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

[CDNComix]

Cluster-Land

Published by: Thru Black Holes Comix; Contributors: Michael Roden; Date: 1981; Price: one dollar; Page count:  24 pages;

Size: comic; (7.0 x 8.50); Kennedy #: 466: Print information: one printing; 500 copies;

The front cover of Cluster-Land is one of my all-time favourite designs by Roden. It gets extra points because no colour beyond black and white is used. The cover is also printed with a specialty ink (thermographic) that produces a very thick highly raised print as if it were applied using an icing piping bag. I do not not know of another comic that makes use of thermographic ink.

Edited July 12, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Truth 1 Portfolio

Published by: Art Nouveau Publications; Contributors: Darrel Anderson; Haber; Date: 1972; Price: no cover price; Page count: 16 pages;

Size: digest; (5.5 x 8.5); Kennedy #: 2058: Print information: one printing; 500 copies;

Darrel Anderson should be familiar to most collectors from his with and around the Everyman Studios crew. About a year after the publication of Truth Portfolio, Anderson contributed to the ultra-rare Batchwally which had a similar "publisher" Nart Ouveau.

Edited July 19, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Jubilee

Published by: Sonday Funnies; Contributors: Rick Griffin; Craig Yoe; Tracie Guthrie; Bruce Day; Basil Wolverton; Rob Walsh; Wayne Stayskal; Chuck Asay; Mark Pentegrass; plus many classic artists from the past; Date: 1975; Price: $2.95;

Page count: 68 paged square bound softcover; Size: magazine; (8.5 x 11.0); Kennedy #: not cited; Print information: one printing; 1000 copies;

A notable branch within the underground comix tree includes religious publications. These include comics that either have the look/style of an underground but really are not or comics to were created by (usually former) traditional underground artists.The strategy for this odd combination seems to follow the proverb of attracting more flies with honey. The Sonday Funnies Comic Corporation produced at least  three publications within this vein during the 1970s.

Edited August 30, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Eternal Truth

Published by: Sonday Funnies Comics Corp; Contributors: Jim Phillips; Date: 1974; Price: 50 cents; Page count: 28 pages;

Size: comic; (7.25 x 10.25); Kennedy #: 680; Print information: unknown;

The second title in the Sonday religious comix trilogy. Eternal Truth is a solo effort with great artwork by one of the Christian-surfer-underground -comix-artists of the era - Jim Phillips. Sort of the clean version of Rand Holmes.

Edited July 19, 2019 by CDNComix

[porcupine48]

On 7/12/2019 at 12:24 PM, CDNComix said:

Cluster-Land

Published by: Thru Black Holes Comix; Contributors: Michael Roden; Date: 1981; Price: one dollar; Page count:  24 pages;

Size: comic; (7.0 x 8.50); Kennedy #: 466: Print information: one printing; 500 copies;

The front cover of Cluster-Land is one of my all-time favourite designs by Roden. It gets extra points because no colour beyond black and white is used. The cover is also printed with a specialty ink (thermographic) that produces a very thick highly raised print as if it were applied using an icing piping bag. I do not not know of another comic that makes use of thermographic ink.

Love it

[CDNComix]

Sammy Saved & Al Most

Published by: Sonday Funnies Comics Corp; Contributors: Craig Yoe; Date: 1974; Price: 35 cents; Page count: 28 pages;

Size: comic; (7.25 x 10.25); Kennedy #: 680; Print information: unknown;

Last and also least in the three Christian "comix" that were published by  Sonday Funnies in the mid-70s is Sammy Saved. It seems to be geared towards younger potential converts than the other publications and is a little too "kiddie" for my  full liking.

Edited July 22, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

(A Day in the Life of) Mr. Hostile

Published by: Bad Karma Comix Group/Duck Studios Production; Contributors: Chas Balun; Date: 1980; Price: $4.95(!?); Page count: 12 pages;

Size: mini; (4.25 x 5.25); Kennedy #:1328; Print information: one printing; 200 copies;

Along with contributing the several underground comix, Chas Balun also self-published at least a half a dozen mini in the 1970s. The competition for titles when they appear on the market seems to indicate that Balun is a bit of favourite with the collecting community.

Edited July 24, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Face the Future

Published by: self-published; Contributors: Mark Fisher; Date: 1981; Price: no cover price; Page count: 8 pages;

Size: digest; (4.5 x 7.0); Kennedy #: 696; Print information: one printing; 50 signed and numbered copies;

Possibly a giveaway for a Mark Fisher gallery event in 1981. I do not know why but people and the arts from the 80s had a bleaker prediction/depiction of the future than today. I blame Mad Max.

Edited July 30, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

They Call Me Payday Comics and Stories

Published by: self-published; Contributors: David "Payday" Coulson; Date: 1981; Price: 10 cents; Page count: 24 pages;

Size: large digest; (6.0 x 8.5); Kennedy #: 1994; Print information: unknown;

David Coulson has contributed to a couple better known underground publications: Barbarian Comics #3 and Mendocino Funnies. He also self-published a few comix of his own with They Call Me Payday being the only title that Kennedy to have identified in his guide. From the era of anything goes autobiographicals this publication is distinctive for being even a little stranger and frank than most.

Edited July 30, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Robot Fields

Published by: self-published; Contributors: Larry Weir; Date: 1977; Price: 5 cents; Page count: single sheet folded into four pages;

Size: digest; (5.5 x 8.5); Kennedy #: 1701; Print information: unknown;

I love Larry Weir's artwork and fine touch. What surprises me is that he done very little in compassion to the magnitude of his talent. Besides some contributions to some collaborative projects (maybe 10), there's only one solo effort that I know of - Robots Fields.

Edited August 1, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Abyss #1

Published by: Johnson Press; Ersatz; Contributors: Tim Viereck; Stephen Perry; Jack Venooker; Stephen “Spider” Bissette; Mark Whitcomb; Kathleen Kehoe; Bill Cathey; David Booz; Carol Collins; James Harvey; Roscoe; Date: 1976; Price: dollar fifty; Page count: 52 pages;

Size: magazine; (8.5 x 10.5); Kennedy #: 8; Print information: one printing of 200 copies;

A student-zine from Johnson State College in Vermont. Except for Bissette and Venooker who went on the publish Alien Nation Comix, all of other the contributors are unknown to me.

Edited August 3, 2019 by CDNComix

[porcupine48]

I just want to say how much I love this thread and the love and work you put into it!

I'm not much of a picture poster,but please know I follow and really enjoy this,please keep it up.

That shub niggurath art above is incredible,I'd love to see a copy of that in person.

[ADAMANTIUM]

i looks at them too  just curious i guess...

[CDNComix]

22 hours ago, porcupine48 said:

I just want to say how much I love this thread and the love and work you put into it!

I'm not much of a picture poster,but please know I follow and really enjoy this,please keep it up.

That shub niggurath art above is incredible,I'd love to see a copy of that in person.

 

22 hours ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

i looks at them too  just curious i guess...

I am glad that you both enjoy this thread. Yes, I will continue posting and thank you for your appreciation. I want non-UG collectors to get a sense of the hobby and how wide it really is. It's not just about Crumb, the Freak Brothers or Zippy. Please spread the word and share the links with others!

[CDNComix]

On 7/5/2018 at 8:59 AM, CDNComix said:

As* Backwards Comix

Published by: Self Published; Contributors: Peter "Ace Backwards" LaBriola; Bruce Duncan; Date: 1981; Price: $1.50; Page Count: 32 pages

Size: small comic (7.0 x 8.5); Kennedy #: 151; Print information: one printing; 200 copies

For most of my collecting life (which is not long), I had wrongly assumed that "Ace Backwards" was Bruce Duncan because of this comic  Reason number one: Bruce Duncan's name appears as the publishing contact on the inner, third page imprint.  Reason number two: I mildly disagree with Kennedy's assertion that Peter LaBriola is responsible for all of the artwork.  Have a look (cursor over image and clink to enlarge) at the Mike Gonad story below.  To me that's Duncan's work, but of course you can decide for yourself.

Correction:

A fellow boardie was recently in contact with Mr. LaBriola and As* Backwards is his work entirely. I stand corrected.

[CDNComix]

Too Many Frogs!

Published by: self-published; Contributors: Tom Foster; Date: 1978; Price: 35 cents; Page count: 16 pages;

Size: mini; (4.25 x 5.5); Kennedy #: 2036; Print information: unknown;

Not Tom Foster's strongest work and definitely without any hint of an underground/newave attitude.

Edited August 6, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

The Adventures of Vachel Lindsay

Published by: Eyeball Signage Co.; Contributor: William "Bill" Crook jr.; Date: 1975; Price: 10 cents; Page count: 16 pages;

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

Vachel Lindsay is a nice illustration of why I enjoy collecting underground comix including their less respected smaller cousins - the minis. Knowing nothing about it, I did not expect much from the publication when I purchased it over a year ago. Although it's not a true underground , it is distinctive for being a mini produced: by someone outside of the usual players of early and mid 70s.

One year after Vachel, Crook teamed up with Tuck Petertil to produce Authentic Visionary Comix in 1976. The project taught him some hard lessons about the amount paid to comix artists relative to their efforts. Shortly after, he decided that the business was not for him and shifted his focus to becoming a highly respected pen and ink artist. His admirers include Jay Lynch and Robert Crumb who once referred to him as "òne of the great artists of the time".

Edited August 8, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

Folk Funnies #2

Published by: New Morning Talent; Contributor: Paul McKenna; Date: 1973; Price: 50 cents; Page count: 36 pages;

Size: comic; (7.0 x 10.0); Kennedy #: 753; Print information: unknown;

A really decent underground produced by the solo talents of Paul McKenna. Kennedy reports in his guide that the publication was distributed by Last Gasp and that "Issue #1 is believed to have never been done". But why discuss a relatively "common" underground in a supposedly "obscure" thread?...

(New Frantic) Folk Funnies vol. 1 no. 1

Published by: Self-published; Contributor: Paul McKenna; Date: 1970; Price: 25 cents; Page count: 20 pages;

Size: newspaper; (11.5 x 15.5); Kennedy #: not cited; Print information: unknown;

I posted Folk Funnies #2 to give some context to an item that I was able to purchase in the open on eBay a few months ago: the only known copy of Folk Funnies #1 found to date.

Having collected for a while, I have been in contact with numerous underground creators and fellow collectors. One thing that I have noticed is how often the story changes or differs between the people who where there when something was created, printed, published or sold. I have heard the stories that all copies of Folk Funnies #2 were destroyed in a bonfire or that it simply never produced or only exists a school mimeo-pub. There a danger with taking a reported fact as gospel: how would you be able to find a unicorn if you believe that they do not exist?

Edited August 14, 2019 by CDNComix

[CDNComix]

4 New Everyman Mini-Comics Promotional

Published by: Everyman Studios; Contributor: Artie Romero; Date: 1980; Price: promotional giveaway; Page count: single sheet folded into four pages;

Size: mini; (4.25 x 5.5); Kennedy #: not cited; Print information: unknown;

I would assume that this promotional was mailed with other items purchased from the Everyman Studios. What's fun about material like this is the opportunity to learn about previously unheard of comix related items from the publisher. In the case of this promotional: 1) Everyman Rubber Stamps (which I have never seen); 2) Artie Romero's Hairy Box;

Artie Romero's Hairy Box

Published by: Everyman Studios; Contributor: Artie Romero; Date: 1980; Price: $5.00; Page count: none (box containing various pieces);

Size: box; (2.5 x 2.5 x 2.5); Kennedy #: not cited; Print information: 20 signed and numbered copies;

As mentioned above, the last page of a 1980 Everyman Studios promotional describes one of the most bizarre and rarest items in their catalog. It's described in the ad as "a three-dimensional magazine" that requires no assembly. There is no full picture of the product provided in the ad, but it does describe what you get: a hairy box, a chunk of cheese, a wood block, a slice of box, another slice, a point it all and more. Have a look:

I seem to lack imagination and had to ask Artie Romero for help and how to assemble my "three dimensional magazine" that "requires no assembly". He responded that he regrets every describing the Hairy Box as a 3-D magazine. It is in fact a kit for making your own dadaist 3-D sculptures. The "no assembly" did not refer to the sculpture but to the box and its individual pieces which Romero personally cut and glued together.

Edited August 14, 2019 by CDNComix

[OtherEric]

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy this thread, even if I never have anything to add to the discussion.