Underground Comix Presentation

1. WELCOME TO….
UNDERGROUND
COMIX

2. What are underground comix?
Typically underground comix, or comics, with the ‘x-rating’, are
self-published comics that are satirical or socially relevant, but
forbidden by mainstream publishers due to their content.

3. Underground comix themselves have been deemed inappropriate due to
several taboo topics, including drug use, sexuality and violence. In addition,
many of the comics emerged in the 1960s and focused on subjects that were
against traditional culture. (Underground, 2019)
The “Comics Code Authority” emerged during this time, to push back
against the x-rated comics, and appealed to their ban. (Underground, 2019)
Some of the major key figures in the underground comics scene included
Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Train Robbins and one of the more notable
figures - Harvey Kurtzman, who created the hit-series “Mad”. Kurtzman
was influential in helping to establish the popularity of other as well.
(Underground, 2019)
Several of these comics were also understood to be “pornographic comics in
the late 1920s and 1940s. (Bunche, 2009)
So what about COMIX?
Who was involved?

4. The late 1960s emerged as a period of growth in the underground comics scene, and
inspired a new wave of topics that dealt with sex, drugs, rock music, etc. In addition,
the comix themselves were popular due to the time. The later half of the 1960s was a
time characterized with the hippie movement, the Vietnam war, the civil rights
movements, the women’s and gay liberation movement. Furthermore, during a
“thriving counterculture”, the underground scene gained popularity very quickly.
(Lambiek, n.d.)
There were also several papers that published the underground comix including “The
East Village Other”, attracting many artists such as Vaughn Bode, Spain Rodriguez, and
Willy Murphy. (Lambiek, n.d.)
One of the most outspoken productions against the Comic Code at the time was a series
entitled “Doctor Wirtham’s Comix and Stories”, which appeared in 1977. The series
was eventually banned, as puritan groups claimed the series was corrupting children, by
“seducing the innocent”. (Marks, 2017)
Another popular theme included religion - with the example of “The New Adventures of
Jesus”, a comic that was created by Frank Foolbert Sturgeon Stack in 1962 and was
highly criticized by several groups. (Estren, 1992)
When did the Undergound
COMIX scene emerge?

6. Dr.
Wirtham’s
“Seduction
of the
Innocent”
& “The
New
Adventures
of Jesus”

7. Crumb’s comic “Snatch" was extremely popular. It caused more outrage, than any other
underground comic. The centre spread “The Family that Lays Together Stays Together”
features a family orgy, with parents, animals and children having sex together. (Litton,
2007)
The comic quickly became a hit seller, with copies selling at 25$ each two years after
publication. The other two titles, “Jiz" and “Dicknose” were prominent as well, and includes
drawings by other artists as well. (Don Donahue). The comics are known to have moved
beyond the overt, and readers themselves were highly interested in the “pointless sexuality
of his sex comics”. (Litton, 2007)
Crumb was notable for anti-establishment type of comix, that worked against women’s
liberation movements, such as the inclusion of rape cartoons, etc. One of the statements in
his cartoons “Just kidding girls! I’m on your side!!”. Despite this misogynistic statement,
that was observed by Trina Robbins (a feminist movement comix cartoonist), there were
many male cartoonists who admired his style. (Litton, 2007)
There were also graphic and violent scenes in his work, as well as explicit subject matter,
that lent itself to a quote by Bill Griffith: “an ugly kind of unconscious prepubescent
homosexual obsession with strength and power, particularly over women who were usually
either in need or rescuing…” (Rosencrantz, p. 127).
Robert Crumb

8. WARNING - ROBERT’S CRUMB’S
MISOGYNISTIC HUMOUR IS GRAPHIC -
IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE -
PLEASE SKIP TO SLIDE 10
Robert Crumb

9. ROBERT CRUMB

10. Gilbert Shelton, born in 1940 in Houston Texas originally worked editing
automotive magazines, attempting to sneak in spot drawings of his print.
One of this first parodies, included a parody of Superman in the form of a
pig. (Gilbert, n.d.)
Taking up a position as art director for a rock music venue, Shelton
produced posters in the style of popular California posters artists, such as
Rick Griffins and Victor Moscoso. However, it wasn’t until the summer of
1968, that Shelton created the “Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers”, which
featured a trio of stoner characters, and focused on a life of recreational
drugs, in particular marijuana. (The Fabulous Furry Freak, n.d.)
The Freak Brothers includes three brothers, Freewheelin’ Franklin Freek,
Phones T. Phreak, Fat Freddy Freekowtski, along with Fat Freddy’s cat.
Freekwheelin’ Franklin Creek is the most laid-back of the group, with
Phones as the intellect and idealist, and Fat Freddy as the least intelligent
of the group. (The Fabulous Furry Freak, n.d.)
Gilbert Shelton

11. GILBERT SHELTON

12. Harvey Kurtzman was born in 1924, publicly displaying his work on the sidewalk in his
early days. He attended New York’s high school for music and art, during which time
fostered a relationship with Wolf William Elder, who also became his creative partner until
1988. (Shwartz, n.d.)
His hit series comic strip “Mad” debuted in 1952, and gained popularity over some of the
interesting themes including “Superduperman”, with the overt sexuality and absurdity of
“god-like” creatures who would be often portrayed fighting robots and other antagonists.
(Shwartz, n.d.)
The issues of Mad contained a several different stories, each a parody on a different
comic book genre, including horror, science fiction, crime and Westerns. In addition,
certain subjects were targeted, like Tarzan. (Dooley, 2009)
The cover of the Mad magazine features a famous unnamed character with a gap-tooth,
and has appeared first in the “Mad Reader”, then the cover to “Mad #21”, and then
“Mad #27”, with the quoted slogan “What Me Worry?”. The character often was
provided different names, and eventually became the cult character of the series.
Aside from “Mad”, Kurtzman also produced several other comics, including “Restaurant"
with Elder, and “What’s My Shine” - both reflecting daily life, and the latter parodying Joe
McCarthy. (Dooley, 2009)
Harvey Kurtzman

13. HARVEY
KURTZMAN ‘s
SUPERDUPERMAN
VS. CAPTAIN
‘MARBLES’
& TALES TO DRIVE
YOU “MAD”

15. Kurtzman, was often quoted to be “one of the spiritual fathers of post-war
American satire, and also the godfather of the late 20th century alternative
humour. With all this works, “Mad” gained the most prominence, and ran
the longest, eventually being converted to a television series “Mad TV”.
(Shwartz, n.d.)
The series featured 23 issues, a satire on politics, daily life, cultural norms,
consumerism, and cultural figures. Some of the themes that were more
prominent included “Superduperman vs. Captain Marbles”, “Woman
Wonder”, and “War is hell”. (Dooley, 2009)
Although several individuals attempted to reproduce his original ideas, his
stories within the series were attempts to criticize the capitalistic system,
including the excesses, pitfalls, etc. (Shwartz, n.d.)
Eventually leaving his comic in 1956, Kurtzman did go on on attempting to
produce other works, including Humbug, Help, and Trump. (Dooley, 2009)
Kurtzman continued

16. Trina Robbins, born in 1938 was a cartoonist and influential also in the
underground comix movement, as one of the first female artists of the time. She
was also understood to be one of the first women who created “Wonder Woman”
comics. (Trina, n.d.)
Her work included the underground comic “It Ain’t Me, Babe”, an outlet for the
promotion of female empowered comics. In addition, the “Wimmen’s Comix #1”
featured one of the first out lesbians of the time. (Trina, n.d.)
Robbins was dedicated to create a series that involved female-empowered
protagonists that challenged the traditional male misogyny found in the comix of
her male contemporaries, producing themes that involved rape and murder. Her
stance on the issues was clear, that you could include satirical humour without
degrading the female body. (Jagannatham, 2018)
As a result of her views, Robbins was often refused by her male contemporaries in
the comix scene, however, it was evident that her work on “Sandy Comes Out” was
pivotal for setting the stage for lesbian focused confidence and gender acceptance
in America, as well as the feminist movement (Jagannatham, 2018)
Trina Robbins

18. TRINA
ROBBINS’
WIMMEN’S
COMIX, BABE
IT AIN’T ME &
SANDY COMES
OUT
(women’s
LGBTQ +
liberation
empowerment)

19. References
Bunche, S. (2009, May 26). Underground comix and the transformation of the American comic book. Retreived from: https://www.publishersweekly.com/
pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/9677-underground-comix-and-the-transformation-of-the-american-comic-book.html
Dooley, M. (2009). Harvey Kurtzman: Mid-century’s mad man of comic book art direction. Retrieved from: https://www.aiga.org/harvey-kurtzman-mid-
century-s-mad-man-of-comic-book-art-direction
Estren, M. J. (1992). A history of underground comics. Retrieved from: https://www.roninpub.com/HUC-Preview-Eup.pdf
Gilbert Shelton (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved July 11, 2019 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Shelton
Heller, S. (2015). The man who hanged humour in america forever. The Atlantic. Retreived from: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/
2015/04/mad-man/391838/
Jagannatham, M. (2018). The first woman to draw wonder woman tells moneyish how she fought misogyny in comics. Retrieved from: https://
www.marketwatch.com/story/the-first-woman-to-draw-wonder-woman-tells-moneyish-how-she-fought-misogyny-in-comics-2018-03-09-8883530
Lambiek Comiclopedia. (n.d). Comics history: Underground comix and the underground press. Retrieved from https://www.lambiek.net/comics/underground.htm
Litton, C. (2007). No girls allowed!: Crumb and the comix counterculture. Retrieved from: https://www.popmatters.com/no-girls-allowed-crumb-and-the-
comix-counterculture-2495784021.html
Marks, S. (2017) Comic books and conditioning: Frederic wertham’s 1954 ‘seduction of the innocent’ Retrieved from: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/
hiddenpersuaders/blog/comic-books-and-conditioning/
Schwartz, B. (n.d.) A mad, mad world: The art of Harvey Kurtzman. Retrieved from: https://www.bookforum.com/print/1601/-3548
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved July 11, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabulous_Furry_Freak_Brothers
Trina Robbins (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retreived July 11, 2019 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trina_Robbins
Underground Comix (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retreived July 11, 2019. from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_comix