One way? I thought you said it was the only way Jack…
An almost identical version of this tract is available under the title "The Right Path" except that it’s supposed to have been "specially redrawn for Native Americans". However, the only difference I can see is that in a few panels some of the characters have been replaced by stereotype "Indian" images. It’s like something out of a Monty Python skit – you know: "This? This is a dog license with the word ‘dog’ crossed out and the word ‘cat’ written in in crayon…".

Perhaps I’m sticking my neck out here, but I had the distinct impression that the majority of Native Americans are pretty much like the majority of "Native Australians" – they speak and write English pretty much like anybody else! But I keep forgetting: These tracts are targeted toward the mentality of the purchaser, not the end user! No doubt some desert-dwelling Bible Basher decided that all the Native Americans’ problems could be solved with a liberal application of Chick literature, and Jack was only too pleased to help out!

SYNOPSIS: There’s no dialogue, and very few words. Basically we start with Adam and Eve being shown around Eden by the usual faceless "God", indicating "don’t pick the apples" and so on. Of course Eve immediately does so and a great deluge of "Sin" pours onto them from the leaves of the tree. They become covered with filth, attracting flies and so on and God immediately builds a high brick wall around Eden and boots them out.

The filth won’t wash off and they eventually produce equally filthy kids, and soon we see a large crowd of filthy people (presumably representing "mankind") all walking down a street that leads to the fires of Hell. Just before the furnace there’s a doorway that offers a "free gift" and three filthy children decide to explore in there. They find an image of Jesus on the cross and two of them kneel down and are saved and are suddenly sparkling clean.

The other little brat doesn’t want a bar of this (in the "Native American" version, he becomes a grown-up holding what looks like a whiskey bottle) and storms out with a stubborn frown on his face and presumably rejoins the rest of humanity on the highway to Hell! (One can’t help wondering why?). Meanwhile the other two kids find some sort of stairway to heaven and are thus saved.

ARTWORK: It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Most of the illustration is adequate for the message being conveyed, and some bits (accidentally I’m sure) stray in the direction of stylishness! However the first few panels, depicting the Garden of Eden, are piss-poor. That would have to be the worst rendition of an apple tree I’ve ever seen. Looks like something out of South Park!

MEMORABLE AND/OR WEAK POINTS: There’s really not a lot I can say here, since the whole comic is a bit of a non-event…

Download One Way! from Chick Publications

Download The True Path ("Native American" Version:-)