Watson Heston was an irreverent cartoonist

Cartoonist

A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...

 who peaked in the late 19th century. Born in Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 in 1846, he spent the majority of his life in Carthage, Missouri

Carthage, Missouri

Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 14,378 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."...

. His cartoon

Cartoon

A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...

s, which poked fun at religion

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 in general and Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 in particular, appeared in the famous freethought

Freethought

Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...

 newspapers Truth Seeker, Free-Thought Ideal, and other regional papers. Later, he would write and illustrate The Old Testament Comically Illustrated (1890), and The New Testament Comically Illustrated (1898), which literally depict scenes from the Bible. Famous among these are his depiction of bears eating children while Elijah watches. (Referencing the story in 2 Kings 2:24, in which God sends she bears to eat the children as punishment for calling the prophet "bald head".) In another cartoon, Heston depicts a cave with a sign outside letting readers know that Lot and his daughters are inside. He also lets the reader know that they can turn to Genesis 19:30-38 for the story of incest.

The Bible Comically Illustrated was published in 1900 by Truth Seeker Company and sold at least 10,000 copies. Few copies of this book or his earlier works survive, as most were apparently destroyed by those who did not appreciate such blasphemy

Blasphemy

Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...

. His works can be found on sale from time to time, with the asking prices usually reaching $2,000.