the awesomest comic book of the twentieth century

Tags

black and white, Charles Dallas, Indie Comics, Last Gasp, Psychotic Adventures, psychotic adventures 2, underground comix

Psychotic Adventures #2 is the second of three issues by Charles Dallas, published in 1974 by Last Gasp. You only rarely see them in stock at MyComicShop, so we went directly to Last Gasp for our copy. Last Gasp is also currently out of stock, so maybe we got one of the last available copies.

The other two issues of Psychotic Adventures contain several short stories. You can see some of them in our Psychotic Adventures archive. This one, however, features a non-stop, no-advertisements action/adventure story of epic scale, a story that doesn’t stop until the back cover of the book! The hero and his comrades endure the most horrifying tragedies and injustices, pressing on with an indomitable spirit no matter what.

This story earns more than just a spot in our second round of Top Ten Favorite Single Comic Book Issues. Though we had never discovered this title until a couple years after starting this blog, it has risen to the top of our hallowed short boxes of glory to claim its spot as the most awesome comic book we have ever read. Enjoy!

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Underground Comix set: Zap, Young Lust, Crumb

Tags

black and white, Indie Comics, Last Gasp, Robert Crumb, underground comix, Weirdo, young lust

 
Today we flip through pages from Zap, Young Lust, and miscellaneous works by Robert Crumb. These comics were so much fun to read, and we were glad that when we sold them we at least made back the cost of buying them. The lunacy and ribald humor of these adult-oriented magazines merges with artwork ranging from hilarious to adventurous. Not every story in an anthology title works for every reader, but if your sense of humor is warped even remotely as much as ours, you will find something to enjoy.

Normally we put links to buy comics here, but your choices for these underground comix are pretty much local shops, private owners such as eBayers, and a scavenger hunt for any printing still carried by Last Gasp.

 

bizarre sex #7 by kitchen sink

Tags

bizarre sex, black and white, Indie Comics, kitchen sink, underground comix

 
Ah, Valentine’s Day. A day for Americans to observe a Roman pagan fertility ritual in the name of a saint appointed by Italians with plenty of candy hearts and bizarre sex. Speaking of Bizarre Sex, here are a few pages for you to flip through. Due to the explicit sexual content of the comic book, these are just about the only pages we can show you without causing some sort of brouhaha. And today is a day for love, not first amendment battles. Those belong on President’s Day.

Prior to listing it on eBay, we snapped these photos of the interior of a later printing of Bizarre Sex #7; Kitchen Sink, 1979.

 

A Look Inside Weirdo Magazine

Tags

black and white, Indie Comics, Last Gasp, Robert Crumb, Spain, Trashman, underground comix, Weirdo

Weirdo features the legendary underground artist Robert Crumb and a cavalcade of independent talent. Spain’s infamous TrashMan makes an appearance, as do Kim Deitch, Ed Roth, Peter ‘Hate’ Bagge, and too many to list here: some of the funniest, boldest, and most outrageous artists of an era!

Most of these copies in our photos came directly from Last Gasp publishing, and represent the best condition you can get new copies in. Overall, they have shipped us high-quality books that have been long out-of-print and are depleting rapidly from their original stock. We are willing to accept the occasional roll to a spine or minor ding in a corner to enjoy a classic.

These comic books are not intended for small children! They feature nudity, sexual content, cartoon violence, and frankly degenerate behavior! Using strong language, they talk about dead musicians, the hippie movement, intimate biographical material, bodily functions, subversive and revolutionary ideas, and ALL THE GOOD STUFF. Ok? Not for kids.

We recently sold our modest collection of Weirdo on eBay, but not before we snapped some pics of the interior art. If you haven’t seen Weirdo before, enjoy a look inside!

Out of the Ruins of Fascist Amerika, Trashman Fights for Freedom!

Tags

Agent of the Sixth International, Fantagraphics, first issue, Indie Comics, origin, Rip Off Press, Spain, Spain Rodriguez, Subvert, Trashman, Trashman Lives, underground comix

It’s our birthday today, so we offer you an origin story. But not just any origin story: Trashman! Bearded hero of the people’s revolution: Trashman! Sometimes called “the Superman of the New left:” Trashman!

Subvert #1 by Spain Rodriguez contains the origin of his guerilla resistance character, Trashman. This off-beat 1970 story published by underground comix legends Rip Off Press describes the transformation of average guy Harry Barnes into an Agent of the Sixth International. He even masters molecular disintegration – whoa!

Murder, nuclear apocalypse, covert agencies, class struggle, satire – and that’s just the origin! The longer story which completes Subvert #1 involves some sexually hungry female revolutionaries. It’s a hoot, but forgive us for not sharing a few pages of THAT with you here.

Collector’s Guide:
You can still find well-read copies of Subvert #1 for a few dollars if you are willing to dig. We found a VG- copy at the local comic store for 3 or 4 bucks, or you can go right to Subvert #1 on Amazon.

Fantagraphics published a wonderful collection of all the Trashman stories from 1968 to 1985: Trashman Lives! It fetches a hefty price on Amazon these days, but we found a copy at a used bookstore for less than $20.

Jim Morrison on Zap Comix

Tags

Amazing Heroes, Fantagraphics, Indie Comics, Jim Korkis, Jim Morrison, Potpourri, Robert Crumb, underground comix, Zap Comix

Jim Morrison had a few things to say in a 1970 interview about Robert Crumb, Zap Comix, and how they warped his view of the world. Jim Korkis provided this excerpt on his ‘potpourri’ page of Amazing Heroes.

Collector’s Guide:
– from Amazing Heroes #44; Fantagraphics, 1984.

Below, the original page, as compiled and edited by Jim Korkis.

The East Village Other

Tags

3-Arms, East Village Other, Indie Comics, underground comix

 
From the guy with three arms on the cover telling you to plant hemp, to the colorful scribble art on the back, this issue of the East Village Other is part time capsule and part trip. It has several pages of comics and political cartoons, mixed in with social criticism. Underground comix fans, radicals, historians, and other deviants will all get a kick out of the vintage pages of East Village Other.

Collector’s Guide:
– The East Village Other; Vol. 16, #18; March 30, 1971.

Do you know where to buy these besides eBay? Leave us a comment so we can post a hyperlink for people! Thank you.

 

Paranoid Postcards 12

Tags

devil girl, Kitchen Sink Comics, postcards, Robert Crumb, underground comix

OK Comics #11

Tags

Gilbert Shelton, Indie Comics, OK Comics, Robt Williams, underground comix, Wonder Warthog, Wonder Warthog Visits the Ghetto

Ok Comics Vol. 1, #11 has a classic mix of underground comix themes: satire, social justice, psychedelic art, a Robt. Williams cover, hippie sex fantasy, and… Wonder Warthog by Gilbert Shelton. If you are looking for kids’ books or are easily offended, OK Comics are definitely not okay for you! It’s hard to believe radicals and drug users published this stuff right about the time we popped into this world in 1973. Sometimes we wonder how much more interesting life might have been if these freaks had been our parents.

Robert Crumb’s City of the Future!

Tags

city of the future, comix, Indie Comics, Robert Crumb, underground comix, Zap, Zap Comix

Legend has it that Robert Crumb’s entire set of finished pages for the first issue of Zap somehow got lost. He created a whole new issue from scratch that became Zap #1. When the lost pages reappeared, they saw publication as Zap #0.

Crumb’s mix of absurdity, psychedelia, and satire produced two of our favorite underground comix classics in this issue. Meatball tells the tale of random Americans being struck by flying meatballs until a meatball sensation sweeps the nation.

City of the Future comically spoofs the pop culture tradition of envisioning what our daily lives will be like in some far-off time. But on second read, one might consider the prescience of these predictions from the vantage point of our modern day video games, sex dolls, recycling centers, twitter feeds, and ‘extreme’ sports.

Collector’s Guide:
From Zap Comix #0; 1967, Apex Oddities.

Robert Crumb’s Meatball!

Tags

Indie Comics, meatball, Robert Crumb, underground comix, Zap, Zap Comix

Legend has it that Robert Crumb’s entire set of finished pages for the first issue of Zap somehow got lost. He created a whole new issue from scratch that became Zap #1. When the lost pages reappeared, they saw publication as Zap #0.

Crumb’s mix of absurdity, psychedelia, and satire produced two of our favorite underground comix classics in this issue. Meatball tells the tale of random Americans being struck by flying meatballs until a meatball sensation sweeps the nation.

City of the Future comically spoofs the pop culture tradition of envisioning what our daily lives will be like in some far-off time. But on second read, one might consider the prescience of these predictions from the vantage point of our modern day video games, sex dolls, recycling centers, twitter feeds, and ‘extreme’ sports.

Collector’s Guide:
From Zap Comix #0; 1967, Apex Oddities.

1968 Psychedelic Ad for Ginsberg’s Thing!

Tags

Allen Ginsberg, East Village Other, Ginsberg's Thing, Gothic Blimp Works, Indie Comics, Robert Crumb, underground comix

This 1968 advertisement for Allen Ginsberg’s album Ginsberg’s Thing appeared in Gothic Blimp Works, a supplement to The East Village Other. Ginsberg had recently been accused of violating the Italian Penal code. Ginsberg showed up at the police station doing his poetry thing and recorded this album at the Festival of The Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Gothic Blimp Works #2, 1968.
Edited by Vaughn Bodē.
Cover by Robert Crumb.
– Get Ginsberg’s Thing on vinyl LP

Rick Griffin: Man from Utopia!

Tags

first issue, Indie Comics, Man from Utopia, Rick Griffin, underground comix

Man from Utopia is not your average comic book. Only one short piece reads like a comic. The rest of the book showcases the artwork of Rick Griffin. Interestingly, some of the pages are lettered with words composed of pure design instead of actual letters! The beetles, skulls, cosmic energy, and spermatozoa which adorned so many of Griffin’s concert posters are all here. And, perhaps because Griffin had recently converted to Christianity, several images of Jesus and the sacred heart appear.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Man From Utopia #0; 1972.

Bogeyman 3: Rick Griffin and Rory Hayes!

Tags

Bogeyman, Greg Irons, Indie Comics, Rick Griffin, Rory Hayes, The Company and Sons, underground comix

The third and (as far as we can tell) final issue of Bogeyman features art by Rory Hayes, Greg Irons, and Jim Osborne. We’ve pulled those pages for your viewing pleasure today.

Rick Griffin collaborates with Hayes on two savagely trippy pieces, also included here. Stunning!

Collector’s Guide:
– From Bogeyman #3; 1970, The Company & Sons.

The only place we can find to buy Bogeyman online is eBay. We’re open to suggestions!

Suddenly I am Aware! Suddenly I am Alive!

Tags

23 Skidoo, Bogeyman, Evolve, Indie Comics, Rick Griffin, Rory Hayes, San Francisco Comic Book Co, underground comix

23 Skidoo is a one-page collaboration between underground comix legends Rick Griffin and Rory Hayes. We’ve also included a four-page Hayes story called Evolve. Both involve a teddy bear who goes on some far-out trips!

Collector’s Guide:
– From Bogeyman #2; 1969, San Francisco Comic Book Co.
The only place we can find to buy Bogeyman online is eBay.

Thrasher Comics: Skate Greats of History!

Tags

Elvis Presley, Indie Comics, Julius Caesar, Kevin Ancell, L. E. Coleman, Napoleon, skateboard, Statue of Liberty, Thrasher Comics, underground comix

Thrasher Comics came from High Speed, the publishers of Thrasher Magazine, who also produced the art magazine Juxtapoz. You don’t need to be a skater to dig the artwork in Thrasher Comics, however. Here is a sample: L. E. Coleman’s “Skate Greats of History,” featuring Elvis Presley skating on a guitar, and Julius Caesar skating the Colossuem.

Though it’s unsigned, the cover looks like the work of Rick Griffin. Griffin did freelance work for Thrasher Magazine and even designed several Vans shoes, a brand loved by skaters everywhere.

Update: Thrasher contributor Ken Jones informs us the cover was created by Kevin Ancell! Thank you.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Thrasher #2; 1988, High Speed.

Day of the Lobster!

Tags

Chris Harmon, first issue, Indie Comics, lobster, Rimshot, Rip Off Press, underground comix

Chris Harmon tells a short story about a lobster who breaks free of the little rubber band thingie that keeps their claws shut in the tank. Joey – that’s the lobster’s name – hears from his tank-mates that he has been chosen to lead their revolution against the fat bastards that run “the lobster death camp.”

You can see how that turns out in our gallery below. It’s just another totally warped tale from underground comix publishing legends Rip Off Press! We also included the painted back cover from this issue.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Rimshot #1; Rip Off Press, 1991.

We don’t know where to direct you for more information on Chris Harmon. As far as we can tell, he had some pieces published in Rip Off Comix in the 1970s and may have worked on the Simpsons. Feel free to enlighten us if you have more information!

Bogeyman: Body and Soul!

Tags

Bogeyman, Indie Comics, Jim Osborne, Rory Hayes, San Francisco Comic Book Co, underground comix

Bogeyman was the brainchild of the late underground comix legend Rory Hayes. Mostly a blend of psychedelia and horror, it ran for three issues in 1969 and 1970.

Let’s have a look at one of the stories from the second issue: Body and Soul by Jim Osborne. An old man makes a deal with the “spawn of hell” to get revenge against some street punks.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Bogeyman #2; 1969, San Francisco Comic Book Co.
If you know where to buy Bogeyman online, we’re open to suggestions!

Abstract Expressionist Ultra Super Modernistic Comics!

Tags

first issue, Indie Comics, Robert Crumb, underground comix, Zap, Zap Comix

We have a special place in our Martian hearts for the indie and underground work of the 1960s and 1970s: comix as opposed to comics! In the world of undergound comix, few magazines hold such a revered place as the first issue of Robert Crumb’s Zap. We preserved our bank account by finding an eighth printing of this far-out book. In addition to many humorous vignettes, Crumb blew minds with more experimental, psychedelic pieces. Dig this three-page Abstract Expressionist Ultra Super Modernistic Comics!

Collector’s Guide:
– From Zap Comix #1, 8th printing.
– Find issues of Zap direct from Last Gasp. Much of Robert Crumb’s work has been collected by Fantagraphics in The Complete Crumb Comics.

Armadillos of the Surreal!

Tags

Armadillo Comics, Captain Beefheart, glyptodon, Indie Comics, Jim Franklin, Jim Franklin Austin Artist, Meggan Durden, Rip Off Press, underground comix

Armadillo Comics is our new favorite comic book. Brilliantly surreal and psychedelic, with lots of armadillos! We’d love for Rip Off Press to reprint this bad boy, since the two existing issues go for anywhere from $25 to $200. But, after you see this, you may think it’s a small price to pay!

Collector’s Guide:
– From Armadillo Comics #2, 1st Edition; Rip Off Press, 1971.
By Jim Franklin (with Ike, Meggan Durden, and Captian Beefheart)

Update: Since originally posting, we not only bought a copy of this issue, but we found some more information on artist Jim Franklin:

– Jim Franklin’s site with Original Artwork and armadillo paintings!

– 2010 Radio Interview with Jim Franklin. An awesome hour discussing the Austin music/arts scene at the time this comic was created, underground comix legends like Gilbert Shelton, and why Jim started drawing armadillos – and how it took off!

– Jim Franklin on Wikipedia and his billboard for Armadillo World Headquarters, an Austin music venue that apparently kicked major ass.