I met him a couple times, at the BC Open, back in the '80s.
It was/is a minor stop on the PGA schedule; the co. I worked
for at the time, particpated in the Wed Pro-AM. He lent his
"name", logo and stuff to that tournament. Pretty good guy
and very "unfull-of-himself". Funnyazz comic strip, too.
BR,mD


Johnny Hart Dies at 76; Cartoonist Created ‘B.C.’
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: April 9, 2007

ENDICOTT, N.Y., April 8 — The cartoonist Johnny Hart, creator of the award-winning “B.C.” comic strip, died at his home here on Saturday. He was 76.

Johnny Hart

“He had a stroke,” Mr. Hart’s wife, Bobby, said on Sunday. “He died at his storyboard.”

“B.C.,” populated by prehistoric cavemen and dinosaurs, was created in 1958 and eventually appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers, with an audience of 100 million, according to Creators Syndicate Inc., which distributes it.

After he graduated from Union-Endicott High School, Mr. Hart met Brant Parker, a young cartoonist who became a prime influence and co-creator with Mr. Hart of the “Wizard of Id” comic strip.

Mr. Hart enlisted in the Air Force and began producing cartoons for the Pacific version of Stars and Stripes. He sold his first cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post as a freelancer after his discharge from the military in 1954.

Later in his career, some of Mr. Hart’s cartoons had religious themes, which sometimes led to controversy. A strip published on Easter Sunday in 2001 drew protests from some Jewish groups and led several newspapers to drop the strip. The cartoon depicted a menorah transforming into a cross, with accompanying text quoting some of Jesus Christ’s dying words. Critics of the strip said it implied that Christianity superseded Judaism. Mr. Hart said he intended the cartoon as a tribute to both faiths.

The novelist and cartoonist Mell Lazarus, creator of the “Momma” and “Miss Peach” comic strips, described Mr. Hart as “a very dear friend.”
“He was generally regarded as one of the best cartoonists we’ve ever had,” Mr. Lazarus said from his California home. “He was totally original. ‘B.C.’ broke ground and led the way for a number of imitators, none of which ever came close.”

Mr. Lazarus said Mr. Hart, a born-again Christian, was a generous and civic-minded man who lived quietly with his family in the small town where he grew up, about 185 miles northwest of New York City.

“Johnny was one of the smartest and funniest persons I’ve ever known,” Mr. Lazarus said. “This is a great loss.”

Richard Newcombe, founder and president of Creators Syndicate in Los Angeles, said of Mr. Hart: “He influenced my life in many ways. He had such an emphasis on kindness, generosity and patience. He had a strong commitment to talent and hard work.”

Mr. Newcombe said Mr. Hart was the first cartoonist to sign on when the syndicate was created 20 years ago. “Traditionally, comic strips were owned by syndicates,” he said. “We were different because we allowed cartoonists to own their own work. It was because of Johnny’s commitment to this idea that made us a success.”

Besides his wife, Mr. Hart is survived by two daughters, Patti and Perri.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/09/ny...=1&oref=slogin