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Was this a creation of a local congregation, like the one that had Dr Saltine and Soda Cracker? A congregational practice that was apparently stopped by GTA?
That creation may be found on page 1 of Vol 1 Issue 5 of the Chicago Midwest Spokesman, dated September 9, 1961...located, at that time, at 411 South Cicero in Chicago, Illinois.
Thanks John It was obviously not a Basil Wolverton, but in the 1950s or 60s one or more local R/WCG groups had started a congregational newsletter that featured some comic characters they created. Pasadena apparently forbade this practice and had GTA tell them to stop - you can't let local congregations have their own voice!
Was this cartoon associated with a specific type of speech? My recollection of R/WCG Spokesman's Club curriculum was that they were organized around specific types of speeches. The "attack speech" is one I remember.
Sorry, I am actually not getting the cartoon. Laodicean Jones (I hope nobody in the Chicago Midwest Region was named Jones) is walking past a bakery and smells a cake. He smells the "scent" (not "sense" as used in cartoon) yet he has no sense at all.
Was this one of the Church's ill fated attempts at humor?
The style reminds me of cartoons drawn by a member of the Springfield, MO, Radio Church of God congregation back in the late 50s. After such a long time I can't be sure it's the same artist, but this cartoon has about the same level of sophistication. That Springfield guy used the name "Lew Kwarm" for his unzealous stock character, not "Laodicean Jones."
I paid little attention to my Mom's church newsletters after dropping out of Ambassador in 1960, so What little I remember is not much help, I'm afraid. Maybe I jogged the memory of somebody else who can jump in with further comments about cartooning in the church.
By the way, Richard, I think the cartoonist used the word "sense" on purpose to criticize church members who paid too much attention to the physical and not enough to the spiritual. Laodicean Jones is so mesmerized by the smell of baked goods (his response to a physical sense) that he does not act rationally (show good sense); and spiritual sense is absent from the cartoon. The fact that "sense" and "scents" are homonyms is icing on the cake.
The message would have been clearer if L. Jones had been about to step out in front of a truck or had dropped a copy of the Bible Correspondence Course, but it's sixty years too late to step into the cartoonist's studio and make editorial suggestions.
Lake of Fire Church of God: Richard, July 4, 2020 at 7:56 AM, said: ****** "...Was this cartoon associated with a specific type of speech? My recollection of R/WCG Spokesman's Club curriculum was that they were organized around specific types of speeches. The "attack speech" is one I remember.
Sorry, I am actually not getting the cartoon. Laodicean Jones (I hope nobody in the Chicago Midwest Region was named Jones) is walking past a bakery and smells a cake. He smells the "scent" (not "sense" as used in cartoon) yet he has no sense at all.
Was this one of the Church's ill fated attempts at humor?..." ****** Richard, I do not have access to any other earlier issues of that Vol 1, Issue 5 of the Chicago Midwest Spokesman, dated September 9, 1961...located, at that time, at 411 South Cicero in Chicago, Illinois.
However, the next month, a Vol 1, Issue 6, dated October 19, 1961, began using the title of "Church of God News" and put out as a "CHICAGO-MIDWEST-EDITION," which had another Laodicean Jones (LJ) cartoon within.
Another Vol 1, Issue 8, dated December 15, 1961 had another LJ cartoon.
Moving ahead in time to 1965, a cartoon of LJ shows up monthly from January through August (Vol 4, Issue 8). That issue of CHURCH of GOD News was from the Chicago District. Most issues are relative to Spokesman's club with, as time went on, more newsy items from congregations within that Chicago District.
I have no idea who created the Cartoons on LJ; there aren't even any initials associated with the cartoons.
It's interesting, for whatever it was worth, that there was some focus on the word "Laodicean" back then in the 1960s. FWIIW, some of the cartoons may have meant a lot more to the readers in the 1960s than they may make to us today.
8 comments:
Was this a creation of a local congregation, like the one that had Dr Saltine and Soda Cracker? A congregational practice that was apparently stopped by GTA?
Hoss,
That creation may be found on page 1 of Vol 1 Issue 5 of the Chicago Midwest Spokesman, dated September 9, 1961...located, at that time, at 411 South Cicero in Chicago, Illinois.
Delightful Sabbath to you.
John
Thanks John
It was obviously not a Basil Wolverton, but in the 1950s or 60s one or more local R/WCG groups had started a congregational newsletter that featured some comic characters they created. Pasadena apparently forbade this practice and had GTA tell them to stop - you can't let local congregations have their own voice!
John,
Was this cartoon associated with a specific type of speech? My recollection of R/WCG Spokesman's Club curriculum was that they were organized around specific types of speeches. The "attack speech" is one I remember.
Sorry, I am actually not getting the cartoon. Laodicean Jones (I hope nobody in the Chicago Midwest Region was named Jones) is walking past a bakery and smells a cake. He smells the "scent" (not "sense" as used in cartoon) yet he has no sense at all.
Was this one of the Church's ill fated attempts at humor?
Richard
The style reminds me of cartoons drawn by a member of the Springfield, MO, Radio Church of God congregation back in the late 50s. After such a long time I can't be sure it's the same artist, but this cartoon has about the same level of sophistication. That Springfield guy used the name "Lew Kwarm" for his unzealous stock character, not "Laodicean Jones."
I paid little attention to my Mom's church newsletters after dropping out of Ambassador in 1960, so What little I remember is not much help, I'm afraid. Maybe I jogged the memory of somebody else who can jump in with further comments about cartooning in the church.
By the way, Richard, I think the cartoonist used the word "sense" on purpose to criticize church members who paid too much attention to the physical and not enough to the spiritual. Laodicean Jones is so mesmerized by the smell of baked goods (his response to a physical sense) that he does not act rationally (show good sense); and spiritual sense is absent from the cartoon. The fact that "sense" and "scents" are homonyms is icing on the cake.
The message would have been clearer if L. Jones had been about to step out in front of a truck or had dropped a copy of the Bible Correspondence Course, but it's sixty years too late to step into the cartoonist's studio and make editorial suggestions.
This smells to me like a cartoon for the Days of Unleavened Bread. Why else have a bakery theme?
(Well, unless the bakery only sells white bread....)
Lake of Fire Church of God: Richard, July 4, 2020 at 7:56 AM, said:
******
"...Was this cartoon associated with a specific type of speech? My recollection of R/WCG Spokesman's Club curriculum was that they were organized around specific types of speeches. The "attack speech" is one I remember.
Sorry, I am actually not getting the cartoon. Laodicean Jones (I hope nobody in the Chicago Midwest Region was named Jones) is walking past a bakery and smells a cake. He smells the "scent" (not "sense" as used in cartoon) yet he has no sense at all.
Was this one of the Church's ill fated attempts at humor?..."
******
Richard, I do not have access to any other earlier issues of that Vol 1, Issue 5 of the Chicago Midwest Spokesman, dated September 9, 1961...located, at that time, at 411 South Cicero in Chicago, Illinois.
However, the next month, a Vol 1, Issue 6, dated October 19, 1961, began using the title of "Church of God News" and put out as a "CHICAGO-MIDWEST-EDITION," which had another Laodicean Jones (LJ) cartoon within.
Another Vol 1, Issue 8, dated December 15, 1961 had another LJ cartoon.
Moving ahead in time to 1965, a cartoon of LJ shows up monthly from January through August (Vol 4, Issue 8). That issue of CHURCH of GOD News was from the Chicago District. Most issues are relative to Spokesman's club with, as time went on, more newsy items from congregations within that Chicago District.
I have no idea who created the Cartoons on LJ; there aren't even any initials associated with the cartoons.
It's interesting, for whatever it was worth, that there was some focus on the word "Laodicean" back then in the 1960s. FWIIW, some of the cartoons may have meant a lot more to the readers in the 1960s than they may make to us today.
John
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