You see the characters everywhere, B.C. transit buses, county park signs, and of course, in the newspaper -- but who are these lovable cartoons so unique to Broome County? In this edition of Explore New York, Gabrielle Lucivero takes a trip back to the era of B.C. Comics, with a look at the comic strip that started in the Southern Tier.
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Started by Johnny Hart in 1958, the B.C. comic strip is now a family affair.
"I grew up with an idea that these characters were part of my family. That they were probably more real to me than they were," said Mason Mastroianni, cartoonist. "My mother always said that too, she's like,'Well, they have voices in my head!'"
Hart's grandsons Mason and Mick, along with his daughters Patti and Perri and his wife, Bobby, work to carry on his legacy.
"As a kid you know, he was always the funniest guy in the room. He'd come in and crack his jokes, make everybody laugh."
Even after he passed away in 2007, Hart's personality lives on in his characters, and nearly 60 years later, B.C. is circulated in over 800 newspapers across the country, but Hart and his family never lost sight of their hometown.
"My grandfather was always very involved with the community and always did his best to give back, and people really respect that."
And they hope to keep making Binghamton and Johnny Hart proud.