Gone Astray - Print

Gone Astray
A Collection Of (Sac)Religious Cartoons By Jim

By Brendan Boughen

[2 copies only in stock at this special price 1 July 2026
We will not be re-ordering this book when these copies have sold]

A warm, witty and irreverent cartoon collection that invites churchgoers, sceptics and seekers alike to laugh at religious life while thinking more deeply about faith, community and human oddness.

This book will help you:

• Laugh at the familiar quirks, habits and contradictions of church culture.
• See the funny side of clergy, organists, parishioners, preachers and theological debates.
• Reflect on faith, tradition and religious life through clever visual humour.
• Enjoy gentle satire that is thoughtful, warm-hearted and occasionally edgy.
• Recognise the humanity behind church politics, worship styles and spiritual searching.
• Start conversations about Christianity, belief, doubt and community without taking things too seriously.
• Find humour, humility and hope in the strange world of organised religion.

Features

• A collection of around 80 religious-themed cartoons by Jim.
• Black-and-white single-panel cartoon humour.
• Includes an introduction by Jim reflecting on cartoons, religion and the search for truth.
• Features recurring character Jeff and his evolving spiritual journey.
• Includes praise from church leaders, reviewers, writers and cartoonists.

Soft cover, 96pp, b/w
Dimensions:149mm x 210mm
Words: 2280
ISBN: 9780473118860
Communico Ltd (2006)

Description

Church life can be strange, sincere, beautiful, baffling and unintentionally hilarious—often all at once.

This collection captures that wonderfully awkward territory with cartoons that are affectionate enough to feel familiar and sharp enough to make readers wince with recognition. Whether you have spent years in pews, played the organ, endured committee meetings, argued over doctrine or watched church culture from a safe distance, these cartoons offer a refreshing invitation to laugh at the things religious communities so often treat with solemn seriousness.

Across its pages, clergy, parishioners, fundamentalists, liberals, Lutherans, Anglicans, organists, angels, sheep and even Jesus appear in a parade of gently subversive humour. The jokes range from biblical twists and theological puns to pointed observations about institutional habits, worship culture and the odd ways people behave when faith, power, tradition and personality collide. The result is not mockery from the outside, but satire from someone who knows the landscape intimately and understands both its absurdities and its heart.

A recurring figure named Jeff gives the collection an added thread of spiritual searching, inviting readers to notice not only the jokes but also the deeper questions behind them. The cartoons suggest that humour can be a form of honesty: a way to expose pretension, soften certainty, and make space for humility. They also remind readers that laughter and faith need not be enemies. Both can reveal truth. Both can help people face the chaos of life. Both can open the door to grace.

Ideal for Christians with a sense of humour, former churchgoers, clergy, lay leaders, theology students, cartoon lovers and anyone fascinated by the quirks of religious culture, this is a compact, thoughtful and highly readable collection that rewards repeat visits. It is funny, perceptive and unmistakably human.

About the Author

Brendan Boughen, also known as Jim, is a cartoonist whose work has appeared in magazines, websites and publications in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. His cartoons often explore religion, community, technology, society and everyday human behaviour with dry wit and layered insight. He has drawn for businesses, hospitals, community organisations and churches, and is an associate member of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association. His work includes black-and-white gags, colour cartoons, single-panel pieces and comic strips that aim to work on more than one level. Gone Astray was his first cartoon collection, gathering religious-themed cartoons from his first decade of work in this area.

Contents

Introduction
Jeff
By the book
Churchianity
Of the cloth
Lutherans
More Jeff
Acknowledgements
About the author
About this book
Also by Brendan Boughen / Jim