Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 3 1 2 3
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
 Originally Posted By: Pariah
To this day, I'm still scrounging Comic shops for a vintage horror series that was published from mid-80s to early 90s. It was an anthology book featuring stories that covered fantasy, noir, and sci-fi subject matter. I read it when I was younger and just getting into comicbooks, but I threw out the issues that I had because they were so depressing. Now I'm regretting it.

The only solid thing I can remember about it is that every cover had a cobra snake on it. Not even a smidgen of a recollection of the title is within my grasp.


DEATH RATTLE, from Kitchen Sink?

See issue 11 in particular.

Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,952
Likes: 6
Officially "too old for this shit"
15000+ posts
Officially "too old for this shit"
15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,952
Likes: 6
 Quote:
So you're saying that if you worked in the mainstream biz, you were barred from being "underground"?


You think that Billy Joel was being punk when he recorded "Glass Houses," don't you? ;\)

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy
Yeah, Capt Sweden, I did mean it to be inclusive of 60's/70's underground material (and later stuff following in that tradition, like Eros comics from Fantagraphics) or adult material in comics (like HEAVY METAL, European Graphic novels that have a similar nudity and adult themes)




 Quote:
I normally would exclude most fantasy/adventure stuff from, say, First Comics, Pacific, and Eclipse. But AMERICAN FLAGG is so overtly sexual that I'd say it qualifies.


Thanks! (Good thing I didn't mention Mike Grell's Jon Sable: Freelance, then! ) Though I used American Flagg!, Time2 etc merely as examples of Chaykin's art when coloured, which (Thick) Black Kiss isn't.

 Quote:
Wally Wood's CANNON you mentioned (re-released by Eros/Fantagraphics in the early 1990s, I don't know where it was previously published) is the example you've given so far that comes closest to what I view as "underground adult comics".




 Quote:
Likewise Wood's self-published fanzine WITZEND, which has quite a bit of nudity, and is an underground rose by another name.

MR A. by Ditko, while not sexually explicit, is a small-press release with mature themes that is clearly not for a mainstream audience, and was probably distributed through underground channels. Much of the stuff in, for example, SKULL COMICS, is not sexually explicit, but aimed at an older audience (pre-code-style horror stories, and H.P. Lovecraft adaptations).
In content, I would not consider MR. A. "underground/adult", but it squeaks into that category by being intended for an adult audience, and by the way it was distributed. But generally, I mean 70's underground or boobies.


Bolds by me so G-man - hopefully - will notice it. ;\)

 Quote:
ANDROMEDA that I listed for the most part is just sophisticated storytelling in a magazine that had underground-style distribution. Although it does have some nudity as well.

A similar magazine, STAR REACH, and its companion books IMAGINE, PARSIFAL and QUACK, are considered "middle ground" or "over ground" comics, but have similar bits of sex and playful nudity, even though much of it was done by mostly mainstream artists.


Cool!

Did by any chance any of those magazines adapt stories by Philip José Farmer, Ursula K. Le Guin and/or Robert A. Heinlein? (For example Stranger in a Strange Land and/or similar stories?) They would certainly fit a readership interested in mature themes.

 Quote:
My apologies to G-man for my ambiguity, I should have been more clear. But as I often do, I left it vague for all-inclusiveness, to make for a more broad and interesting topic.




"Batman is only meaningful as an answer to a world which in its basics is chaotic and in the hands of the wrong people, where no justice can be found. I think it's very suitable to our perception of the world's condition today... Batman embodies the will to resist evil" -Frank Miller

"Conan, what's the meaning of life?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!"
-Conan the Barbarian

"Well, yeah."
-Jason E. Perkins

"If I had a dime for every time Pariah was right about something I'd owe twenty cents."
-Ultimate Jaburg53

"Fair enough. I defer to your expertise."
-Prometheus

Rack MisterJLA!
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy
 Originally Posted By: Pariah
To this day, I'm still scrounging Comic shops for a vintage horror series that was published from mid-80s to early 90s. It was an anthology book featuring stories that covered fantasy, noir, and sci-fi subject matter. I read it when I was younger and just getting into comicbooks, but I threw out the issues that I had because they were so depressing. Now I'm regretting it.

The only solid thing I can remember about it is that every cover had a cobra snake on it. Not even a smidgen of a recollection of the title is within my grasp.


DEATH RATTLE, from Kitchen Sink?

See issue 11 in particular.


The surgeon in issue 16 looks way too happy...


"Batman is only meaningful as an answer to a world which in its basics is chaotic and in the hands of the wrong people, where no justice can be found. I think it's very suitable to our perception of the world's condition today... Batman embodies the will to resist evil" -Frank Miller

"Conan, what's the meaning of life?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!"
-Conan the Barbarian

"Well, yeah."
-Jason E. Perkins

"If I had a dime for every time Pariah was right about something I'd owe twenty cents."
-Ultimate Jaburg53

"Fair enough. I defer to your expertise."
-Prometheus

Rack MisterJLA!
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,833
Likes: 7
The conscience of the rkmbs!
15000+ posts
The conscience of the rkmbs!
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,833
Likes: 7
 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy
 Originally Posted By: Pariah
To this day, I'm still scrounging Comic shops for a vintage horror series that was published from mid-80s to early 90s. It was an anthology book featuring stories that covered fantasy, noir, and sci-fi subject matter. I read it when I was younger and just getting into comicbooks, but I threw out the issues that I had because they were so depressing. Now I'm regretting it.

The only solid thing I can remember about it is that every cover had a cobra snake on it. Not even a smidgen of a recollection of the title is within my grasp.


DEATH RATTLE, from Kitchen Sink?

See issue 11 in particular.


HOLY SHIT!!

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
 Originally Posted By: the G-man
 Quote:
So you're saying that if you worked in the mainstream biz, you were barred from being "underground"?


You think that Billy Joel was being punk when he recorded "Glass Houses," don't you? ;\)


Maybe not him and maybe not that album. But I certainly wouldn't tell a musician to not experiment with other genres, or a comic book artist to not try to make paintings, for example, if that makes them happy. Many comic book artists went to make adverts in the 1950's, if my memory doesn't fail me. Jim Steranko made a few great movie posters, and Howard Chaykin has done book covers (you know, as in *not* comic book).


"Batman is only meaningful as an answer to a world which in its basics is chaotic and in the hands of the wrong people, where no justice can be found. I think it's very suitable to our perception of the world's condition today... Batman embodies the will to resist evil" -Frank Miller

"Conan, what's the meaning of life?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!"
-Conan the Barbarian

"Well, yeah."
-Jason E. Perkins

"If I had a dime for every time Pariah was right about something I'd owe twenty cents."
-Ultimate Jaburg53

"Fair enough. I defer to your expertise."
-Prometheus

Rack MisterJLA!
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


 Originally Posted By: Captain Sweden
 Originally Posted By: the G-man
 Quote:
So you're saying that if you worked in the mainstream biz, you were barred from being "underground"?


You think that Billy Joel was being punk when he recorded "Glass Houses," don't you? ;\)


Maybe not him and maybe not that album. But I certainly wouldn't tell a musician to not experiment with other genres, or a comic book artist to not try to make paintings, for example, if that makes them happy. Many comic book artists went to make adverts in the 1950's, if my memory doesn't fail me. Jim Steranko made a few great movie posters, and Howard Chaykin has done book covers (you know, as in *not* comic book).


Chaykin was THE MAN when it came to painted art, circa 1978-1981. (I think only Starlin, Adams, Larkin and Gulacy did comparable work on Marvel's painted 70's/early 80's magazine covers.)

See the cover for EPIC ILLUSTRATED 8.
Or Chaykin's 8-page story "Seven Moon's Light Casts Complex Shadows" in EPIC 2.
Or his Raiders of the Lost Ark cover for the 1981 MARVEL SUPER SPECIAL movie adaptation. It's nicer than the movie poster!

Some other painted stuff by Chaykin that I love:
  • * THE STARS MY DESTINATION (only one of 2 issues published in 1979, the complete with unpublished pages edition published by Epic Comics in 1992)

    * THE SWORDS OF HEAVEN, THE FLOWERS OF HELL (1979 Moorcock Adaptation, published by Heavy Metal)

    * The Dominic Fortune series in HULK Magazine 21-25, and reprints of pen-and ink B&W stories in BIZARRE ADVENTURES (MARVEL PREVIEW) 20

    * From EPIC ILLUSTRATED issue 2, Chaykin's 8-page story "Seven Moons' Light Casts Complex Shadows"

    * The painted cover for the MARVEL SUPER SPECIAL movie adaptation of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK


But from AMERICAN FLAGG forward, virtually everything Chaykin has done is essentially adult comics wedged into a more conventional adventure story (BLACK KISS, THE SHADOW miniseries, BLACKHAWK, etc.)

Steranko did some phenomenal covers that border on movie posters for his MEDIASCENE newspaper and PREVUE magazine (circa 1974-1982). I don't know if he did any actual movie posters.




Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Phew, was worried for a sec' that I mixed up Jim with someone else:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Steranko#Film_and_television_work


"Batman is only meaningful as an answer to a world which in its basics is chaotic and in the hands of the wrong people, where no justice can be found. I think it's very suitable to our perception of the world's condition today... Batman embodies the will to resist evil" -Frank Miller

"Conan, what's the meaning of life?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!"
-Conan the Barbarian

"Well, yeah."
-Jason E. Perkins

"If I had a dime for every time Pariah was right about something I'd owe twenty cents."
-Ultimate Jaburg53

"Fair enough. I defer to your expertise."
-Prometheus

Rack MisterJLA!
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37



Yeah, the Steranko art concept drawings for Raiders of the Lost Ark (3 nice illustrations) are in an all-pinup issue, MEDIASCENE 33 (Sept-Oct 1978) along with nice pages by Windsor-Smith (Conan), Wrightson (Frankenstein portfolio pages), Kaluta (DC mystery covers), Steranko Spiderman and Nick Fury posters, Alcala, Nebres, Adkins, Russel, and others.

Steranko also did some later Raiders of the Lost Ark paintings that were in EPIC ILLUSTRATED 19.

The Dracula work is a series of storyboard sketches, reprinted in the STERANKO: GRAPHIC PRINCE OF DARKNESS (i.e. TALES FROM THE EDGE # 11, March 1998, a comic book formatted "book" crammed with biographical text and illustrations, detailing Steranko's career. It looks like a comic book size issue of MEDIASCENE, or Steranko's HISTORY OF COMICS 1 and 2. )




Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


 Originally Posted By: Captain Sweden


 Originally Posted By: WB
ANDROMEDA that I listed for the most part is just sophisticated storytelling in a magazine that had underground-style distribution. Although it does have some nudity as well.

A similar magazine, STAR REACH, and its companion books IMAGINE, PARSIFAL and QUACK, are considered "middle ground" or "over ground" comics, but have similar bits of sex and playful nudity, even though much of it was done by mostly mainstream artists.


Cool!

Did by any chance any of those magazines adapt stories by Philip José Farmer, Ursula K. Le Guin and/or Robert A. Heinlein? (For example Stranger in a Strange Land and/or similar stories?) They would certainly fit a readership interested in mature themes.



No Philip Jose Farmer stories in those issues.

But I'll agree with you that Stranger In A Strange Land is very worthy of the treatment. Arguably the best science fiction novel I've read, beautiful in its literary allegory and symbolism of Valentine Michael Smith as a Christ-figure, and the angels on high watching his saga unfold on Earth.

ANDROMEDA has one s-f short story adaptation per issue, and additonal original stories by other artists to fill out the anthology.

You can see which story and author are adapted on the above linked covers of each issue.
They are (1) James Tiptree, (2) A.E.Van Vogt, (3) Arthur C Clarke, (4) Jack Vance, (5)Walter M. Miller, (6) Alan Dean Foster

My brother's a big fan of Usula K. Le Guin, particularly her EarthSea trilogy.

Farmer I find a bit too way-out and at times incoherent. I'm thinking in particular of his offering in Ellison's Dangerous Visions anthology. Although he does pulp-tribute-stuff that would adapt well in comics form.



Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37



Another of my favorite covers, UP FROM THE DEEP # 1 (1972), with interior stories by both Corben and Jaxon.




I'm trying to remember whether this is the one with the story Corben did that is "Magnus, Robot Fighter" in everything but name. And some well-endowed robot kicks his ass and fucks his girlfriend.



Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
No, I just checked.

It was "Mangle, Robot Mangler" in SLOW DEATH 4 (the cover of which I already posted earlier in the topic.)

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37



Capt. Sweden, you earlier mentioned Milo Manara. I have GULLIVERA, SNOW MAN, and INDIAN SUMMER. I always meant to pick up CLICK and CLICK 2, but never got around to it yet.



GULLIVERA was the one I enjoyed the most. A playful re-writing of Gulliver's Travels, replacing him with a sexy girl. It's also reprinted in complete form in the July 1997 issue of HEAVY METAL.

I'm surprised PLAYBOY, PENTHOUSE or some similar magazine hasn't gotten rights to reprint these in their magazines. They go for big bucks now.



Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


An offering from Robert Crumb, the cover for WEIRDO 17.



I suddenly realize how much Crumb borrows from Basil Wolverton.

Crumb has done many outstanding covers.







Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


http://www.comics.org/series/17236/covers/


ONE-FISTED TALES.
\:lol\:


Particularly memorable is Larry Welz's introduction of CHERRY.

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 19,546
Likes: 1
living in 1962
15000+ posts
living in 1962
15000+ posts
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 19,546
Likes: 1
ahh, I remember that one. and good ol' Cherry Poptart on the cover.

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Someone thought Barbarella (does that title count, Dave? ;\) ) wasn't kinky enough. \:p


"Batman is only meaningful as an answer to a world which in its basics is chaotic and in the hands of the wrong people, where no justice can be found. I think it's very suitable to our perception of the world's condition today... Batman embodies the will to resist evil" -Frank Miller

"Conan, what's the meaning of life?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!"
-Conan the Barbarian

"Well, yeah."
-Jason E. Perkins

"If I had a dime for every time Pariah was right about something I'd owe twenty cents."
-Ultimate Jaburg53

"Fair enough. I defer to your expertise."
-Prometheus

Rack MisterJLA!
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Unbreakable
3000+ posts
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,153
I guess I'll take a looksee for Milo Manara books then.

According to the October issue of Previews, there are collected editions of Milo Manara comics coming out, but I don't know if they're including erotic comics.


"Batman is only meaningful as an answer to a world which in its basics is chaotic and in the hands of the wrong people, where no justice can be found. I think it's very suitable to our perception of the world's condition today... Batman embodies the will to resist evil" -Frank Miller

"Conan, what's the meaning of life?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!"
-Conan the Barbarian

"Well, yeah."
-Jason E. Perkins

"If I had a dime for every time Pariah was right about something I'd owe twenty cents."
-Ultimate Jaburg53

"Fair enough. I defer to your expertise."
-Prometheus

Rack MisterJLA!
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
 Originally Posted By: Captain Sweden
I guess I'll take a looksee for Milo Manara books then.

According to the October issue of Previews, there are collected editions of Milo Manara comics coming out, but I don't know if they're including erotic comics.


It's hard to find a Manara book that isn't erotic and sexually graphic. The only one i'm aware of is THE SNOWMAN (circa 1990) about an adventurer in the 1940's who travels to the Himalayas in search of evidence of the Yeti's existence. Nice art and story, but no nekkid wimmen.

While other Manara stories (like INDIAN SUMMER) have an overall serious story, they also have graphic nudity and sex woven into the story.

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
 Originally Posted By: Captain Sweden
Someone thought Barbarella (does that title count, Dave? ;\) ) wasn't kinky enough. \:p


Barbarella to my knowledge was just a tongue-in-cheek sexually suggestive science fiction movie, featuring a scantily clad Jane Fonda wearing a sword and loincloth.

So it was also a comic book first? I wasn't aware of it until now.


But it reminds me of Frank Thorne''s GHEETA, that was serialized in Warren's 1984/1994 magazine, and later collected in european-style albums.

I liked CEREBUS 19, where Sim teamed up the two, Red Sonja and her derivative and more sexual Gheeta clone. Not named as such, but we all knew who they were.

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
Another great cover by Robert Crumb, from HUP # 1:

(new link to cover: )
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Oi2Abxjpms/UQFLE8YcvXI/AAAAAAAABF0/D0bafwAJXIA/s1600/HUP+1.jpg




(the previous image, altered to a link, with apologies to mrainey: )
http://sirrealcomix.mrainey.com/page/h/cvr_Hup01-1.jpg

Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 19,528
Likes: 12
brother from another mother
15000+ posts
brother from another mother
15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 19,528
Likes: 12
Looks like you're in trouble there,Hoss.


"My friends have always been the best of me." -Doctor Who

"Well,whenever I'm confused,I just check my underwear. It holds most answers to life's questions." Abe Simpson

I can tell by the position of the sun in the sky, that is time for us to go. Until next time, I am Lothar of the Hill People!
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
Oopsie. Didn't mean to offend anyone. My apologies to mrainey.

I replaced it with a new link.




Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


That's a difficult title to beat!

Illustrated by a female artist, who uses herself for photo-reference.
There's a few photos of her in some issues.

Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,869
Likes: 16
Son of Anarchist
15000+ posts
Son of Anarchist
15000+ posts
Offline
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,869
Likes: 16
bandwidth stealer!

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
I prefer the term Undocumented Bandwidth Acquirer.

Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,869
Likes: 16
Son of Anarchist
15000+ posts
Son of Anarchist
15000+ posts
Offline
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,869
Likes: 16
Acquirer? I barely knew her!

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


Has anyone here read Carnal Comics?

I have a few issues I picked up between 1995-1998 or so. Each is a one-issue comic book biography of a female porn star, with art by Breyfogle, Broderick, and a few others that could have been pros using other names.

Here's a history of the publisher:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnal_Comics

The majority of the stars profiled I'd never heard of till I read the issue they were featured in.

A list of the ones produced (at least from late 1994 up through Jan 1998, the last issue I have, from the back-issue order list: )
AJA
ALICIA RIO
ANNA MALLE
BECKY SUNSHINE
BLONDAGE
BRITTANY O'CONNELL
BUNNY BLEU
CHESSIE MOORE (Jan 1997)
CHRISTI LAKE (Jan 1998)
HYAPATIA LEE
JADE EAST
JASMINE ST CLAIR
JEANNA FINE
JENNA JAMESON
JILL KELLY (Oct 1997)
JULIA ANN
KELLY O'DELL
KIMBERLY KUPPS
KYLIE IRELAND (July 1996)
LETHA WEAPONS
LILLI XENE
LISA ANN
LOVETTE
MARLYN STAR
MELISSA MONET
NICI STERLING
NICOLE LONDON
PORSCHE LYNN (June 1996)
REBECCA BARDOUX
REBECCA LORD
SAHARA SANDS (Aug 1997)
SARAH-JANE HAMILTON
SERENITY
TABITHA STEVENS
TAMMI ANN (Sept 1995)
TAYLOR WANE
TRACEY ADAMS
TIFFANY MYNX
TYFFANY MILLION
VICTORIA PARIS (Dec 1995)

I listed dates for the ones I have.
Carnal Comics also has a number of other pornstar history and fantasy titles I don't feel like listing. But are mostly mentioned in the Wikipedia link.



Another cool one I have from the same publisher (Revolutionary Comics), is CONSPIRACY COMICS 1 (and only?), Oct 1991 on the death of Marilyn Monroe, and conspiracy involvement of JFK, RFK, and the mafia in her death.




Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


Look for the go-go chex!

At least on this particular cover.

These are more typical of the series:

I'm actually surprised Marvel (who has a long history of being litiginously territorial) never gave them a problem about the Carnal Comics logo.


The current issues are available from:

https://ripoffpress.com/categories/carnal-comics







Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
The latest underground I picked up is an anthology I first saw but never purchased when it came out, titled COMMIES FROM MARS.

The first issue from Kitchen Sink(1973)


and 2-6 from Last Gasp(sporadically, from 1979-1987).

I especially like the cover on issue 2.
An anthology of random stories, primarily by artist Tim Boxell, with stories by Hunt Emerson, Peter Kuper, Spain Rodriguez, S.Clay Wilson and others. Some continuing features and characters, and many one-shots.
I like the splicing together the nationalist/anti-communist theme of invading "commies" with the same revulsion for invading aliens.

Issue 4's cover has kind of a 70's porn feel to it.


Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


I've been thinking recently that the EC-influenced Warren magazines (beginning in 1964), and then the underground comics movement (beginning 1968-1970) combined were a major part of the transition that occurred in comics from 1970 to about 1981.

Underground creators had the rights to the characters and original art they produced, royalties, and later printings of the same material (vs. the work-for-hire arrangement of the mainstream comics publishers).

Mike Friedrich's STAR REACH line (beginning in 1974) was a push of undergrounds into the comics mainstream, which he and others called "ground level" comics.
Eclipse's SABRE graphic novel in 1978 by McGregor and Gulacy was another prominent alternative publisher effort that had royalties for its creators, and creator-ownership of the material. Followed by a line of graphic novels like Craig Russell's NIGHT MUSIC(1979), Gerber/Colan's STEWART THE RAT(1981), McGregor/Rogers' DETECTIVES INC (1981), Starlin's THE PRICE (1981), before expanding the line to ECLIPSE magazine in laate 1981, and expanding in 1982 into an ongoing line of color Eclipse comics.

Under Archie Goodwin beginning in 1980, Marvel's EPIC ILLUSTRATED magazine had greater creator ownership and rights than Marvel's other titles. Soon followed by a creator-owned comics line in 1982.

And I think the work-for-hire spine of the mainstream industry was snapped with the rise of Pacific Comics in 1981, that saw a lot of the best talents in comics leaving to do creator-owned material with royalties, rather than stay at Marvel and DC.
Kirby had left Marvel in 1978 to do animation, and came back to do Pacific's first new title, CAPTAIN VICTORY, released in Dec 1981.
Grell immediately after did 6 issues of STARSLAYER for Pacific in 1982-1983 (it was originally going to be a series for DC, before Grell got a better offer from Pacific!). And then the STARSLAYER title was licensed to First comics, and after done by Ostrander and Truman when First Comics began publishing it.

And beyond that, by 1981-1982, the pressure on Marvel and DC to remain competitive with the smaller publishers resulted in creator royalties and greater creator ownership of new characters.



I think comics were maturing due to other influences from 1968-1982, particularly from the influence of advertising and other forms of publishing brought to the comics field by guys like Neal Adams and Jim Steranko.

But the undergrounds, despite having a small readership, being very sporadically published, and being more cynical and often outright pornographic, still had power and influence. They had an energy to them, particularly in the realm of creator ownership.

In terms of sales, undergrounds were a very small market, often less than 5,000 copies per issue. They were no competition in sales, relative to the mainstream publishers. And even the most prominent undergrounds, such as SLOW DEATH and SKULL COMICS, only lasted at most 10 issues, and were published very sporadically, often only one issue per year, or less.
STAR REACH lasted the longest at 18 issues (the last 3 in magazine size).
The sales of undergrounds were not high enough to be considered influential on, or a threat to, mainstream comics. But undergrounds still had a creative spirit that helped influence the start of publishers like Star-Reach, Eclipse, Pacific, and First, that had a greater long-term business sense, that spawned the direct-sales market, that replaced undergrounds in 1981.



Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
From 1966:




Huh! LBJ imagined transforming America into France. The Democrats haven't changed much in 50 years.


The artist is a guy named Tony Tallarico, who did work for Dell and Gilberton (Classics Illustrated), and later Marvel, from the 1950's to the 1970's. He also collaborated on a follow-up to GREAT SOCIETY, called BOBMAN AND TEDDY.



Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,869
Likes: 16
Son of Anarchist
15000+ posts
Son of Anarchist
15000+ posts
Offline
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,869
Likes: 16
It's Super Bill Murray.

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
\:lol\:

Born in 1950, Bill Murray would have been about 16 years old when this was published in 1966.
But it does look like him now.

Dig that weird linen-stock used for the cover.
I don't think another book like this was published until REAGAN'S RAIDERS in the 1980's.
Now there's several starring Barack Obama, the funniest I've seen being BARACK THE BARBARIAN (which also has a Red Sonja-like Sarah Palin in a few issues).


Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37



Great Corben cover for WEIRDOM 15.
Imagine waiting for an elevator and having this happen. From now on, I'm taking the stairs!

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
A recent discovery of mine, the three issue run of CAPTAIN GUTS, published about once a year from 1969-1971. It hilariously hits all the right notes of the period, with sex, drugs, hippies, 1960's protestors, racial conflict, more sex and more drugs. This is actually the funniest of the undergrounds from this period. Some shocking political incorrectness, but done playfully without any mean-spiritedness.

Definitely a "pure id" orgy of self-indulgence. Wild stuff.



An early creation by the later creator of CHERRY POP-TART Larry Weltz.


Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


Presenting another I mentioned earlier in the topic , from SLOW DEATH 4, Nov 1972, one of my favorite underground stories,
"Mangle, Robot Mangler" by Richard Corben, a six-page parody of MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER.

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6


Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


Here's a blog page about Kenneth Smith, who I first knew of in the late 1970's from his columns and art contributions to the COMICS JOURNAL. It wasn't until the early 1990's that I picked up a then-recent collected reprint book from Bud Plant of his PHANTASMAGORIA series.



I also have the original 1970 printing of PHANTASMAGORIA 1. The above image is the wraparound cover of issue 1. I was surprised when I got it, it's 8" X 11" and printed on glossy paper, way ahead of its time for 1970!
The art is unbeatable, the lettering in the first issue is a more decorative script that is often a chore to read. But the art is outstanding, ornately detailed, with humorously portrayed anthropomorphic dinosaurs. Later issues have typed lettering.

I also recall the portfolios described advertised in the COMICS JOURNAL, and other magazines of the 1975-1980 era, such as QUESTAR. Regrettably, I was a high school student at the time, and couldn't buy all the beautiful items I would have liked to.

Aside from the PHANTASMAGORIA pages, the other images shown at this blog site are not typical of the Kenneth Smith art I've seen, apparently from Warren magazine stories, early work, before the later stuff Smith is known for.

Also interesting is the lengthy personal account by Kenneth Smith recollecting the years he produced this material, where he says he made far less money for the labored-over attempts at high art and innovation, than he did for later less elaborate commercial art jobs he left comics to do. And of his friendships with Wood, Frazetta and others, that convinced him he didn't want to follow in their footsteps and have a professional career in comics.




Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy


That's a difficult title to beat!

Illustrated by a female artist, who uses herself for photo-reference.
There's a few photos of her in some issues.




The whole 14-issue series, every issue, that you can read online:

https://www.8muses.com/comics/album/EROS-Comics/Bitch-in-Heat


Enjoy.

I looked on Amazon, they're currently selling for ridiculously high prices, that I'm surprised anyone would pay.
But as you can see, good material.




Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
brutally Kamphausened
15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,496
Likes: 37


A title from Eros Comics that I saw listed but never managed to find a copy of:



I love the book, for the title alone.
BUTTFUQUE U. !

Presumably about the horny antics of college students at said mythical university.





Page 2 of 3 1 2 3

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.0