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Underground/Newave Comix: Post Your Obscure, Undocumented or Rarely Discussed
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534 posts in this topic

Head no.1

Published by: self published; Contributors: Roman Scott; Date: 1983; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 8 pages;

Size: mini, (4.5 x 5.5); Kennedy #: post publication of the guide; Print information: unknown

I have been long aware of another non-Kennedy listed, Roman Scott comix series called Oddities #1-7 (Pastime Publications). It's a great series (Charles Burns on acid) and I recommend that you spend some time to seek it out. But I was unaware until only very recently that Roman Scott also produced at least two post-Kennedy guide minis: Head no.1 and no.2.

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Dime no.1

Published by: self published; Contributors: Bob Guglielmo; Date: 1982; Price: two dollars; Page Count: 16 pages;

Size: comic, (6.5 x 9.75); Kennedy #: not listed, probably published post guide; Print information: unknown

Bob Gugielmo does not have a prolific body of work within the wider underground canon. He contributed to A2Z: An Alphabetical Disorder (shown earlier in this thread) and a 1983 comic collaborative called Bad News. Dime no.1 is the only solo of his that I know of and is a surprisingly, better-than-most, anti-establishment political comic. It deserves broader recognition, not only for the quality effort but also because it contains of the most bizarre inserts that ever put into an underground - a small Burger King French fry bag.

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Strawberry Funnies #1

Published by: Wild Roach Productions; Contributors: Tom Foster; Date: 1972; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 44 pages;

Size: small comic, (6.0 x 9.0); Kennedy #: 1900; Print information: one printing, number of copies unknown

Just a charming little gem not really because of its content, but more for its construction and the obvious TLC that Tom Foster poured into its creation. The use of silk-screening, an attached front plate and hand-made features should make this a must for every underground collector. Not super-rare nor common to find, it would might take a wait of a year or two before finding an example in condition at fair market price.

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Strawberry Funnies #2 (first printing)

Published by: Rebel Comix/Radiation Graphics; Contributors: Tom Foster; Jim Blake; Date: 1980; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 52 pages;

Size: magazine, (7.5 x 10.75); Kennedy #: 1901; Print information: 500 signed and numbered copies; second printing of 1,000 copies from 1984 

Strawberry Funnies #2 is definitely the most "comic" of any of Tom Foster's efforts. Foster enlisted the assistance of Jim Blake for the sequel to his Strawberry Funnies #1 solo effort. The same partnership went on to create 3-4 other comix creations that were undocumented by Kennedy. In addition, Kennedy describes in his guide the existence of an uncoloured ($5) and hand coloured cover ($10) version. The images below are of a printed cover version that matches Kennedy's description of the first printing (except for the colouring method and price). I personally do not know of anyone who has seen or possesses a copy of either of Kennedy's variant. I am not saying they do not exist, but...

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One Color

Published by: Snaz Comics; Contributors: Steve Sedgwick; Spain; Doug Erb; Dave McClellen; John Owens; H. Arnold; Jack Richardson aka Jaxon according to Kennedy; Date: 1979; Price: 10 cents; Page Count: 8 pages;

Size: mini, (4.5 x 5.5); Kennedy #: 1450; Print information: unknown

I often wonder how and why a group of seven got together and decided to produce a mini together. I recognize most of the names involved with One Color. Both Spain and Jack Jackson are "big" in the underground movement. Both H. Arnold (likely Herb Arnold) and Dave Erb have made their marks in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres. But the other three contributors, I am not familiar with or know anything of their other work (if any). What did these all people have in common or know each other from? Maybe league bowling?

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ALF

Published by: Richard Alf; Contributors: Steve Garris; Wesley Ford; Date: 1975; Price: 10 cents; Page Count: 8 pages;

Size: mini, (4.0 x 5.0); Kennedy #: not listed; Print information: unknown

I have encountered at least 10 copies of ALF for sale over the years, so its not exactly obscure or rare and many would not consider it to be an underground. But for me it does hold one surprising fact: it was published by comic store owner and the founder of the San Diego Comic Convention - Richard Alf. I only recently made the connection between the book (purchased 5 years earlier) and the man, after reading a a fanzine on the weekend.

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Cows Crossing Men Working

Published by: self published; Contributors: Stephen Ellis; Michael Merrill; Date: 1980; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 20 pages;

Size: magazine, (8.25 x 10.0); Kennedy #: not listed; Print information: unknown

Between 1977-1983, a nine issue, avant-garde magazine called Rude was published in London, Ontario. It was published by Joe Thomas (owner of Acme Print & Litho), Mike Bidner (mail and mixed media artist) and Roy Berger (writer/activist who is featured in the 2015/2016 FUGG). A collecting friend (VM) confirmed with Berger that two Canadian, underground comix based publications were inserted as giveaways for two issues of Rude: Meat Trucks and Cows Crossing Men Working. I was fortunate enough to be shown an image of a copy of Meat Trucks bound into an issue of Rude, but I am still waiting for similar conclusive proof with regard to Cows Crossing Men Working.

Cows Crossing Men Working features the outstanding work of Canadian/American duo: Stephen Ellis (author/activist) and Michael Merrill (fine artist). The moment that I held my first copy from the National Library and Archives Canada was the moment that I knew I had to find and own my own copy. It took under a year of on-line scrounging but was well worth the effort.

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Just Turn Around

Published by: self published; Contributors: Stephen Ellis; Michael Merrill; Date: 1982; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 3 single sided pages

Size: tabloid, (11.0 x 17.0); Kennedy #: post guide; Print information: 10-20 sets given away to friends and to people in the scene

I would have thought that team of Ellis and Merrill would have produced lots of other comic-based work post Cows Crossing Men Working, but sadly I would be wrong. However, I was recently fortunate enough to be given an Ellis/Merrill giveaway called Just Turn Around.  I was told (second hand) that the 3-page story a very limited given away to friends and associates of Ellis/Merrill as a sharing of an unpublished work. The copy I have has been Xeroxed onto large, pale yellow, untrimmed sheets.

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Chromazone/Chromatique Presents Kromalaffing

Published by: Chromazone/Chromatique; Contributors: Michael Merrill; Richard F. Outcault; Stephen Ellis; Kazimieras G. Prapuolenis; David E. Boswell; M.K. Brown; Barbara Klunder; John Halfpenny; Gary Panter; Graham Falk; Chester Brown;  Andy Patton; Art Spiegelman; Charles Burns; Alex Currie; Jim Anderson; I. Braineater; Mike Constable; Ed "Big Daddy" Roth; Harvey Pekar; Gary Dumm; Greg Budgett; Joost Swarte; Kat G. Cruickshank; Stephen Andrews; Mark Beyer;  Peter Dako; Rebecca Baird; Andy Patterson; Erella Vent; Date: 1983; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 52 pages; Size: magazine, (7.0.0 x 10.5); Kennedy #: post guide; Print information: unknown

In 1981, the ChromaZone artist collective was formed in Toronto, Canada. Its mission was to promote artists: "Whose work is being left out of the galleries even though it is more than worthy of being seen or heard?".  One of the hundreds of artistic activities that the collective had sponsored was an exhibition of alternative commix at the Grunwald Gallery (Toronto) in 1983. Michael Merrill curated the exhibition and oversaw the design of its catalog the Kromalaffing that is featured here.

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Bee Movie

Published by: Droplit Books; Contributors: Michael Merrill; Date: 1987; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 38 pages; Size: micro, (2.0.0 x 2.75); Kennedy #: post guide; Print information: part of the "Four Books by Four Artists" set otherwise unknown

This is the last Michael Merrill comic-related effort that I have in my collection. A Toronto speciality publisher (Droplit Books) produced a four volume boxed set of artist miniature books in 1987 called Four Books by Four Artists in 1987. Michael Merrill's Bee Movie was included in the set and documents Ronald Reagan's cancerous colon polyp saga. I find to be similar in size and style to John A. Adams' nickel book series.

I unfortunately do not have the box set but purchased the Merrill book singly, so maybe it was also offered for sale outside the set. Please consult the following link (http://banffcentrelibraryandarchives.tumblr.com/post/156773812520/week-of-january-23-2017-lucila) if you should be interested in viewing the entire set.

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Devil's Bargain

Published by: Usher Enterprises; Contributors: RW Huntington; Doug Hansen; Date: 1974; Price: 75 cents; Page Count: 8 pages folded in half;

Size: tabloid, (11.25 x 17.0); Kennedy #: 0591; Print information: unknown

Devil's Bargain is predominately a text-based publication with some illustrations by Doug Hansen. There's a multitude of similar publications from that era, including some with total comix content that Kennedy selected not to cite in his guide. The power of Hansen!

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Caffe Comics

Published by: self published; Contributors: Jeff Beddow; David Stansford; Drew Cummins; Pam Waite; Date: 1977; Price: 50 cents; Page Count: 28 pages;

Size: digest, (5.5 x 8.5); Kennedy #: not listed; Print information: unknown

A coffee/café based fanzine involving two underground artists (and others) from 1977. Its not an underground but is an interesting comic-related small press because it is a little ahead of its time with promoting coffee culture. Its seems that the contributors felt a need to protect their favourite coffee/cappucino/expresso/doppia haunts from the impending MacDonald's menace. David Stansford has many (over 30) of his independent efforts cited in the Kennedy Guide - close to being the most prolific after Richard "Grass" Green. Jeff Beddow is responsible for the very rare Kennedy cited Bozo Soofi Mystical Instruction Comix.

Funny how times change. Who's going to save the remaining MacDonald's franchises from the big coffee chains? of today?

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Bijou Funnies Iron-On T-Shirt Transfers

Published by: Bijou Publishing Empire; Contributors: Jay Lynch; Robert Crumb; Justin Green; Kim Deitch; Date: 1970; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 4 iron-on transfers and one-page instructions mounted onto cardboard

Size: magazine, (8.5 x 11.0); Kennedy #: not listed; Print information: unknown

In the early 70s, Bijou Publishing offered subscribers a mail order T-Shirt transfer kit. Now it is an extremely rare comix-related peripheral because of the nature of the item (it was meant to be and certainly was used) and because of its inherent cardboard packaging. I have separated the instructions and the transfers from each other and the cardboard backing with a sheet of package. Even with storage under proper condition, cardboard will eventually have a detrimental effect on any other material it touches - notice the Crumb sheet.

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Golden Slug #3

Published by: Graphics Story Guild College; Contributors: Ted Trollman; SN Farber; Dan Waller; RB Dilts; Janet L. Harris; Crystal Herring; Dubiel; Bruce M. Rapp; Date: 1974; Price: 25 cents; Page Count: 44 pages

Size: magazine, (8.5 x 11.0); Kennedy #: 1814; Print information: unknown

Golden Slug is the third installment of an eight issue student-zine series from the University of California. All-Slug #5 was posted earlier within this thread. It is nestled between two extremely tough-to-find blocks within the series: More Existentialist Fun Comics #1-2 and ?Slug #4.

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Casual Love

Published by: self published; Contributors: Al Greenier; Date: 1976; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 16 pages;

Size: mini, (4.5 x 5.5); Kennedy #: not listed; Print information: unknown

Casual Love uses the same concept as  another mini that was posted earlier in this thread. Like Work and Turn (Art Speigelman), Casual Love successfully attempts to provide a 16 panel illustrative of the sex act from start (the first encounter) to the climatic finish.

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Blast the Rats Comix (Bud Plant Catalog #11)

Published by: self published; Contributors: Bud Plant; Jim Vadebonocoeur; Al Davorean; Date: 1975; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 40 pages;

Size: small comic, (5.5 x 8.75); Kennedy #: not listed; Print information: unknown

If Kennedy can include Gary Arlington's catalog (Eric Fromm Comics) and merchandise catalogs from underground artists in his guide, then I should be able to post Blast the Rats Comix. I do feel that underground catalogs sometimes contain important information and original art and should be collected to support wider underground collection, especially those with a comix theme.

Besides its comix-based format this catalog does hold some interesting tidbits of information. Its the last catalog issue that Bud Plant published as a student and before going full-time in the publishing/mail order business. Plant in about a year's time, would take over publication of Jack Katz's First Kingdom series from Comics and Comix. Also if you notice the lower right corner of the third image, there is an ad for Zoot, a Kennedy listed underground that never seems to appear on the market.

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Snatch Comics #1 (first printing)

Published by: Apex Novelties; Contributors: Don Donahue; Robert crumb; S. Clay Wilson; Date: 1968; Price: 25 cents; Page Count: 36 pages;

Size: digest, (5.0 x 7.0); Kennedy #: post publication of the guide; Print information: six known printings, 250-800 copies for the first printing

The first printing of Snatch Comics #1 is the rarest of all of "underground keys". There is a debate among the "people were involved" on how many actual copies were produced. Kennedy states 800 copies in his guide and the responsible printer Don Donahue,has stated that only about 250 copies were eventually produced because there was a technical difficultly with the alignment of pages 10 and 11 (more to follow). Copies have the hallmarks of an early Apex Novelties run: uneven cuts, rough trimming and thin plate lines on some of the lower pages.

Someone earlier in this thread had felt that they may have unknowingly cheaply sold a copy of the first printing. Besides the 25 cent cover price of the first three printings, one would have to locate S. Clay Wilson's "A Few Good Mates" (see below) to be definitive. The story (in a first printing) appears continuously across pages 10 and 11. Because the Apex crew were having difficulties with its alignment, the story was reduced to a single page for all later printings.

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Bob Vojtko's Self-Promotional Funnies

Published by: self published; Contributor: Bob Vojtko; Date: 1976; Price: 15 cents Page Count: single sheet folded into 4 pages

Size: small comic; (5.5 x 7.5 when folded); Kennedy #: 1761 Print information: one printing of 100 copies, two colour variants

Around the same time that Bob Vojtko created his two issue series of Comix Convention (see earlier posting in this thread), created and handed out Self-Promotional Funnies at the 76' Berkeley Underground Con.

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The Black Book

Published by: Thru Black Holes Comix; Contributor: Michael Roden; roman scott; Date: 1984; Price: 75 cents; Page Count: 8 pages;

Size: digest; (4.5 x 7.0 ); Kennedy #: post guide; Print information: one printing of 100 signed copies

I am personally a Michael Roden addict and like most addictions, my supply does not meet my demand. Over the span of his 30 year comix career, Roden has been responsible for around 50 self-published titles and numerous collaborations with others. Black Book is a nice example of his work from around the time of his first production peak in 1983-1984. Hand-made and pasted, you would be hard pressed to name another title that demonstrates a creator's love of self-publishing.

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The Black Book II

Published by: Thru Black Holes Comix; Contributor: Michael Roden; John Thompson: Roman Scott; Ed Dorn; T. Hutchinson; Tom Brinkmann; Date: 2006; Price: 5 dollars; Page Count: 20 pages;

Size: digest; (5.5 x 8.75); Kennedy #: post guide; Print information: one printing unknown copies

Yes, I know that the sequel to the first Black Book was published 20 years post bronze age. But if you were going to discuss the first issue, then how could you not also comment on its more contemporary counterpart? Nice one-two-punch, Mr. Roden.

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