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The Unofficial Underground Comix thread...
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2,279 posts in this topic

15 hours ago, Brother J said:

Buying from Don was great, everything was high grade and the prices were very fair. You could sometimes make out like a bandit with his eBay auctions.

That's very true! I used to tell him "you should charge more! That price guide You're using is 10 years old!" he would just chuckle because I knew nothing about undergrounds. " were grateful to have a guide at all. Before this there was no price guide" I could not believe it, and that's when I started to learn about undergrounds.

Edited by flashlites
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21 hours ago, Brother J said:

Buying from Don was great, everything was high grade and the prices were very fair. You could sometimes make out like a bandit with his eBay auctions.

He used to occasionally come into Gary Arlington's store so Gary could restock his inventory of UG, which until sometime in the 90's, with few exceptions, he sold at cover price. Meeting Don was pretty entertaining as the banter between he and Gary was enlightening and educating. Before the internet took off like it exists today, very few people were interested in UG and very much of it could be scored for very little money thanks to those two guys. I'm happy to have known them....I even have Gary's association copy of Bill Blackbeard's pseudonymous work, "Kiss, Screw, Pleasure And Sex", that may be the only inscribed copy in existence. Few people seemed to know, for a long time, that William Teach was a play on the original name of Blackbeard The Pirate. Not really much to do with Don, but those 3 gentlemen were legends in my mind, and associates of mine at one point or another....and authorities on the history of UG and UG papers and tabloids....and all are now a memory...alas....

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2 hours ago, wpbooks01 said:

He used to occasionally come into Gary Arlington's store so Gary could restock his inventory of UG, which until sometime in the 90's, with few exceptions, he sold at cover price. Meeting Don was pretty entertaining as the banter between he and Gary was enlightening and educating. Before the internet took off like it exists today, very few people were interested in UG and very much of it could be scored for very little money thanks to those two guys. I'm happy to have known them....I even have Gary's association copy of Bill Blackbeard's pseudonymous work, "Kiss, Screw, Pleasure And Sex", that may be the only inscribed copy in existence. Few people seemed to know, for a long time, that William Teach was a play on the original name of Blackbeard The Pirate. Not really much to do with Don, but those 3 gentlemen were legends in my mind, and associates of mine at one point or another....and authorities on the history of UG and UG papers and tabloids....and all are now a memory...alas....

Don told me once he got a huge chunk of his collection from a man named Sidebottom. He had passed away and Don bought it from his widow. He joked about the movers trying to figure out how to carry the boxes because every box had "Sidebottom" on it.😄

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6 hours ago, flashlites said:

Don told me once he got a huge chunk of his collection from a man named Sidebottom. He had passed away and Don bought it from his widow. He joked about the movers trying to figure out how to carry the boxes because every box had "Sidebottom" on it.😄

I believe Bob Sidebottom had the first comics store in San Jose. Gary always said his store was the first ever, but I think it was never proven, somehow, that he opened his store before Sidebottom.

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I thought I read that Gary claimed to have the first Comic Book shop in the U.S. that only sold Comic Books, what we consider now a comic book shop/store.  Every other comic book store before his was always somehow just a portion or counter rented in a store or sold mostly other items with some comics books.  I'm guessing that SIdebottom probably started out as selling other items mainly or was not his full shop?  Anyone go to Sidebottoms when it first opened up?

Edited by 50 Cent #II (1st)
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Doing a seach I came across this.  Looks like there was a numbered 1/100 edition of Gary Panter's 1977 Hup (you can see it's a 1st print because of the blue on the cover in the HUP title).  I think I read there were 500 printed, looks like 100 of them were signed and numbered.  This is new to me.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/GARY-PANTER-mini-comic-034-HUP-034-SIGNED-1977-edition-32-100-/183416495228?hash=item2ab4799c7c%3Ag%3ADPkAAOSwkXlbjw3I&nma=true&si=cnIL%2FwMMIzam%2Bf0djdlUhuUHlwU%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

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15 hours ago, RebelVisions said:

I visited Donahue at his Berkeley warehouse in September 1998 with S. Clay Wilson and my wife Ginny. Sidebottom's boxes were piled high everywhere. The stock was alphabetically sorted. We spent the afternoon there and Don sold Wilson a bunch of Barbarian Women at cover price for old time's sake. Here's some of what Don had to say about his mail order biz.

image.png.387c4ce4a81930bc2c0ea8b6a7c4f6ce.png

Donahue Warehouse008.jpg

Donahue Warehouse007.jpg

Donahue Warehouse006.jpg

Thanks for sharing! It's great to see him again! In his element there. That was about the time he was finishing up with Dory's Story's.

On 11/5/2018 at 10:47 PM, wpbooks01 said:

I believe Bob Sidebottom had the first comics store in San Jose. Gary always said his store was the first ever, but I think it was never proven, somehow, that he opened his store before Sidebottom.

 

 

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On 11/8/2018 at 7:24 AM, FoggyNelson said:

Nice black n white photos‼️‼️

I will have to see if I can dig up some photos of Don. The old warehouse on Adline street was one of the last bastion's there in Berkeley. Does anyone remember Scooby's toys? Good memories there at the warehouse, and the roof top patio!

 

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On 11/4/2018 at 9:07 AM, flashlites said:

This year I was able to find 'It ain't me babe' Trina Robbins book with others at MCS. I miss very much my old friend Don Donahue who had that amazing underground catalog and mail order sercice! Does anyone out there know where his collection went?

Jim Pitts got some of the Donahue stock (I had heard)

Edited by oldmilwaukee6er
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Hello fans of underground comix. 

 

I have a story to share.

one day in San Jose California I went to a flea market because I would usually buy and sell or trade things , but sometimes once a while you find something cool.

that day I found a portfolio folder, covered in drawings titled 

“the unicorn prints pen an ink drawings by Joel beck” and it was signed , when I opened it , I saw 10 really cool fantasy drawings , each individually signed as well. Most had unicorns , I’ve seen 3 or 4 of them online while searching for this artist but the rest I have never seen anywhere else. Considering that they are prints tho they must be somewhere.

 

anyways..... fast forward to today here I am in New York City wondering what to do with it , namely because it’s not helping anyone by sitting in a drawer and if it’s worth any money , that’s something I really need and now ! (Without going into details) 

Because I consider this to be a rare and cool treasure , I thought I would try my best to seek out the right person for this item. 

Anyone who may be interested feel free to email me michaelholys@yahoo.com 

and thanks!  Hope to find some Joel beck fans !!! 

 

 

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I am alive. Breaking up major portions of the collection. Not Corben or Illustrated checklist unless I have a dupe (many many dupes are there) But still collecting. Just bought 50 Corben minor pieces etc. Looking for art but too expensive. In any case look to trade fro the true 1st freak and motor city1 I interested, 50 cent, let me know. I have 6 -7 cartons of minis for example. If any one want to buy send me wants. I probably have it.

P..S. Saw the list for the 2 ladies, and nothing special unless it goes down down down from what they want.

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On 11/9/2018 at 9:38 AM, flashlites said:

I will have to see if I can dig up some photos of Don. The old warehouse on Adline street was one of the last bastion's there in Berkeley. Does anyone remember Scooby's toys? Good memories there at the warehouse, and the roof top patio!

 

Here's a shot of Don with my friend Jeanette on the roof of his West Oakland loft after the Adeline place was sold out from under the tenants. Great visit that time in 2006 I believe. It would be my last visit with Don. Miss you buddy!

1130181552.jpg

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