Classic Jack Hamm Cartoon: God Chose His Son As Envoy

 

This Jack Hamm Panel depicts the illuminated Christ shining his light and the word upon the Earth. The scripture used is the first half of a Phillips Translation from II Peter 1:4.

The King James Version of the full verse reads: 

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”

Today this can mean that in the divine nature of Jesus we have powers to not be enslaved or led by the false narratives and lies or other things that would try to snare our flesh.

To view this panel in context of the April 01, 1956 Danville VA Register and Bee: https://www.newspapers.com/article/danville-register-and-bee-jack-hamm-go/195485215/

Classic Jack Hamm Cartoon: Easter Headdress

“Easter Headdress” by Jack Hamm, circulated to newspapers April 1952. This clipping is from The Houston Post, April 05, 1952

This Jack Hamm panel was circulated to newspapers around early April 1952. No text accompanied the image of a well dressed woman who is standing in front of a row of hats in a clothing store window, but whose gaze is fixed upon the illuminated of the Criss and the Crown of Thorns at Calvary. 

Perhaps the intent was the simple message of not forgetting the Christ while dressing in your Easter Best, or it is better to be clothes in his righteousness.

The image like all of Hamms drawings made an impact on readers. There is one account in the Houston Post newspaper of a reader who asked for this image to be reprinted for Good Friday, 1954.

Building a V. Gilbert Beers Book Collection

Growing Up With Jesus: The Muffin Family Growing Up WithGod Series by V. Gilbert Beers with illustrations by Helen Enders, 1987. This was the first Beers book that I acquired around 2016.

For many years while hunting for vintage Bible instructional media, the name V. Gilbert Beers would appear frequently on colorful children’s book covers.

Victor Gilbert Beers (1928 - 2024) was a prolific and highly influential American author and editor who is best known for his extensive development of Christian educational materials and literature.

Beers was educated at Wheaton College (graduating in 1950) and pursued advanced theological and academic study at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and Northwestern University. Beers served as a pastor and later became an editorial leader at David C. Cook, where he helped shape influential children’s curriculum and Bible resources. 

Jesus Is My Guide: Learning to Read From My Bible, Reader 4 by V. Gilbert Beers, with illustrations by Robert Boehmer, 1973

Coco’s Candy Shop by Beers, with art by Marlene Short. 1973.

Across five decades, Beers authored or developed over 150–160 books (some sources say over 200), with more than 125 written specifically for children, or 55 - 75% of his publishings. His works collectively sold over 13 million copies worldwide, reaching audiences in more than 100 countries. His writing emphasized early childhood religious formation, presenting biblical narratives in accessible language for toddlers, preschoolers, and families. 

Many of his works are still being published and older titles are still widely accessible and easy to find today. For my Beers collection, copies were purchased from library book sales, Christian and secular thrift stores, and used book stores. I began collecting the works of Beers, Mary Alice Jones, Tessa Colina and other children’s authors for inspiration into how to reach and preach to young children in print. 

As of this writing, the Beers Collection includes 12 of his books. The goal is not to have a complete set (there would be 110+ more to go), but to create a way to highlight his work along with other legacy creators of historic Christian children’s media. 

Classic Jack Hamm Cartoon: Divine Understanding

“Divine Understanding” by Jack Hamm, clipped from the Longview (WA) Daily News April 23, 1963. Newspapers.com

 This illustrates panel features the close up of the face of a woman in prayer with the scripture Psalm 31:7 “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; Thou hast known my soul in adversities”

For more study with this scripture please visit BibleRef: https://www.bibleref.com/Psalms/31/Psalm-31-7.html

From The Collections: Geraldine and Ricky

Geraldine and Ricky c. 1970. 12” inch LP record album, signed by Geraldine Murray. From the Blogger’s Collection

Over the years I have been blessed to find many unique treasures which tell multiple stories of creative evangelism and worship across the last 100 years.

Believe it or not I found the pictures signed copy of “Geraldine and Ricky” at a thrift store. I could not have paid more than .99 cents for it! 

Gearldine Murray Ragan (1948 - 2024) was a ventriloquist whose talent for God emerged after she dedicated her life to Christ in her early teens. She travelled throughout the Southern United States with her companion “Ricky”.

I have had this album in my collection for at least seven years. I was not aware at the time it was still possible to contact Mrs. Ragan. She has since gone home to Glory. 

One unfortunate aspect of studying ventriloquism and children’s gospel acts in vintage LPs is that these albums tend to be ridiculed today on the internet. This is sad, and may delude new generations from learning evangelism media history and the variety of gifts people like Geraldine Ragan shared with the body of Christ.

Christmas Library 2025: Shepherds Visit Baby Jesus Puzzle

 

This vintage puzzle from the Warner Press was likely manufactured between 1970 and 1989. It is in very good condition and came in set of similar puzzles from a Salvation Army store. I am not aware of an artist for the work.

Christmas Library 2025: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, 1972. By Barbara Robinson.

The story of the 6 Herdman children and how they unexpectedly starred in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” have delighted millions for 53 years.

A treasure from the Christmas Library is a rare 1st edition of the short novel by Barbara Robinson (1927-2013). I recently acquired this copy from a missions thrift store. 

As a child in the 1990s, my elementary school teachers showed the 1983 made for tv adaptation with the late actress Loretta Swit. The scenes with Imogene as Mary weeping or holding the Baby Jesus tenderly and the scene of her taking off her earrings struck me as a little boy. It was the most religiously reverent media moment of my school days, next to Linus explaining the meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown.

Art For Operation Christmas Child 2025

 

“A Praying Princess” By James R. Stewart Jr. Prismacolor & Crayola Marker and Color Pencils.

One of the greatest joys of the Christmas season is preparing Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child Boxes with my wife Shavon. I enjoy creating works of art on the backs of small note cards, including a message of love, prayer and encouragement and inserting them into the boxes. Images created have themes of Holiness, Whimsy, and Childhood. 

"A Praying Princess" is inspired by the tender scene of Snow White praying in the 1937 Disney Classic. I hope that it will be a inspirational work for a young girl. 

"Gathering The Boxes" is a reminder of the joy that goes into many missionaries (that includes volunteer packers at drop off sites) who work to make Operation Christmas Child possible. 

Prayer and Power go into each of the millions of Operation Christmas Child boxes that go out around the world. I may never know in this lifetime who recieves these images, but it is our prayer that they be blessed and know King Jesus!

“Gathering the Boxes” by James R. Stewart Jr. Prismacolor, Prang, and Crayola color pencils.

Phil 3:17 Portrait - Mary Alice Jones Who Told Children About God

Philippians 3:17 - Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Biographical text and photo used on several 1960s-1980s editions
of Mary Alice Jones' Rand McNally Books

This Phil. 3:17 Portrait took over 3 years to publish. At one time Mary Alice Jones’ Wikipedia article did not have a death date. This blog was one of the first online sources to publish that information. Only in recent years did I confirm more information for this story.

Mary Alice Jones (June 23, 1898 - September 23, 1980) was a lecturer, teacher, and the author of dozens of books for children about the Bible, Jesus Christ, prayer and God which sold over 20 million copies and were translated into multiple languages.

She is best remembered today for her "Tell Me About..." series which began in 1945 while she was the children's religious editor for Rand McNally from 1945 - 1951. Many online sources do not have a complete biography of Miss Jones and creating one has been a goal of mine for some time.

Mary Alice Jones was born in Dallas TX. While attending the Crozier Technical High School she became interested in child psychology. She attended the University of Texas where she earned her B.A. For her 1920 M.A. in religious education from Northwestern University, her thesis was titled "Use of the dramatic method or teaching religion to children". She became Dr. Jones with her Ph.D. from Yale. 

From a search of library records, Jones published educational and teaching materials for children as early as 1928. Among her many accomplishments was her work as director of children's work for the International Council of Religious Education for 16 years.

Jones In Other Media.

Some of Jones' books were made into audio-visual aids for school, home and church use. I was fortunate to have purchased a filmstrip/record version of her book "Tell Me About Christmas". Her biography in More Junior Authors states that she made contributions to religious radio programs for children. So far a search of some newspaper databases has shown that she appeared as a guest on several programs to discuss faith and children. If Mary Alice Jones did produce a children's radio program I would love to know about it.

Jones also indirectly inspired the children's novel Misty of Chincoteague when she suggested to author Marguerite Henry and illustrator Wesley Dennis that they visit the Virginia area to see a horse roundup. This novel was made into the family classic film Misty in 1961.

Where are her papers???

A major curiosity of this author is that someone as educated and widely published as Jones most likely has to have a collection of papers either in an archive or in someone's personal possession. After her retirement she spent the remainder of her life in Nashville, Tennessee where she passed away in a Methodist rest home in 1980 at the age of 82. Her body was donated for study to Vanderbilt University. She had no children and her obit only mentioned an unnamed niece.

As widely known and accomplished as Miss Jones was, her obituary seems to have only been published in a Nashville newspaper, which explains why her date of death was generally unknown outside of a few Methodist publications for several years.

While her body was donated to Vanderbilt University, it was recently confirmed that her papers were not. It is still unknown if a local church or seminary in that region may be in possession of them.

Availability of Works
Presumably Jones is not celebrated today along with more mainstream children's book writers because her work was entirely Christian. However there is a glorious plus to this. Her children's books are not as coveted collector's items and therefore are more accessible for continued use as Sunday School and Bible aids for today's children. 

Used copies of Jones' books are easy to obtain from Ebay, Amazon, thrift stores and used book dealers for as little as .25 cents. Therefore the works of Mary Alice Jones can continue to impact children and families for Christ more than 40 years after she passed away.

The Mary Alice Jones Collection:

Also for these reasons, I have gradually built a personal research collection of Mary Alice Jones books. Included are multiple copies of her books across six decades. An amazing find was this signed copy of book at a thrift story for just 2.00. It was a discard from a local church library.

Signed copy of "Me, Myself and God". Mary Alice Jones tended to
sign books on the page next to the title page. 

The Jones Collection has 1st and 6th or 7th editions of her books and the aforementioned audio visual set.

Select Bibliography:

Tell Me About God (1943)

Tell me About Jesus (1944)
Tell Me About the Bible (1945)
Tell Me About Prayer (1948)
First Prayers for Little Children (1949)
Stories of the Christ Child (1953)
Bible Stories: Old Testament (Elizabeth Webbe illustrator; Chicago: Rand McNally, 1954)
God Is Good (Elizabeth Webbe illustrator; Chicago: Rand McNally, 1955)
Tell Me About Heaven (Marjorie Cooper illustrator; Chicago: Rand McNally, 1956)
Tell Me About Christmas (Marjorie Cooper illustrator; Chicago: Rand McNally, 1958)

More on Mary Alice Jones

Find-A-Grave memorial - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132879147

"Miss Mary Alice Jones, Christian Child Author, 82, Dies, September 24, 1980, The Tennessean,

Classic Jack Hamm Comic - Divine Blueprint

Divene** Blueprint [Divine Blueprint] By Jack Hamm. From the Patterson NJ News, July 24, 1954.

This Jack Hamm comic depicts a young woman looking over a blueprint or a rolled out plan of her life with reference to Romans 8:28 which reads:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose".

A translated summary etched over the paper roll says: "A definite life's plan for each individual who submits himself to God". 

**It is not know is the spelling of "Divene" was only in the Patterson News printing or if it was an error in all syndicated versions of this panel

Link To Bible Gateway site for Romans 8:28: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208%3A28&version=KJV 

 

Classic Jack Hamm Comic - Significant Peace Conference

"Significant Peace Conference" By Jack Hamm. Patterson, NJ News, January 16, 1954

This panel was published at a time of a very young United Nations and many talks of peace conferences. Hamm's illustration is a reminder that peace can begin with prayer and on our knees. While no direct scripture is printed with this comic panel, the "Family Altar" is embodied by these scriptures:

Joshua 24:15 - And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Genesis 18:19 - For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Sources

Link to Newspaper Clipping: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-jack-hamm-significant-peace-c/167090389/ 

Bible versus are from Bible Gateway. 

 

Classic Jack Hamm Comic - Resting In the Hollow Of His Hand

 

"Resting In The Hollow Of His Hand" By Jack Hamm.
Image from the Kansas City Star, November 05, 1956.

It has been a few years since I last posted a Jack Hamm comic panel. It is long overdue and God willing I will be posting many more of them in the near future. 

The scripture references is Psalm 4:8 "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: For thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (KJV). 

The image of woman at rest serenely in the palm of God is strong reminder of Jack Hamm's master of human anatomy. Many still learn his techniques in his books to this day. 

Sources:

Scripture copied from  Bible.com - https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PSA.4.8

This image was found in the Kansas City Star, Saturday, November 05, 1956 page  6. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star-jack-hamm-resting/167081728/

Christmas Library 2024: From The Dale Evans Rogers Collection

Several years ago I began researching the life, and testimony, of Mr. And Mrs. Roy Rogers. Their testimonies, and Dale Evans the famed "Queen of the West" especially inspired me to create a research collection in her name.

To date it includes some first editions of her Christian books from the Fleming Revell publishing company. Here are a couple of images from her book "Christmas Is Always".