B.C. is Alive and Well

by Johnny Hart

Book by Hart, Johnny

Genres: Humor, Comics, Cartoon, Graphic Novels

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

John Lewis Hart, also known as Johnny Hart, was an American cartoonist noted as the creator of the comic strip B.C. and co-creator (with Brant Parker) of the strip The Wizard of Id. Hart was recognized with several awards, including five from the National Cartoonists Society, and the Swedish Adamson Award. In his later years, he sparked controversy by incorporating overtly Christian themes and messages into the strips.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to read cartoon collections as sort of a "palate cleanser'' between novels. A little something to lighten the mood or make an abrupt genre change seem a bit less severe to my brain. :) This year I have made a goal to read more books off my own shelves or to revisit favorite nostalgia reads (books I read years ago and enjoyed). Keeping that goal in mind, I jumped back in time to the prehistoric era for my palate cleansing. The B.C. cartoons by Johnny Hart always made me smile when I was a teenager (and another of his cartoons Wizard of Id was also a favorite). I wanted to see if I still found the cartoons funny now that I'm a bit (ha! a lot, actually) older. And the answer is YES! :) The topics that Hart pokes fun at in B.C. are still quite relevant -- relationships, society, feminism, therapy, politics, business, love, greed, the environment...... Basic human foibles and situations are timeless, and so are these cartoons.

B.C. features six cavemen, two cavewomen and an assortment of animals discovering the world around them, forming society, inventing necessities and, of course, forming the first neuroses. One caveman writes poetry and is afraid of water. Another likes to observe fish by sticking his head in the river. Then there's an inventor, the group therapist, the average guy...and of course the gang's sarcastic jerk. :) One cavewoman is young and sexy, and the other is older and....larger. Add in ants with marital problems, a suicidal aardvark, a turtle with his bird BFF, and a large dinosaur, and you get a wide range of humor.

B.C. first appeared in the late 1950s and was syndicated in many newspapers up until Hart's death in 2007. Hart also created the popular Wizard of Id cartoons.

I'm seriously enjoying re-reading these cartoons. I will definitely be re-reading Wizard of Id as well. Hart's humor is still relevant even all these decades later. Love it!

Gronk!!

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume collects the peak level for Johnny Hart and his comic strip machine of late night writing sessions/parties in the 1960s with pals knocking out some of the funniest material ever in strip form. Here's a bunch of it. Love the pacing and the punches. Just excellent work.

Bottom line: i recommend this book. 10 out of 10 points.

[blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in the best-of category. Why? I don't really know. It's a good mix of cleverness, zaniness, character-based humor, etc.

Didn't have the strip I'm looking for though so on to "Take A Bow"...

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming out in 1969 with strips from 64 and 65 and Hart continues in good form – I particularly liked some of the stories that went on for a bit, such as Peter’s invention of the stone kite and the telephone.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hilarious collection of B.C. cartoons from the mid 1960's.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grew up with B.C. in the morning paper, enjoy revisiting the characters.

[Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small collection of B&W comics.