“How often do Masons show up in the funny pages?” If you’ve asked yourself this question, here’s your answer:
Of the 68,647 cartoons that appeared in The New Yorker magazine from 1925 to 2004 only two referred to Freemasonry and five referred to the Shriners.
That tally is courtesy of Masonic References in the Comics, an excellent recap from the extremely good sports at the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Yukon.
Archie, Bloom County, Homestar Runner and The Yellow Kid are all included, along with loads of more obscure titles. Don’t miss The Curse of Baphomet, a classic, classic Jack Chick religious tract.
And here are those seven ever-so-droll New Yorker cartoons.
For the most part, the Masons and Shriners in these comics are presented as harmless middle-aged and middle-class men, not secret manipulators of world affairs. So that’s a… plus?
Side note: For those interested in Freemasonry, the actor Ernest Borgnine tells the lively story of how he became a Mason back in the old days, when the Masonic rule was that someone had to ask three times before they could be offered a shot at membership.
May the great architect of the universe protect you on your journey!