Another Swipe at Islam in 'B.C.' Comic?

Editor & Publisher ^ | July 07, 2006 | E&P Staff

[Nicholas Conradin]

NEW YORK Did "B.C." cartoonist Johnny Hart take another swipe at Islam in his July 3 comic? Several blogs -- including ComicsReporter.com and DailyCartoonist -- are wondering.

In the comic , Hart shows his turtle character asking: "What makes a bite that's shaped like a crescent moon?" The bird standing on the turtle's shell answers: "A lunatic." A star is drawn near the turtle's "finger" to illustrate the location of the bite.

A star/crescent moon is a symbol of Islam. There's also the possibility that Hart was making a "luna tick" pun instead of, or in addition to, making a negative reference to Islam.

An executive at Creators Syndicate, which distributes "B.C.," could not be immediately reached for comment today.

Readers previously wondered if Hart defamed Islam in his "B.C." strip of Nov. 10, 2003. In that comic, Hart showed a character walking to an outhouse, closing the door with a huge "SLAM" (inked vertically between the first and second panels), and saying: "Is it just me, or does it stink in here?" A crescent moon appeared in the sky and on the outhouse door in all three panels. Some observers said the huge "SLAM" in the strip was stacked in the shape of an "I" -- the first letter in Islam. Hart and Creators denied back then that the 2003 comic defamed Islam.

[Nicholas Conradin]

To see the cartoon click here,

[starfish923]

The link didn't work for me.

[Talking_Mouse]

Check your link -- I get 'page can not be found'

[Jet Jaguar]

[El Gato]

Try This one

You may have to scroll back, using the back arrow *on the site*, the cartoon in question is from July 3rd.

[CzarNicky]

You have to really be reaching to get that out of that cartoon.

[Mr. Mojo]

There's also the possibility that Hart was making a "luna tick" pun instead of, or in addition to, making a negative reference to Islam.

He was. ....obviously.

In addition to, not instead of.

[Talking_Mouse]

Moon - luna(tic). Some people have way too much time on their hands.

[JRios1968]

Islam...lunatic...makes sense lately!

[perfect stranger]

http://www.creators.com/0702/bc/bc0703g.gif

[Pro-Bush]

.....If you play Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" beackwards you'll hear....

[madison10]

Duh...Luna + Tic.
Moon=lunar Tic=as in a biting insect that sucks blood

[El Gato]

Well, I guess we can expect the crowds in the streets, the burning of US embassies and consulates (go ahead, make our day), and so forth and so on. Try that shiite around here though, and you may find your turban ventilated, with .30 or even .50 inch holes.

[Dont Mention the War]

Editor & Publisher magazine has a looooooong history of extremist liberal editorializing. And I do mean wacko extremist, as the example above shows. They've been out to destroy Johnny Hart's career for years (without success), and are now working overtime in an attempt to destroy Ann Coulter's career (again, without success thus far).

[Rastus]

We can debate that one all day long, but this B.C. comic is absolutely a slam against Islam:



She's not wearing a burqa! Shame on you, Johnny Hart.

[CzarNicky]

Islam...lunatic...makes sense lately! true

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Well, it's obvious Johnny Hart should be banned and apologize, after Luckovich and Benson apologize for their cartoons too.

[Zeon Cowboy]

Oh, please...

[mylife]

ouch!

[ClearCase_guy]

Hart has made a number of cartoons with crescent moons that have been interpreted as negative toward Islam. Hart is most definitely a Christian. He's also a smart fellow who leaves enough wiggle room so that his cartoons are not explicitly making fun of Islam.

But I'm sure he is.

[EveningStar]

Readers previously wondered if Hart defamed Islam

Defame: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

You can't defame Islam anymore than you can defame Nazism.

[starfish923]

Got it that time. Thanks.

[Sarajevo]

Tehran -- Iranian cattle farmer Gofauk Yousef Fukir came upon what appears to be one of the most holy of cow pies ever today while tending his herd. It seems his prize Bull Osama plopped out a turd with an uncanny likeness to the most holy prophet, Mohammed.

"This is no ordinary bullsh*t," insisted Gofauk Yousef. "This sh*t is like something directly from Allah above. It hardly even smells. Well, maybe a little. But I haven't bathed in two years, so who can say, yes?"

A team of Iranian bullsh*tologists, dispatched from Tehran university's religious artifacts division was pulled away from evaluating the booty they plundered from the Iraqi museum during the early days of the Iraq / US war to examine Gofauk Yousef's religious crap. After careful study they confirmed that the cow patty did indeed take on the appearance of manure from heaven.

"Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t!!" Gofauk Yousef could be heard calling out to his friends and family, all the while sporting a wide smile befitting someone who had quite literally just stepped in heavenly sh*t, "Pack up the tent. We're going to Disneyland!" This is the profit I've been waiting for from all these years of tending goddamned cows".

[newzjunkey]

The "luna tick" pun is obvious. Of course, considering the cartoonist, he probably intended to both get a laugh out of the pun and slight Islam.

[starfish923]

Hart has made a number of cartoons with crescent moons that have been interpreted as negative toward Islam. Hart is most definitely a Christian. He's also a smart fellow who leaves enough wiggle room so that his cartoons are not explicitly making fun of Islam.
But I'm sure he is.

If the cartoons are THAT subtle, then they are really harmless.
Subtlety requires brains. (Geez, I never had to spell "subtlety" before.) Those who would be offended don't have the brains to "get it."

The rest of us simply snicker or nod.

[NinoFan]

Exactly. That's why I love B.C.

[Eagles6]

Agreed. I've enjoyed his stuff for years and will keep doing so.

Do we have another cartoon jihad in the works?

[Nicholas Conradin]

Thanks for posting the B.C. cartoon.

I took the link address off a CAIR-NET mail list post. Curiously, it worked there when I clicked the link.

It's all Bush's fault, anyway.

[Magnum44]

She's not wearing a burqa!

LOL!!!

[alancarp]

Here's the Nov. 23, 2003 comic. And for the record, I'm sure that Hart has more than plausible deniability in these... and I'm snickering about the ingenious subtlety, too!

[starfish923]

This is too subtle for me. I don't get the dig at Islam. If the stars had been in a crescent shape moon, if she was in SOME way Arab/Muslim looking or if her cave clothes were more modest, a tent in the background, a camel....something but not this way.
WAY too subtle for me.
I would have NEVER read it as anything but anti-woman, anti-feminist or just not "got it" I guess.

[Jet Jaguar]

LOL!


My pleasure!

[4buttons]

Hart is an up front Christian, he gets criticized for Christian content from time to time. The turtle has been been bitten by a tic, the "crescent" component dovetails with the "luna" remark. Luna tic.

The other cartoon uses the crescent moon, and almost "ISLAM" ('SLAM)

My opinion is Hart is indeed using these as critcisms of islam, and he is able to deny it. Good.

[A. Goodwin]

Actually, with that circle of stars over the fallen guy and the striped "4", I think it's a dig at the European Union (the EU flag has a circle of stars).

[confederate_infidel]

It's all Bush's fault, anyway.


No, not Bush. Karl Rove.

[theDentist]

Everyone ready for youthful rioting?

[elcid1970]

Locked and loaded. Bring it on.

[GATOR NAVY]

That's what I thought too.

[ordinaryguy]

Actually, with that circle of stars over the fallen guy and the striped "4", I think it's a dig at the European Union (the EU flag has a circle of stars).

Count the stars in the strip. Count the stars in the EU flag. Count the stars on the Betsy Ross flag.

Thanks.

[buccaneer81]

You can't defame Islam anymore than you can defame Nazism.

Give our Federal Courts a chance and they'll hang you for defaming the ROP.

[A. Goodwin]

I counted them before I posted. I decided it was close enough for speculating.

You're welcome.

[popdonnelly]

Editor & Publisher has way too much time on its hands. In addition to being run by liberal idiots.

[calex59]

Are you guys all that young that you don't know that all out houses(or most anyway)had cresent moons on the door? He was most likely just sticking to the original design of out house doors. Only people looking to be offended by someome would even consider either of these two cartoons as jibes at Islam. BTW, a star is quite frequently used to denote pain in comic strips.

I think if he was gong to rip Islam he would do a better job then this, not that they don't need ripping!

[Mike Darancette]

You have to really be reaching to get that out of that cartoon.

Plausibly deniable.

[HairOfTheDog]

At least with South Park, you don't have to ~wonder~ :~)

[Sabatier]

This reminds me of how the cartoonist Al Hirschfeld used to hide his daughter Nina's name in every cartoon he drew. Maybe there's a slight against Islam hidden in every cartoon drawn in the USA. If they just keep looking hard enough they may find what they're looking for.

[brain bleeds red]

Who cares? He's a cartoonist. It's his job. He makes money off of it. Let the man do his work.

[NCC-1701]

Since B.C. is being pilloried, is the circle of stars above his head supposed to be some kind of reference to the European Union? Just had to ask because we now have to look at everything to find even the slightest evidence of insulting someone or some group. Geeesh, life is too short for this pc bs. Go have a drink and unwind. Some people are wound WAY TOO TIGHT.

[TASMANIANRED]

Sounds like they wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Looking for offense under every blade of grass.

[calex59]

Did I say he couldn't do his work? What the hell are you talking about? All I did was point out some facts that many on here seem unaware of, especially the half moon on the door. Keep your comments to yourself if you have nothing constructive to say, please!