Underground/Newave Comix: Post Your Obscure, Undocumented or Rarely Discussed 7 7

[CDNComix]

Extra! Commix

Published By: the Extra Box; Contributors: Mad Peck; Justin Green; Zero Easter; Spain; Robert Crumb; Gilbert Shelton; Tony Bell; Joe Brown; Date: 1969: Price: 20 cents; Page Count:  single sheet folded into 4 pages;

Size: tabloid; (11.5 x 17.5); Kennedy #: 691; Print Information: unknown

Some "big names" appear in this early Rhode Island underground comix tabloid, but sometimes I find the lessor known (to me at least) people are just as interesting. Tony Bell seems to have an association with Shelton because they appear have contributed to the mid 60s publication Drag Cartoons, Radical America Komiks (v.3, i.1), Rip--Off magazine and various Wonder Wart-Hog publications. He also contributed to the first issue of Bacchanal by in 1962. Its seems that Joe Brown was also invited to contribute to Wonder Wart-Hog and to some issues of Rip-Off magazine.

Edited February 6, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Farm-Life

Published by: IFC: Children's Grafiks; Distributed by Constant Cause; BC: National Headquarters, Selective Service System; Contributors: unknown; Date: 1980; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 16 pages;

Size: mini; (4.25 x 5.50); Kennedy #: 712; Print Information: unknown

Earlier in this thread, I has posted another Kennedy-listed mini that was also distributed by Constant Cause: The Thought Occurs to Me, Julian Kernes, 1982. Farm-Life sarcastically laments the plight of the small farmer in a series of one-panels, five years before Willie Nelson's Farm Aid concert. Oddly the back cover identifies a second publisher that is different from the inner front cover creditation, which Kennedy seems to have also missed.

Edited February 18, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Nasty Monster and Paper P*ssy

Published by: self-published; Contributor: Richard K. "Bob" Lewis; Date: 1984; Price: 50 cents; Page Count: 8 pages;

Size: mini; (4.25 x 5.50); Kennedy #: post guide; Print information: unknown

Bob Lewis created these 2 minis as a spoof commentary regarding printed hard-core pornography of the early 80s. The harsh art-brut style does a perfect job with expressing the revulsion that Lewis seems to have had for the industry. I still surprises me how often people misunderstood and still misunderstand the actual context and messaging behind this type of underground publication.

Edited February 20, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

San Diego Funnies

Published by: self-published; Contributors: Douglas Bryson; Eric Vincent; Larry Weir; Brad Foster; Tucker Petertil; Joel Milke; Doug Hansen; Date: 1978; Price: no cover price; Page count: 12 pages, guts unbound to cover;

Size: small comic; (5.50 x 8.50); Kennedy #: 1721; Print information: one printing of 100 copies;

I must admit that San Diego Funnies flew under my radar for a number of years, basically because it's a Bryson collaborative one-shot and an issue within one of his better known series. I would assume it was produced as 1978 San Diego Comic Convention giveaway.

Edited February 20, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Okupant X

Published by: Diana's Bimonthly Press; Contributor: Gary Panter; Date: 1979; Price: two dollars; Page count: 40 pages

Size: small comic; (5.5 x 8.5); Kennedy #: 1447; Print information: one printing of 750 copies

Although Panter was responsible for few more works prior to the publication of Okupant X, I believe that Kennedy only cited this and one other of his publications (As*hole) the guide. Panter includes a few concepts from some of those earlier publications and some ideas that were yet-to-be published within the storyline of Okupant X.

Edited February 25, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Bob Vojtko's  Playstocker #1-4

Published by: self-published; Contributors: Bob Vojtko (all issues); George Erling (#3); Date: 1975-1976; Price: 50 cents; Page count: single sheet folded twice;

Size: #1-2 (8.5 x 14.0 sheet folded into a 3.5 x 8.5 booklet); #3-4 (8.5 x 14.0 sheet folded into a 4.25 x 7.0 digest); Kennedy #: 1552-1555; Print information: one printing of 100 copies each;

It seemed that Bob Vojko had his hands pretty full in the mid 70s. An aspiring cartoonist who had to: develop his craft, collaborate with other similarly minded artists, promote his work and feed himself and his family by working at the local Pick-N-Play grocery. What better way to save time and to maximize your efforts than by combining everything into one publication - the Playstocker.

Edited February 25, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Pipkin Papers

Published by: self-published; Contributors: John F. Weldon; Rhad Gmal; Date: 1969; Price: no cover price; Page count: 44 pages with 5 blank pages;

Size: comic; (7.0 x 10.5); Kennedy #: 1534; Print information: one printing; 600 copies according to a citation from comixjoint.com;

Canadians of a certain age may recognize Weldon's artwork from his body of animated shorts produced while working for the National Film Board of Canada, including Special Delivery which won an Oscar in 1973. Although Pipkin Papers is not representative of the higher caliber of Weldon's animated work, however it is signifiant because of the early period in which it was published. It is also worth noting that Weldon is from Montreal which has a rich artistic history from around that period including the sad stories of the brillant Andre Montpetit and Ryan Larkin.

Edited February 27, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Cerebus the Aardvark #1

Published by: Aardvark-Anaheim Press; Contributors: Dave Sim; Denis Loubart; Date: 1977; Price: one dollar; Page Count: 28 pages;

Size: magazine; (7.75 x 10.0 inches); Kennedy #: above ground #22; Print information: 2000 copies;

I have recently posted most of this information on another thread and have decided to recycle some of it here. Cerebus #1 is one of the more valuable Bronze Age and Kennedy listed books in the marketplace, although its position seems to be softening with time.

About a year ago I was searching for an example of what Kennedy described as "sizable number of counterfeit copies peddled across the country in April 1982". I managed to find a seller who had copies of the real and fake for sale and decided to purchase his fake. When I received my order I was surprised to learn that I received the real copy instead of the fake. When I attempted to exchange the item with the seller, they would not because they were convinced no mistake was made and suggested that I was trying to scam them.

What I believe happened is that the seller probably relied on a "false tell" as their criteria for determining a real from a fake. One "false tell" that keeps circulating around  is that real examples: always have poor black print quality on the front cover. This is false. Yes, the fakes generally have more consistant higher print quality around the "S"; "$1" and "red soldier's head" on the front cover, but there's a wide range of black print quality in these arounds with the real examples. Please compare an example of my copy compared to 3 other CGC Certified "real" copies that I borrowed from Heritage Auctions:

There's quite a range in quality and this criteria should never be relied upon. Potential purchasers of raw copies should instead check the: gloss of the inner front cover (should be matte not glossy); the appearance of Cerebus on the inner pages (should appear as a gray-screen image, not dark) and the registration of red print to black print on the front cover especially on the white soldier (there should be no red bleed into the lighter sections):

Edited March 7, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Nemesis #7 (aka Penny Arcade Comix)

Published by: self-published; Contributors: Michael Roden; Frodo; Date: 1980; Price: no cover price; Page count: 12 pages;

Size: small comic; (7.0 x 8.5); Kennedy #: 1354; Print information: one printing of 100 copies;

Michael Roden considered Nemesis #7 to be his first comic (sized) publication. One of half of the small print run were given away to the membership of the Esoteric Order of Dagan APA, leaving only 50 copies available for sale to the general public. Besides #8, the entire Nemesis series is on the endangered list and individual copies are extremely difficult to track down.

Edited March 27, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Our Animal Friends

Published by: self-published; Contributor: Ken Brown; Date: 1975; Price: no cover price; Page count: 16 pages;

Size: mini; (4.25 x 5.5); Kennedy number: 1466; Print information: one printing; 500 copies (Kennedy); 100 copies (Ken Brown)

The creator of Our Animal Friends, Ken Brown, also published a three issue series of minis called Pentracks in 1976. Kennedy cites an identical print run of 500 copies for each of the four titles. That seems strange to me because similar publications with similar print runs (or less) appear on the market much more regularly.

Post -script: Ken Brown was kind enough get in touch with me after this original post. He states that all four of Kennedy listed minis had a print run that was closer to 100 copies.

Edited April 4, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Pencil Comix #1 and #2

Published by: Stray Cat Studios = George Erling; Contributor: George Erling; Dates: 1981 (#1); 1983 (#2); Price: no cover price; Page Counts: 12 pages (#1); 16 pages (#2);

Sizes: mini; (#1, 3.75 x 6.50); (#2, 3.0 x 4.25); Kennedy number: 1501 (#1); post Kennedy (#2); Print information: one printing; 20 initialed and dated copies (#1); 42 initialed and dated copies (#2);

I believe that Pencil Comix is the only sole-contribution mini that George Erling published a reprise issue for. The first issue celebrates that it was entirely drawn with a pencil and second issue celebrates the pencil as a potential source of artistic inspiration.

Edited March 15, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

And/Or Comics

Published by: self-published; Contributors: Clark Allen Dissmeyer; James Vukos is credited with the naming the title; Date: 1981; Price: no cover price; Page count: 20 pages;

Size: magazine; (8.50 x 11.0); Kennedy number: 0076; Print information: one printing of 175 copies;

I thought that I has purchased a mini and was surprised when a full sized arrived instead. As far as I am aware, And/Or Comics is Clark Dissmeyer's only foray into the magazine format.

Edited March 27, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Top Comedy and Bottom Burlesque

Published by: self-published; Contributor: Bruce N. Duncan; Date: 1980; Price: four dollars; Page count: 104 pages;

Size: small comic; (6.75 x 8.5); Kennedy number: 2039; Print information: one printing of 1000 copies;

Top Comedy seems to be a lot scarcer than its stated 1,000 copy print copy. Maybe its high price and niche subject matter drove potential customers away and relegated unsold copies to the bin. I am not a fan of its content because I cannot detect any intended satire. Lots of spankings and other forms of juvenile/humiliating/degrading S&M - 12 year-old Eric Stanton on bath salts.

Edited March 27, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Jerry the Polar Bear

Published by: Polar Bear Print Plant; Contributors: George Erling; Greg Spagnola; Doug Hansen; Reed Waller; Joe Tracey; Date: 1978; Price: no cover price; Page count: 24 pages;

Size: magazine; (8.25 x 11.0); Kennedy #: 1062; Print information: one printing; number of copies unknown;

Erling, Hansen and Spagnola team-up again within a year of producing (with some other contributors) a better known underground called Bestiality.

Edited March 27, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Air Pirates (unauthorized UK mini)

Published by: Pirate Parrot; Contributors: Bobby London; Gary Hallgren; Date: 1986; Price: 2.50 pounds; Page count: 28 pages;

Size: mini; (4.25 x 5.5); Kennedy #: none; Print information: 500 copies;

This (presumed) unauthorized UK mini features excepts from the US Air Pirates comics. Bootlegs and fakes are often maligned by some members of the collecting community, including some members calling for outright destruction, limiting on-line selling or certification by the CGC. In my opinion, this book has high production quality wise and should be considered collecting because it is part of the history of the original publication.

When I consulted with a friend about this particular book, he was quick to point out that the publisher was responsible for several other unauthorized, UK-market releases including: Weird Woodwork (Wally Wood); at least three Bode publications and a Jeffery Jones respective.

Edited April 8, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Jabberwocky Graphix '81 Portfolio (signed and numbered edition)

Published by: self-published; Contributor: Brad Foster; Date: 1981; Price: $2.50; Page count: 16 pages;

Size: magazine (8.5 x 11.5); Kennedy #: 1054; Print information: 300 copies of unsigned and unnumbered edition; 100 copies of signed and numbered edition;

I love seeing Brad Foster's work in a larger format and his '81 Portfolio is no exception. Foster has the ability to skillfully round all the artistic bases: cartoons, surreal art, portraits, comic strip, nudes, graphic design and draftsmanship.

Edited March 29, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

The Man (first printing and second printings)

Published by: first (Office of Student Publications Syracuse University); second (The Print Mint); Contributor: Von (aka Vaughn) Bode; Date: first (1966); second (1972); Price: first (40 cents); second (50 cents); Page count: first (24 pages); second (28 pages); Size: first (landscape; magazine; 11.25 x 8); second (comic; 6.75 x 9.75); Kennedy #: 1218; Print information: first (1,500 - 2,000 copies); second (20,000 copies);

The Man is one of the earliest and one of the most historically important "underground" comics that I personally own. The first printing reprises Bode's earlier work which was first published in the Syracuse University newspaper the Daily Orange. It is the first of three Bode works that the Office of Student Publications published while he was a student at the university. The Man marks the commercial beginning of the bronze age phenomena called Bode.

Edited April 1, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Mission District

Published by: San Francisco Comic Company (SFCC); Contributor: Rojelio Del Fuego (aka Roger Brand); Date: 1980; Price: no cover price; Page Count: 53 single sided pages;

Size: magazine (8.75 x 10.75); Kennedy #: not cited; Print information: one printing of 150 copies;

This is a weird item even within underground comix world. In Mission District Roger brand first uses or reprises his Del Fuego pseudonym that was used another 1980 SFCC publication called Cholo. It's basically a series of 53 one-sided, multi-coloured, leftover pages of varying thickness cobbled together using Arlington's weird glued binding technique (with binding on the right-side!). It's part portfolio, comic strip and photo-zine that illustrates Brand declining abilities due to his compounding personal problems. It believe that this one just slipped under many person's radar including Kennedy's.

Edited April 3, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Yuck Funnies

Published by: Yuck Funnies; Contributors: Tom Gasparotti; Thomas W. Buck; Date: 1971; Price: 50 cents; Page count: 16 pages; 4 colour pages;

Size: newspaper; (11.5 x 17.5); Kennedy #: 2288; Print information: one printing; 3,000 copies;

Two occasional contributors to some other better know underground comix (Tales from the Ozone #2; Enigma; 100% Organic Compost) team up to produce another newspaper one shot (this time from Seattle). The back cover states 3,000 copies of the "first issue" were produced at a total printing cost of $275. I do not know what the acceptable break even point was for Gasparotti/Buck, but this could indicate that well under a 1,000 copies were sold. If this is correct, then this could explain why there was never a follow-up and why copies do not appear on the market very often.

Edited April 5, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

E-Z Bild Model Kit

Published by: self published; Contributor: Doug Hansen; Date: 1976; Price: unknown; Page count: one single-sided heavier stock page;

Size: magazine (8.0 x 11.25); Kennedy #: not listed; Print information: unknown;

There are sort sorts of comix-related peripheral items a collector can collect: postcards, tee-shirts, iron-ons, resin sculptures, prints and even chocolate bars. I try to draw the line and focus upon printed materials from some of my favourite artists. I am going to assume that Doug Hansen either sold or gave away his pyramid model kit either at shows and through the mail. It's really weird that he choose to print his one-pager on an unconventional paper size - a quarter inch over standard letter length.

Edited April 8, 2019 by CDNComix