Product Description

One of the most beloved comic strips of all time is comprehensively collected here for the first time. These are the personally hand-picked strips from the master himself, Johnny Hart, prior to his death in April 2007. This edition celebrates the (pre)historic hilarity which was BC. Each chapter lovingly captures the best strips from each decade of the comic strip from the 1950's through the 2000's. This volume also features detailed descriptions of the real friends that inspired B.C. characters and discussion of the strip by Johnny Hart. In this volume you will find a foreword by Bobby Hart, rare, never before published concept art drawn by Johnny Hart just prior to the launch of the strip and a newly created cover drawn by Mr. Hart especially for this volume. He will be missed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37797 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

From Booklist
When he died, in April 2007, Hart had drawn the newspaper strip B.C. for 50 years. Hence, this overview of his career is timely, although not quite what his fans might consider an ideal tribute. Hart himself chose the hundreds of weekday strips in it (oddly, almost no Sunday installments are included) and grouped them by decade but omitted specific dates and any annotation. Other background information is sparse, just a terse biography and profiles of Hart's buddies who inspired the strip's characters. Although the early strips are more crudely drawn, they're fresher, with the concept of discovery kept to the fore as the comical cavemen invent everything from fire and the wheel to baseball and golf. Hart never lost his appealingly casual drawing style, but by the 1970s, B.C. had become formulaic. Its anachronisms no longer seemed intentional but a matter of laziness, as when characters supposedly living long before the birth of Christ celebrated Christmas (surprisingly, none of Hart's controversial Christian-themed strips appear). Still, this generous sampler should please Hart's faithful audience. Flagg, Gordon

Review
A sidesplitting overview of Hart's laughter-steeped life's work, and an excellent giftbook for anyone who reads the comic strip page first in the newspaper. James Cox --Midwest Book Review

For those who appreciate and fondly remember the whacked out pun-filled world of B.C. (or know someone who does) I can t think of a better gift for the B.C. fan. I treasure this book and know you will too. Prof. Challenger --Ain't it Cool News

GrowinGold with B.C. would make an excellent gift for yourself or anyone you know I give it a 5 out of 5. Charles LePage --Comic List

Customer Reviews

A sidesplitting overview of Hart's laughter-steeped life's work
Growing Old with B.C.: A 50 Year Celebration is a retrospective and tribute to the long-lived, multiple award-winning newspaper comic strip B.C., starring a gaggle of cavemen and two strong-willed cavewomen. B.C.'s creator and artist Johnny Hart himself designed the cover and engaged in the first round of edits before he passed away. Growing Old with B.C. is more than anthology of the best of the best B.C. strips in the past 50 years; photographs and brief interviews with Hart's friends - many of whom were the direct inspiration for the comic strip's core characters - a short biography of Hart, and even a brief introduction by Hart's wife round out this collection. A sidesplitting overview of Hart's laughter-steeped life's work, and an excellent giftbook for anyone who reads the comic strip page first in the newspaper.

Johnny Hart Growing Gold
Growingold With BC: A Celebration Of Johnny Hart

Some of the best Comic humor I have seen in years. This is the best of Johnny Hart. Book is easy to read and well displayed. Very clever and nostalgic. By the way, there is no religious gags in the entire book.

Johnny Hart's Growingold with B.C., A 50 Year Celebration
Johnny Hart's Growingold with B.C., A 50 Year Celebration, is absolutely excellent. I have read B.C. each morning since 1960 and it has always given me a smile for the day. Thanks Johnny for all your talents that you have shared with us. We miss you very much, but we are thankful you have passed this wonderful cartoon strip to your children, so it can be continued. Thanks for letting me keep smiling each morning.