Underground Comics History, Zap, R. Crumb, 300 images

Dez Skinn. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2004.

Soft cover, 7.75” x 7.75”, 288 pages, color and black & white illustrations.

Condition: Very Good+. A brand new, unread copy.   Remainder mark on edge.

Published at $24.95

Comix: The Underground Revolution traces the successes of this golden age of counter culture, from the early days of Zap Comix in 1967 through to its ultimate decline as the free love world of hippie culture gave way to punk and disco.

“While mainstream comics have graced newsstands since the 1930s, there has long been an underground comics scene brewing deep beneath the surface. Underground comic books erupted in the 1960s as a reaction to ultraconservative and patriotic comics produced by the large corporations that featured characters like Captain America and Superman. Bored with moralistic tales, artists such as Robert Crumb, creator of Zap Comix and Fritz the Cat; and Gilbert Shelton, creator of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, produced a new and revolutionary style, freely attacking politicians, the war in Vietnam, and corporate America. Comix is an homage to both the motivation and the talent of the artists working then and now in the genre. Beautifully illustrated throughout with original artworks from the likes of R. Crumb, Denis Kitchen, and Gilbert Shelton, the book graphically expresses a range of attitudes on topics ranging from sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll to politics, big business, and women's liberation. This is the first book to explore the artwork and countercultural legacy of comix, key events in the history of this medium, and biographies of its most influential artists and writers.”

• Features all the leading lights of the era from Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton to Bill Griffith, Vaughn Bode, Spain Rodriguez, Art Spiegelman, Hunt Emerson, Denis Kitchen and Harvey Pekar

• Includes a chapter on the new breed of comix illustrators - men such as Chris Ware and Dan Clowes - who keep the alternative scene alive into the 21st century

• Superbly illustrated with more than 300 color images - many of them scarce and unseen for more than 30 years!

• Includes a comprehensive directory of more than 1,500 US and UK comix

• Introduction by Denis Kitchen, comix legend and founder of Kitchen Sink Press