Dr. Rebecca Brown Reviews from The Jack T. Chick Museum of Fine Art (ChickComics.com)

Classic cover

Not to be confused (or not) with the popular TV show, This IS Your Life

One of Chick's favorite marketing gimmicks is to use a catch phrase, common expression, or famous TV/ movie reference for the title of his tract. This can trick the first time Chick tract reader into reading a tract because they think it's about something they are already interested in, rather than something they are not (like religion). For example, everyone has already heard of the Titanic. Casual observers would assume a tract with that title was about the famous maritime disaster-- and it was (but only as a back drop). The real plot was about what every Chick tract is really about: How to avoid going to hell when you die. Calling it Titanic not only attracted unsuspecting readers, it made passing it out super easy when the 2012 blockbuster Titanic movie came out. Any that were left out near theaters were quickly snatched up by souvenir collectors who thought they are tie-ins with the film!

The same marketing logic applies with Chick using famous catch phrases. "Wild and Crazy Guy!" was a quote made famous by comedian Steve Martin on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. So he used a variation of the famous comic phrase for the title of his 1970s tract, That Crazy Guy. The tract itself made no reference to Saturday Night Live, TV, or comedy in general. In fact, it was about a young girl who has a romantic fling and gets Herpes (and in later versions, AIDS). But to fool onlookers more with the Steve Martin draw, the cover had a graphic of a light haired male who looks similar to Martin, wearing his trademark "arrow through the head" illusion that he famously wore on SNL. Chick will sometimes use the exact title of a movie or TV show, but he often puts a question mark or explanation point after the title to differentiate it. (Like with Bewitched?)

Chick also uses popular expressions for titles, in order to peek the curiosity of potential readers. So the expression, "the camel is already in the tent" (referring to the old Arab story about the camel who wanted shade so he stuck his his nose into his master's tent... but soon inched his entire body into the shelter) was turned into the title of his tract, Camel's In The Tent.

So whether a catch phrase, famous title, or expression, Chick loves to enhance the attractiveness of his tracts with cross-over references in his titles. Here is an incomplete list of some examples. (And you are welcome to email us more examples as you discover them).

Apes, Lies, and Ms. Henn (The 1989 Cannes Film Festival winner for Best Picture & Best Actor was the film, "Sex, Lies, and Video Tape")

Bewitched? (1964-1972 popular comedy TV hit staring Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York, only without the "?" at the end.)

Big Daddy (Common phrase to denote one in control of the family, or a grand father.)

The Big Spender (Common phrase used to denote someone who has lots of money and spends it.)

Birds and the Bees (Reference to the talk parents reluctantly give children when it is time to explain how sex works.)

Burn Baby Burn (Revolutionary phrase used in the 1960s, often during race riots, to encourage vandalism and violence in the cities.)

Camel's In The Tent (Reference to the old Arab story about a camel who wanted a little shade so he stuck his nose in his owner's tent... but soon inched his entire body into the shelter.)

Fire Starter (Reference to the popular Steven King novel and subsequent 1984 movie starring Drew Barrymore.)

The First Jaws (Reference to the popular book and 1975 Steven Spielberg blockbuster film, Jaws.)

Free At Last (famous quote from MLK in his "I Have A Dream" civil rights speech.)

Friend or Foe? (Common request for identification in war zones to determine if the one who approaches is enemy or not.)

The Gay Blade (Common expression before "gay" meant homosexual. In 1946, it was a movie starring Allan Lane and Jean Rogers, and the hero was a "devil may care" kick-ass hockey player.)

Global Warming (Precursor language used by certain environmentalists like Al Gore to describe the theory that Earth was getting warmer every year. As weather pattens started to contradict the premise with colder winters, activists changed the term to "Climate Change".)

Going Down? (Common question used by elevator operators as the door opened for new passengers -- until the profession was phased out with modern self service.)

Going to the Dogs (Common expression that civilization or some aspect of it was degrading and heading for ruin.)

Gold Fever (The contagious excitement of finding free gold that fueled the California Gold Rush of 1849.)

Good Ol' Boys (Southern expression to indicate those involved already know each other, or will like each other because of a common background.)

The Great Escape! (Star-studded 1963 movie about a WW2 escape of hundreds of allied POWs from the Nazis.)

Happy Hour (Reference to a special time bars and restaurants often offer discounts on alcohol.)

Here Comes The Judge! (The title of a 1968 hit song by Pigmeat Markham, which was turned into a nation-wide catch phrase used by Sammy Davis Jr. on the comedy TV series, Laugh-In.)

Hit Parade (Most popular music hits ranked by the music industry. Billboard first listed it in 1936.)

It's Who You Know (2nd part of a common expression, "It's not what you know, it's who you know.")

Ivan the Terrible (Russian title for one of their most popular leaders who conquered a lot of territory.)

Jeopardy? (Popular game show where contestants compete for money by answering trivia.)

Just One More (Famous expression by drunks who ask for more booze when they really shouldn't.)

Kitty In The Window (Play on the famous song title, "How much for that doggy in the window?")

Limited Time Offer (Common marketing gimmick used by advertisers to promote sales.)

Man In Black (Variation on the blockbuster movie (and urban myth the) Men In Black.)

Moving On Up! (Reference to a common expression of advancing up the social ladder.)

Now or Never (Famous song by Halsey from her album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.)

Soul Sisters (1963 album by American jazz organist Gloria Coleman with Pola Roberts.)

Soul Survivor (Play on the expression "Sole survivor", the lone survivor of a deadly incident.)

Superman? (One of the most popular super heros from Action Comics #1. It also became a major TV and movie franchise.

Tell Me About It (Popular refrain of agreement, often given when someone complains.)

The Terminator? (1984 blockbuster sci-fi film about a super strong, super dangerous robot killer.)

That Crazy Guy (Reference to comedian Steve Martin's "wild and crazy guy" character, made famous on Saturday Night Live, circa 1970s)

That Old Devil ("That Ole Devil Called Love" was a popular 1945 song recorded by Billie Holiday.)

The Thing (The Thing From Another World was a popular 1951 sci-fi movie, remade in 1982 as The Thing.)

This Was Your Life (This Is Your Life was an American radio show from 1948 to 1952, then a TV show from 1952 till 1961, where a celebrity or ordinary person was surprised on the air and had their life reviewed for the audience.)

The Throw Away Kid (Throwaway Kids was a 1981 20/20 TV documentary on the warehousing of unwanted children with mental or retardation issues by the Oklahoma Dept. of Human Services.)

Titanic (Famous ship wreck of an ocean liner that sank in 1912 that killed more than 1,500 passengers. It was made into several popular Hollywood movies.)

Trust The Science (Catch phrase mantra of the Covid Crisis, (according to The Guardian) used to shame those who questioned what the experts said about the virus, including several "facts" that later proved to be false, like claims that the vaccine prevented the disease, or that the shot and/or mask prevented transmission.)

Twin Towers (Term often used to describe the World Trade Center towers before their destruction in 2001.)

The Walking Dead? (Very popular comic book and TV horror franchise about post-apocalyptic zombies.)

War Games (1983 movie about kids who unwittingly hack a military super computer and almost unleashed worldwide nuclear destruction. It also references military exorcizes where one group simulates war against another group to better train.)