Legendary Cartoonist Johnny Hart’s Legacy Draws On Generations to Live On
Cartoonist Johnny Hart was at a crossroads in his 26-year-old life. Actually, it was more like a street corner in late-1950s New York City.
The young man from Endicott had spent a few days unsuccessfully pitching newspaper syndicates a comic strip that contemplates the human condition via caveman. Following the fourth “no,” Johnny was ready to toss his work in the trash. But, he looked up and saw one more place to try.
B.C. premiered in newspapers nationwide on Feb. 17, 1958, and evolved into a pop culture staple with readers across the world in the decades that followed.
“The characters are relatable. And the simplicity of the strip – the gestures and the simple lines – that really achieved what he wanted to,” Johnny’s daughter Patti Hart said. “It’s just funny and the boys are still doing a great job with that.”
Johnny Hart first drew cartoons as a child, sketching funny pictures to prompt laughter from his mother. It worked, growing an interest that he nurtured throughout his youth. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where his work appeared in Pacific Stars and Stripes while stationed in Korea. He also successfully submitted single-panel cartoons to major publications like the Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s. Johnny moved back to the Binghamton area after marrying Ida Jane “Bobby” Hatcher. A new comic in the local paper – Peanuts – inspired him to develop his own strip, one that he would end up producing right up until he passed away at his drawing board in 2007.
Johnny never made posthumous plans for B.C. or Wizard of Id, another popular strip he created in 1964. Patti’s son Mason Mastroianni was working as an animator based in Minneapolis at the time. When the family gathered to discuss the next steps, he offered to change the course of his career and step in for his grandfather.
“He was just generous with his time and his money,
Patti Hart
…He was one of the good guys.“
“I think deep down I might have always known that I would want to draw it one day because it was such a huge part of my upbringing. The characters feel alive to us,” Mason said. “When it came to it, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is this is what I was meant to continue.’”
Mason and his brother Mick took over production of both B.C. and Wizard of Id, both of which continue to run daily worldwide. The strips are iconic, but Patti and Mason will tell you their creator was humble and extremely supportive of his community.
“Whenever someone would reach out to him and ask for some art or a logo or something, he’s like, ‘Yeah, sure. What do you need?’” Patti said. “He just loved his community. He just loved giving back.”
“He was just generous with his time and his money,” she said. “He was one of the good guys.”
Patti points to piles of logos he created for Binghamton-area nonprofits and their fundraising events. The Gronk dinosaur character remains the face of Broome County Parks and Recreation, adorning all the entrances to their public spaces. He created identities for the county’s public transit authority and local minor league hockey teams.
Perhaps Johnny’s most well-known community contribution was his role in the B.C. Open, a PGA tour event in his hometown of Endicott that was named for his famous comic strip. Johnny designed the logo, of course, but also had a huge part in growing the tournament into a massive community event that more than 50 years later continues to draw thousands as the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open.
“He would bring all of his cartoonist friends in to play in the pro-am with him, and then they would put on a big show for the crowds there at the Open,” Patti said. Those buddies included a who’s who of comic strip creators like Charles Schulz (Peanuts), Jim Davis (Garfield) and Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey). “All the cartoonists would get up on stage with big drawing tablets, flip the pages and draw their characters, and then they’d have a Q and A.”
Johnny’s commitment to his community lives on along with his comics. After struggling to control his weight for much of his life, Mason finally got healthy with diet and exercise. He established B.C. Fit to help others get to their fitness goals as well. Mason’s “neighborhood gym” concept is his way of supporting the community.
“My grandfather was always so gracious with his time, and he was a community-minded person,” Mason said. “I love that I have the ability to continue that part of his legacy.“
“Broome County has history and bones to it that I don’t really see anywhere else,” Mason said. “You can see things growing and changing and it’s like you want to be a part of it. It’s like a magnet.”
