The Unofficial Underground Comix thread... 14 14

[rjpb]

In the late 60's, the history of counter cultural comics and underground films merged for a brief moment in San Francisco. During that time, the great Roger Brand did occasional poster and add work for the pioneering adult film company Leo Productions, for which he also produced this little movie tie-in comic.

(Another promotional comic by an underground cartoonist most definitely not found in the OSPG.)

 

 

So is this a Tijuana Bible style tie-in? I've long been a fan of Brand's work. His Floating Head homages to Russ Heath's precode "Brain" stories are classic!

[erehwon]

In the late 60's, the history of counter cultural comics and underground films merged for a brief moment in San Francisco. During that time, the great Roger Brand did occasional poster and add work for the pioneering adult film company Leo Productions, for which he also produced this little movie tie-in comic.

(Another promotional comic by an underground cartoonist most definitely not found in the OSPG.)

 

 

So is this a Tijuana Bible style tie-in? I've long been a fan of Brand's work. His Floating Head homages to Russ Heath's precode "Brain" stories are classic!

 

It's a cheaply produced eight-pager with pornographic content, so it definitely goes in the direction of a Tijuana bible; however, it's saddle stitched, the paper is newsprint throughout, and it's bigger in size than your average Tijuana bible.

 

In case you haven't already come across it, check out this excellent feature that Kim Deitch wrote about Roger Brand for the Comics Journal. Both the article and the comments section are well worth the read.

 

http://www.tcj.com/a-lousy-week-for-woods-remembering-roger-brand/

[rjpb]

Thanks for the link!

 

The comment section is a treasure trove of infirmation, not only about Roger and the underground comics scene, but collecting and dealing comics in the 60s. I'm only about a third of the way through and already overwhelmed.

[swebbvella]

Hi all, recognize some people here from comicspriceguide, and since it crashed I have been looking for another forum for underground collectors. Is this it, or are there other places to visit? Please excuse me if this is improper etiquette here, I apologize.

[wpbooks]

If there are any others I am unaware of their existence. Welcome aboard.

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

ComicsPriceGuide was the main forum. It's funny how they last a few years, as I believe the main Underground Comix forum has changed twice prior. I believe there is one other forum you might want to keep an eye on at comixjoint, but last time I checked there the forum was also down.

[erehwon]

Hi Swebvella. It's strange how the comicspriceguide forum just went poof. At one point they were performing some maintenance saying they were getting closer to restoring the forum, but their communication regarding their progress hasn't been great. And yes, as 50 Cent mentions, sadly the comixjoint forum has also been down lately.

 

Here we just have one thread in the magazine section, but make yourself at home!

[swebbvella]

Thanks everyone. I was aware of the comixjoint forums, and am upset at the lack of info on the comixpriceguide forum status. A lot of good information there, I hope it's not lost as it is a good source for people new to the genre. Glad I found this one.

[Brother J]

http://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP151352

 

http://www.amazon.com/Zap-Comix-16-R-Crumb/dp/1606999001/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450225303&sr=8-2&keywords=Zap+Comix

 

old news? Just saw it on Facebook, Zap #16 will be released (according to Amazon.com) on February 22, 2016 (for those who didn't drop $500 for the Zap box set)

[rjpb]

Excellent. When I read there was unpublished material in the box set, I figured it would eventually make it's way into a less pricey format. fortunately with age comes patience.

 

I'd still like to have boxed set, but can't bring myself to spend $500 for material I already have.

[swebbvella]

Someone on eBay is selling a mint opened set for WAY less.....just sayin'.

And no, I don't own a set either because of the price. Too much of Crumb's stuff is repackaged old comix published to keep the money flowing. I'll look through my collection of originals instead thankyouverymuch. With gloves. Under special lighting. Behind a sneeze guard.

[erehwon]

Sweet, looking forward to reading it! I too couldn't get myself to clunk down $500 for the boxed set. The $14.99 I can bear to spend, although that also seems like a lot...

[erehwon]

 

 

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

 

 

Nice one, still need to pick one of these up myself.

 

[rjpb]

 

The New Gravity - I've never even heard of that one one.

 

[erehwon]

From what I gather, the author Kent Robertson is a dissident scientist who aggressively opposes the Big Bang theory as a cosmological model for the universe. He is an advocate for Einstein's unified field theory, and posits gravity as the fourth dimension.

 

The UG connection is that Don Donahue printed the tract and that it reprints art by several UG artists (don't remember off hand, but I think Robert Crumb and Rory Hayes are among them).

 

I also came across this quote attributed to Don:

 

"This book has clearly made a formerly mystified theoretical physics truly comprehensible to anyone with high school reading skills and 'street people' in general. Beyond its overt revolutionary scientific import, the social implications are also profound. Bound to surprise and constructively influence an enormous number of people for a very long time. Ignoring or denying it won't make it go away. Now I know what E=MC squared means."

 

Here is the second issue:

 

 

And here's a mini comic I got directly from Don which isn't listed in Kennedy:

 

[rjpb]

That's some seriously esoteric stuff.

 

So it's more a tract with illos than a true comic?

 

Not that that kind of stuff isn't cool and a major part of the underground/alt comix medium. One thing I like about collecting undergrounds is that you have to let go of traditional notions of format, even if you're not a completist.

 

 

[erehwon]

That's some seriously esoteric stuff.

 

So it's more a tract with illos than a true comic?

 

Not that that kind of stuff isn't cool and a major part of the underground/alt comix medium. One thing I like about collecting undergrounds is that you have to let go of traditional notions of format, even if you're not a completist.

 

 

Yes, it's mostly a tract interspersed with some illos. No real comic strips, but some reprinted Crumb drawings and a couple of pages of UG covers like Rory Hayes's cover to San Francisco Comics #1 if I recall correctly.

 

New Gravity is of interest to me in that it is a window into the San Francisco counter culture. While I am wholly unqualified to judge the veracity of Kent Robertson's physics, I'm intrigued by the spirit alive in individuals like Don Donahue and Gary Arlington who see the publication of something like The New Gravity almost as an act of revelation. For me this enthusiasm epitomizes the underground comix movement.

[Corben Fan]

Okay, I figured out how to join the group and even respond. But, how do I add a picture???

[Corben Fan]

In the days, the #1 New Gravity was a key book, like Gunfighter 3. However, on Abe, it and #2 show up every so often.

There is a G #2 on right now for $33, which seems high.