How the Cartoons Began
Doug began cartooning “as an accident” in 1957 when as a minister of education he found he could say things in print that would get him fired if he said them from a pulpit. “Brother Blotz” broke into print in 1961, then was syndicated to churches, followed by 13 features, including PulpiTEARS, in the next three years.
How Blotz Was Born
Brother Blotz was simply an illustration of a joke told by Dr. J.D. Gray, then pastor of First Baptist, New Orleans, Doug couldn’t sleep that night before drawing it on a poster with the punch line as a caption. The classification officer says to a large guest, “If Madam is sensitive about giving her age, perhaps she’d rather have us grade by weight.” ...more
PulpiTEARS Spread Fast
... riding on Brother Blotz’ coattails (so Doug used the character in every PulpiTEARS for a long time).
Many Blotz cartoons had been inspired by true, embarrassing incidents. This new feature took that to the next level, giving credit to the source. First marketed to State Baptist papers, Doug eventually offered issues to churches ...more
Editorials Added Meaning
... in 1968, when Doug succeeded his idol, famed religious cartoonist Jack Hamm as editorial cartoonist for The Baptist Standard, which then boasted the largest circulation of any newspaper in Texas. Because of its reach, most people thought it was a full-time job, when in reality, it took no more than an hour a week.