Chew the Fat: Undergrounds, Indies and Comics that 'Pushed the Envelope'...

 

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Redartz:   One book that really served to educate me early on about the comics industry and all it's variations was Les Daniels' "Comix: A History of Comic Books in America". Published in 1971, it was fairly current in 1974 when I got into comics seriously. Although the chapters on humor, funny animals, Marvel and DC were familiar territory for the burgeoning reader in me, the chapter on Underground Comix (spelled with an 'x' to differentiate from mainstream comics) was a real eye-opener. 

Here were described all the things that my parents were originally afraid that comics would expose me to: politics, sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. Some of the material Daniels reprinted was explicit enough to make my naive self slightly uncomfortable. But some years later, I discovered a lot of great reading in those same Undergrounds. In particular, "Arcade: the Comics Revue" from Art Speigelman and Bill Griffith, showcased work by many of the Underground's top talents: Robert Crumb, Denis Kitchen,
Aline Kominsky, Spiegelman and Griffith. 

Bill Griffith was the man behind "Zippy the Pinhead", a very odd book that I found irresistable. Another book he produced was "Griffith Observatory", a heavily satiric, critical eye on American society of the late 1970's. 

Art Spiegelman, among many other things, gave us the monumental graphic series (and later novel) "Maus". And to this day, "Maus" remains the most powerful, most gut-wrenching, most impactful comic I've ever read. 

Which brings up another point about Undergrounds. Originally Undergrounds, which arose in the 60's and early 70's, were focused mainly on the non-code approved subjects mentioned above. Hence they were primarily available through 'head shops', college bookstores and such. But as they faded from the scene by the late 70's, they evolved into the Independent comics we enjoyed in the 80's and beyond. That may be a bit of an oversimplification, but many of the creators, subject matter and material that made the Undergrounds paved the way for books like "Maus".  We got Harvey Pekar's "American Splendor", Los Bros Hernandez' "Love and Rockets", and so on. Then there was Daniel Clowes, known for "Ghost World" and "Eightball", but I'm fond of his "Lloyd Llewelyn".

Therefore, this week, let's join the Underground. Whether it was Crumb's "Zap", or Howard Cruse's "Barefootz", what comics (comix) did you get a kick out of? Did you risk your parents' disapproval by indulging in a few Undergrounds? Did you follow any of the 80's indies? Could "The Walking Dead" exist without the ground being broken by Kitchen Sink's "Death Rattle"?  It's all on the table, all that edgy, risky, 'hide it from Mom and Dad' stuff...

Pulled From the Pack: Wacky Packages!

Redartz: Today we introduce another category in our ever- increasing array of topics: "Pulled From the Pack", in which we will look at another fondly remembered  element of Bronze Age (and earlier, and later) childhood: trading cards! For the inaugural edition, we will yank the wrapper off of Wacky Packages- a very popular series of stickers (and cards) which featured parodies of well-known products. 

 
 
Wacky Packages were made by Topps, best known as a Premier manufacturer of baseball cards. "Wacky Packs" first appeared in the late 60's, and were revived to great reception in 1973. They were common trading fodder among kids throughout the 70's, and they have reappeared periodically ever since. And they may have a familiar style to comic fans: they artwork for the stickers was produced by some big names in alternative and popular comics: Jay Lynch, Tom Sutton, George Evans and Bill Griffith (who gave us Zippy). Indeed, while researching this topic, I was amazed to learn that the 'father' of Wacky Packages was none other than Art Spiegelman- the amazingly talented creator of the acclaimed graphic novel "Maus" (which may well be the subject of discussion some other day). 

I came to love "Wackys" in middle school. Among my frequent trips to the local drug store for Archie comics and baseball cards in the early 70's, I found these funny-looking packs of stickers for sale. Featuring some very familiar 'products' treated to a graphic version of the Dean Martin roast! They actually  had a slightly subversive feel (parents probably didn't find them so amusing) that really appealed to my pre-teen sense of humor. Therefore, my school notebook (and the closet door of my room) was soon adorned with "Crust Toothpaste", "Hostage Cup-cakes" and many other Wackys. And often, lunchtime at school would find a group of us trading stickers and snickering  over each one. Some of the parodies had great staying power in my memory: even today, at the supermarket, I can't see a bottle of Log Cabin pancake syrup without thinking of  "Log Cave-In". 

In 2008, Topps released a "Retro Set" of Wackys, representing some of the classic stickers from the 60's and 70's. In preparing for this post, I coughed up a few bucks on ebay, and got the whole set (all my original stickers being loooong gone). Best 7 dollars I've spent this week!

Obviously, we can't have a discussion about these stickers without looking at a few, so here we go:

 

As part of this retro set, several cards were included which depicted never-before used artwork. Here's a few of those:

 
So how many of you were captivated by these little 'provocateurs of Madison Avenue'?  And would you trade a "Liptorn Soup" for a "Swiss Mess" Cocoa?  I would...