

I still remember part of the film they showed in school (probably produced by the same company that brought us scary/tragic driver’s ed stories). The highlight was the trip to the emergency room for the poor kid who bit into candy with something embedded inside. I imagine the narration was something like, “This is why Timmy should’ve asked his parents to check his treats before eating them!”

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I always suspected that “Jack Chick” was actually a collective.

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loloakhdhskabsaj so glad they’re appreciated.

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