B.C. by Mastroianni and Hart for March 29, 2024

I DONT GET IT ?

A bit different for B.C. My daughter creates eclectic visuals like this. Nice featherings on the “tornado.”

I think something or someone got left out. (I had to replace my slash with “or”. Bot said I was trying to post a link. No slashed allowed at all. Got it.)

It’s the veil in the temple in Jerusalem rending itself.

Here you go, today’s comic explained. This is abbreviated text. Look up GOOD FRIDAY on wiki for full details:

“GOOD FRIDAY (today) is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Holy and Great Friday), and Black Friday.

According to the accounts in the Gospels, royal soldiers, guided by Jesus’ disciple Judas Iscariot, arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Pilate (who declared Jesus innocent) handed Jesus over to the people to be crucified in order to forestall a riot. The sentence written was “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Jesus carried his cross to the site of execution called the “place of the Skull”, or “Golgotha” in Hebrew and in Latin “Calvary”. There he was crucified along with two criminals.

Jesus agonized on the cross for six hours. During his last three hours on the cross, from noon to 3 pm, darkness fell over the whole land. In the gospels of Mathew and Mark, Jesus is said to have spoken from the cross, quoting the messianic Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

With a loud cry, Jesus gave up his spirit. There was an earthquake, tombs broke open, and the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declared, “Truly this was God’s Son!”

HUH???

I got the torn veil, but didn’t understand why it was here until I read pschearer’s comment.

A religious-themed strip on Easter would not surprise me at all. But this one on Good Friday does. Particularly seeing how the strips current creators have toned down the strip’s former religiosity.

Well, the artwork is nice.

To me, it doesn’t look like the Temple Veil being torn. It looks like earthly time and heavenly eternity being torn. Another splendid Passion theme, Misters Mastroianni and Hart. I’ve saved so many of them.

A veiled reference.

Eh what on earth this be?

A lot of comments are saying that this is a reference to the the veil (or curtain) in the temple being torn. But it seems more likely to me that it is referring to the crucifixion darkness where the sky becomes dark in the daytime during the crucifixion of Jesus

Hilarious. Call a strip BC and have Christians themes. The humour obviously comes from the conflicting notions.

As an infidel to all the world’s religions I am heartened to see so many people who don’t know today is Good Friday or what that supposedly means.

(The other day my GF asked me if there was any holiday associated with Mar. 31. Gotta love her.)

I’ve decided that I’m going to interpret the artwork as ‘a tear in the fabric of time.’ Nicely done!

Me neither!

It made us think. Perhaps that was the reson?

Beats me, switching to modern art????

Awesome. Very effective for those who understand.

I love how they are carrying on Johnny Hart’s tradition of honoring Good Friday and be on the look out for Easter Sunday’s comic as well.

Climate change

Me neither

Something in Endicott?

Good Friday!

The Temple veil is torn. Christ is risen!

Could it be a tear in the fabric of the universe?

It may have to do about the time when B.C. became A.D., a few years early.

Some sort of “Apocalypse” I’d guess. The idea of an “End of the Earth” seem so popular with certain types that “Apocalypses” are showing up all the time.

It is Good Friday. It is the biblical scene of the veil torn in two when Jesus died. BC has some Christian elements, especially around Easter and Christmas.

It’s the temple curtain torn asunder.

I believe those who see it as a rendering (double entendre intended) of the veil in the temple being torn are correct. It almost looks like the fabric between heaven and earth is being torn. The way into the very presence of God has been opened.

It’s what comics do when they have no ideas for a comic strip for the day.

Amen!

Good Friday. Everyone who knows the story of the Crucifixion and ressurection knows what this s about.

The entire story of Israel prefigures the coming of the Christ and, for Christians, his incarnation, death and resurrection. As do many stories in other faith traditions. (Read CSLewis). So , to depict prefiguring occurring prehistory is apt.

Now they’ve gone and torn it.

The curtain in the temple is torn today. Good Friday.

Temple veil torn in two the very moment when Jesus died on the cross

I don’t get it either.

Amen!

???

Stupid.

Good Friday

On a distant planet, far, far away

I double clicked and black became shade of blue. Then I could see the writing but it still was not clear enough to read it.

Actually this particular drawing probably drew more readership because of the ‘dark’ theme and the comments about writing no one could see.

Read your Bibles! The end is near.

What?

thus my name on this site. so many that don’t get one of the most powerful illustrations of a historic happening for the Christian faith. sigh – not about what your belief actually is, but about not understanding what this illustrates. makes me sad

It’s a bad drawing of the eclipse coming in 10 days.

Amen.

Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus down from the cross and buried him in the tomb he had been working on. When he went home his wife was standing on the porch and yelled to him, “Joseph, where have you been?” He replied, “I just buried the body of Jesus in my tomb.” “What!!!, You put a different body in that tomb you have been working on for all these months?” Joseph answered, “It’s only for the weekend.”

I like it, it makes you think.

It it finished!

I think it’s the vail in the temple ripped from top to bottom when Jesus died

Look at the fabric design on each side of the rip. The waves at the bottom is the hem of the vail.

”Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. Then the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Very Interesting? But not funny !!!

A joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

Matthew 27:51, “Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”

Utterly pointless

Have never understood why or how this day came to be known as GOOD Friday…..don’t see anything GOOD about it…..and please don’t refer me to Wikipedia or quote scripture to me,this is just MY opinion,thank u

I don’t get it.

I think “Happy Good Friday” would be inappropriate, but I get it. Thanks.

It’s Good Friday and for the Muslims it’s Ramadan!

Thank you for this.

Made ya look, made ya think. Looks like M&H succeeded. Christians always try to push the faith up other people’s noses.

Amen.

Its a reference to Good Friday-the veil was rent from top to bottom when Jesus died

Don’t get this one at all.

Thank you all for explaining the reason for today’s strip to me. I had mistakenly thought it had something to do with the solar eclipse, but a Google search told me that that’s not until April 8.

water spout, or Rorschach test???

It’s just some art work.

The Roman soldiers also “divided” Jesus’s garments among themselves – except for his robe which according to prophesy would remain intact.

In the Bible, read Matthew 27:45-54

And the veil was torn.

This one is easier to visualize in black and white. (Saw it in our newspaper first.)

Luke 23:44-46

I see a young lady on one side, and an old lady on the other. Today wasn’t that good for our Lord and Savior.

After reading some of the comments here, I googled ‘torn veil in the temple’.

My mother required me to attend both Sunday School and Church 51 Sundays out of every year. Also summer Bible School through 8th grade. I’ve read the Bible. Twice.

Somehow I’d never heard this torn veil tale before.

I got a weekend job my senior year in high school. I’ve only entered churches for weddings and funerals since.

Me neither. . . .

so Good Friday

What in the world is this supposed to mean?

I think I didn’t get this one because the comic is titled ‘BC’, so I never think it could have anything to do with Christianity.

To me it’s the end of March; in like a lamb, out like a lion!

It’s Good FridayThere was darkness over the earth; an earthquake struck; tombs of dead saints were opened; Jesus cried out. And “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Matt. 27:51; cf. Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45).

Don’t get it? That’s OK…there’s nothing to be got.

Paul and Jesus by James D. Tabor

Absolutely beautiful! I love it. It’s one of the best Good Friday strips I have ever seen from anyone. Thanks for the reminder. The veil is torn by God, and access to Him is now open.

Johnny Hart would be incredibly proud of you folks for this one. It is in his best traditions of reminding the world who Christmas and Easter are really all about.

I see he’s preparing for Sunday.

He is RISEN!

Amen

I don’t care if it’s supposed to be religious or political. It sure is pretty.

Good Friday message. Matthew 27:51

I look forward to Sunday, the Easter ones are usually wonderful.

As a Protestant, I was encouraged to actually read the Bible and I assure you that the scene of the curtain being torn has always been there- Mark 15, verse 38. Another possible meaning was symbolically God tearing his garment in grief.

Today is Good Friday. When Jesus died on the cross the curtain in the temple was “torn asunder.”

Someone is asleep…

And the veil was torn…

The curtain of Herod’s temple was torn in two at the death of Christ

B.C. has always done some Christian thing on major holidays.

BEAUTIFUL!!

Anyone here remember what the initials B and C stand for? None of this should mean anything in B.C.

Ironic, this imagery showing up in the comic B.C.

Had a feeling it had some special meaning for today, so I came here to find out what it was all about. Jewish atheist that I am, it doesn’t have any significance for me, but I learned a few new things by browsing through the comments, and that’s always a positive outcome. Happy Easter, everyone!

Amen!

It was Roman practice to leave the bodies on the cross to rot, thereby increasing the terror associated with the gruesome execution. If the body wasn’t claimed by the time the cross was needed for another execution, it was torn down and thrown into the city dump.

One could bribe the captain of the execution squad with 30 pieces of silver (the going rate for a slave) to purchase the body and then tip the enlisted troops a couple of shekels to take it down. Jesus had a few powerful and rich friends who were devout enough Jews not to leave his body there.

Considering Jewish funerary mandates, crucified body selling could have been a lucrative industry in Judea.

Pilot didn’t like Jerusalem and he did not want the crucified convicts to be hanging around for days (literally) so he had Jesus beat half to death before he crucified him and broke the legs of the others so as to get the executions over so he could so he could get back to the relatively civilized world (as he thought it) in Caesarea. Then he could take the bulk of his troops who were in town to quell any riots that might happen during Passover back with him.

Some critics claim that Jesus could not have died in a mere number of hours and under normal circumstances, crucifixion was intended to be a slow death, but these were not normal circumstances. As usual, politics prevailed.

Good Friday. The rending of the Temple curtains from top to bottom as Jesus died. A memorial to Johnny Hart.

Good Friday… the veil was torn… Jesus said “it is finished”

It’s Friday…

I prefer the Fat Broad pummeling snakes with a club.

um, black tornado? … something to do with the eclipse, perhaps?

I love this! It is Good Friday. The veil was torn in the temple from top to bottom when the Lord died.

The Veil is torn!

If you have a Bible, go to Matthew 27:51. Johnny Hart left an Easter message annually in the BC strip, and his son carries that tradition onward.

I used my phone to zoom in the writing on the lower right………………It does say Good Friday.

Awesome!

I just joined GoComics to make this comment: At first I thought the torn fabric was a symbol of our torn country. I thought maybe the shredded fabric was a shredded flag; but then it couldn’t have been an American flag since the strip is “BC” of course! THEN I went on GoComics and learned that “Good Friday” is written in the lower right corner. THEN I learned about the significance of the scriptures several of you quoted. THEN I read several discussions of those scriptures and arguments about them. THEN I read the comments made about the artist’s failure. (“If he intended that the majority of readers would understand his image without needing others to explain it, I don’t believe that he ‘succeeded.’”). And someone added “You shouldn’t have to explain art.”THEN I realized that the artist WAS SUCCESSFUL because I HAD learned from reading all these comments and “explanations” coming from different perspectives. And these interactions had been inspired by the artist! … THEN I thought about my original effort to interpret the torn fabric image — and I concluded that it could indeed also symbolize our society right now, so divided UNLESS we make an effort at true communication. So, thank you all.

Hi, everyone! I’m Patti Hart, Johnny’s oldest daughter. My dear sister Perri, passed away on Easter Saturday last year. She was our letterer and colorist. Our dad Johnny, passed on Easter Saturday as well in 2007. My sons, Johnny’s grandson’s, continue the strips. Mason and Mick Mastroianni. Since the four of us were not particularly religious, when my dad passed Mason decided that he would like to honor his ‘Pops’ legacy by continuing to produce an annual religious Easter strip. This was his first attempt at a Good Friday one… (Prob first and last! – lol) ‘Hart’ in the Mastroianni and Hart, is now just me… I own the properties and handle the prepping of the strips.