History YMMV / ChickTracts

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Well, bronze maybe, but the author really does seem to want to save people from Hell. His comics that feature the FamilyUnfriendlyAesop of people doing good deeds and still ending up in Hell, while people praying at their deathbed can literally get away with murder, seem to be made because many people think that the good deeds should count, and Chick wants to warn people that, according to him, God doesn't give a damn about your good deeds. Or rather, [[IncrediblyLamePun he does give a damn]]. Of course his message might get through a little better if he didn't assume that every person on the planet is either a proper Christian, an ignorant one conversation away from being a Christian or a CardCarryingVillain.

** "Fairy Tales": The intended message was not to lie to your children, but it comes across as being "always question authority" (especially your parents).

* EsotericHappyEnding: Tracts like "Somebody Loves Me" and "Bewitched" end with the death of the protagonist in a cruel or painful way, but the fact that they go to heaven should make up for it... right?

* TheWoobie: Quite a few of them, in fact. The protagonists of "Unloved", "Somebody Loves Me", "Lisa", and "Poor Little Witch" -- to name a few. Also, the various characters who end up being tossed into hell could be considered unintentional examples of this trope.

** Also in [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1025/1025_01.asp "The Missing Day"]], in which Uncle Mortimer describes the journey on the ''Mayflower'' as an "unspeakable nightmare". Because, [[SarcasmMode as we]] ''[[SarcasmMode all]]'' [[SarcasmMode know]], there were '''no''' other voyages to America were people were stuffed in boxes and chains, with little food or water given, to be brought here as slave labour.

* CompleteMonster: Played straight, played with, and done unintentionally. The demons in the tracts are just evil for the fun of it. They don't really have a rhyme or reason for it. Additionally, many of the ordinary characters are portrayed as complete monsters for the horrible sin of not believing in God. Many of them are shown donating to charities, helping the poor, and doing things in life that are genuinely good and virtuous, and yet, the way Chick portrays them, they may as well be all members of the Manson family. Also, unintentionally, God comes off as a complete monster, especially when he punishes people to suffer eternal damnation for sins that are oddly mundane.

* {{Narm}}: "''That's madness!'' The ''Devil'' rules and I've come to ''bite'' you!"

** One could argue that the very fact that there is a separate tract series just for black people is this trope, though YMMV.

* CriticalResearchFailure: "Dark Dungeons" is similar to the film ''MazesAndMonsters'' in that it bares little resemblance to how RolePlayingGames are actually played. For example, Marcie is instantly declared dead and does not even get to make a saving throw to see if she survives. Generally, instant deaths in role-playing are reserved for important non-player characters. She is also treated as though she "no longer exists"; it's not like she could take her character and go to ''another'' gaming group, or even have someone here pay for a resurrection!

** ''The Contract'': Feel free to make a deal with the devil; you won't have to hold up your end.
** ''Wounded Children'': You should do what a demon tells you. No, really. [[spoiler: When some people attack Brian, the demon tells David to help him. Brian dies because he didn't.]]
** ''Fairy Tales'': The intended message was not to lie to your children, but it comes across as being "always question authority" (especially your parents).

* CriticalResearchFailure: ''Dark Dungeons'' is similar to the film ''MazesAndMonsters'' in that it bares little resemblance to how RolePlayingGames are actually played. For example, Marcie is instantly declared dead and does not even get to make a saving throw to see if she survives. Generally, instant deaths in role-playing are reserved for important non-player characters. She is also treated as though she "no longer exists"; it's not like she could take her character and go to ''another'' gaming group, or even have someone here pay for a resurrection!

* EsotericHappyEnding: Tracts like "Somebody Loves Me" and "Bewitched" end with the death of the protagonist in a cruel and/or painful way, but the fact that they go to heaven should make up for it... Right?

** ''The Bully'': "Even someone whose bullying caused people to reject Jesus and end up in Hell might repent and [[KarmaHoudini go to Heaven]]."
** ''Fat Cats'': "MeetTheNewBoss, same as the old boss."
** ''Gunslinger'': "Sometimes the villain repents and goes to Heaven while the hero is self-righteous and goes to Hell."
** ''[[http://www.angelfire.com/on/3angels/lisa.html Lisa]]'': Viewing pornography and a breakdown in one's marriage leads to child molesting, among other things--or vice-versa.
** ''Little Bride'': "Muslims are pedophiles, and cultural ValuesDissonance is no excuse."
** ''[[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0008/0008_01.asp Why No Revival?]]'': Why aren't things going well for Christianity? Because of MoralMyopia, because GoodIsNotNice, because of HolierThanThou attitudes... Jack Chick wants his fellow Christians to know: [[WhatTheHellHero you're falling down on the job here!]] Even more tellingly, he makes note of the fact that the tract is not for the unsaved, possibly because he doesn't want them to see what's wrong with Christians.
** ''[[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1070/1070_01.asp Uninvited]]'': Homosexuals are that way because they were molested as children.
** Many different tracts: [[JerkassGods God is an asshole]] and doesn't care about your good deeds. It's ok to be a bad person as long as you tell people you believe in Jesus.

* MemeticMutation: The images from the [[http://encyclopediadramatica.com/The_Sandwich_Chef Sandwich Chef meme]] came from [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0076/0076_01.asp this Tract]].

* UglyCute: Demons in general are portrayed as crankily incompetent [[CardCarryingVillain Card Carrying Villains]] who look like grotesque muppets. The gay demons in [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1052/1052_01.asp Birds and the Bees]], though, cross the line from goofy and non-threatening to downright adorable. Seriously, look at [[http://media.chick.com/tractimages52764/1052/1052_04.gif panel six]].
* UnfortunateImplications: The tract [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1064/1064_01.asp "The Little Sneak"]] of the "Black Tract" series is said to be for "older children." The whole story revolves around a family living in a straw-and-mud hut, where the boy steals the family savings and buries it in the backyard for no apparent reason. The entire tract is told with NO WORDS WHATSOEVER.
** Also in [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1025/1025_01.asp "The Missing Day"]], in which Uncle Mortimer describes the journey on the Mayflower as an "unspeakable nightmare". Because, [[SarcasmMode as we]] ''[[SarcasmMode all]]'' [[SarcasmMode know]], there were '''no''' other voyages to America were people were stuffed in boxes and chains, with little food or water given, to be brought here as slave labour.

** Including the vast majority of even Christians, as they typically don't hate everyone. Even those who do hate the Tracts.

* TheWoobie: Quite a few of them, in fact. The protagonists of "Unloved", "Somebody Loves Me", and "Poor Little Witch" -- to name a few. Also, the various characters who end up being tossed into hell could be considered unintentional examples of this trope.

* CriticalResearchFailure: ''Dark Dungeons'' is similar to the film ''MazesAndMonsters'' in that it bares little resemblance to how RolePlayingGames are actually played. For example, Marcie is instantly declared dead and does not even get to making a saving throw to see if she survives. Generally, instant deaths in role-playing are reserved for important non-player characters. She is also treated as though she "no longer exists"; it's not like she could take her character and go to ''another'' gaming group, or even have someone here pay for a resurrection!

** Also in [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1025/1025_01.asp "The Missing Day"]], in which Uncle Mortimer describes the journey on the Mayflower as an "unspeakable nightmare". Because, [[SarcasmMode as we ''all'' know]], there were '''no''' other voyages to America were people were stuffed in boxes and chains, with little food or water given, to be brought here as slave labour.

* AccidentalAesop: * AccidentalAesop: The antics in the tracts often send the unintended message of "God is a dick who will send even good people to hell for not accepting my religion, meanwhile serial killers who do get off with no punishment."

** Also in [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1025/1025_01.asp "The Missing Day"]], in which Uncle Mortimer describes the journey on the Mayflower as an "unspeakable nightmare". Because, [[SarcasmMode as we ''all'' know]], there were '''no''' other voyages to America were people were stuffed in boxes and chains, with little food or water give, to be brought here as slave labour.

* {{Narm}}: There's so much of it that [[Narm/JackChick Chick Tracts have their own page]].

* AccidentalAesop:

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop:

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Fang, a bizarre pet that seems to be a cross between a dog, cat, fox and rabbit, and continually makes background appearances.
** It's the sabre teeth and a saw-tail. And being the only character who never speaks.

** ''[[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0008/0008_01.asp Why No Revival?]]'': Why aren't things going well for Christianity? Because of MoralMyopia, because GoodIsNotNice, because of HolierThanThou attitudes... Jack Chick wants his fellow Christians to know: [[WhatTheHellHero you're falling down on the job here!]] Even more tellingly, he makes note of the fact that the tract is ''not for the unsaved'', possibly because he doesn't want them to see what's wrong with Christians.

* MarySue, mostly FixerSue: Bob is one of the very rare examples of being a pure version ''in his own canon''. He doesn't get enough CharacterDevelopment to overlap with anything else.

* UglyCute: Demons in general are portrayed as crankily incompetent [[CardCarryingVillain Card Carrying Villains]] who look like grotesque muppets. The gay demons in [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1052/1052_01.asp Birds and the Bees]], though, cross the line from goofy and non-threatening to downright adorable. Seriously, look at [[http://media.chick.com/tractimages52764/1052/1052_04.gif panel six]] without squeeing. I dare you.

* UnfortunateImplications: The tract [[http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1064/1064_01.asp "The Little Sneak"]] of the "Black Tract" series is said to be for "older children." The whole story revolves around a family living in a straw-and-mud hut, where the boy steals the family savings and buries it in the backyard for no apparent reason. The entire tract is told with NO WORDS WHATSOEVER.