RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books Your favorite underground/adult comics

Here's an interview with comics writer Jan Strnad, mostly focusing on the underground projects he worked on with Richard Corben, including early underground stories (1970-1971) for Corben's FANTAGOR and Strnad's ANOMALY.

https://www.muuta.net/Ints/IntJanStrnad-A.html

And later collaborating on Warren magazine material and graphic novels, such as NEW TALES OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS (first serialized in HEAVY METAL), JEREMY BROOD (previewed in EPIC ILLUSTRATED), and MUTANT WORLD (first serialized in Warren's 1984/1994 magazine).

Strnad also did some mainstream work, including AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 228 in 1982 (a really good Lee/Ditko tribute issue fill-in story, during the already exceptional Stern/Romita Jr. run). And for DC Strnad did a four-issue limited series SWORD OF THE ATOM, along with several subsequent ANNUAL issues in the years after.

I was amused in those early days by Strnad's near-unpronouncable last name. He reveals it is Czechoslovakian.

Strnad also wrote an article titled "My Brilliant Career At Marvel" in COMICS JOURNAL 75, Sept 1982, detailing his very brief and disillusioning tenure working for Marvel, despite having been an enthusiastic Marvel fan for 16 years at that time.




Looking at a chronology of Strnad's published work, from undergrounds to the Warren magazines to HEAVY METAL, to Fantagor and Fantagraphics, to brief pit stops at Marvel and DC, to Dark Horse, it is a series of snapshots of 30 years of comics evolution, from the 1970's undergrounds, on the developing path into the alternative publishing market of the 1980's, and then into work for publishers like Dark Horse in the 1990's that evolved from it.

https://www.comics.org/writer/name/jan%20strnad/sort/chrono/

I found this one issue. Fun, but unspectacular. Color cover, with black and white interior pages.
But again, worth it just for the title and cover.

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A new replacement image of THE GREAT SOCIETY, for the previous expired cover image


With some interior pages shown, and commentary on the story :
https://comixjoint.com/greatsociety.html
https://envisioningtheamericandream.com/2013/05/16/lbjs-comic-great-society/

And here's THE GREAT SOCIETY full issue, to read online :
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/The-Great-Society/Full?id=175481

Issue 2 by Tallarico, BOBMAN AND TEDDY, the follow-up issue (that focused on Bobby Kennedy and Ted Kennedy) continued in the same vein.
https://comixjoint.com/bobmanandteddy.html

All three issues are online now to read.
I'm glad, this is one of the wildest underground comics, often hilarious, and fun reading.

CAPTAIN GUTS
1 https://onemillioncomics.com/captain-guts-issue-1/
2 https://onemillioncomics.com/captain-guts-issue-2/
3 https://onemillioncomics.com/captain-guts-issue-3/

Only Robert Crumb's work matches Larry Welz's stuff, in its absolute lack of any restraint whatsoever.
To me, these are the purest essence of what underground comics are about. at least the largest school of creators in underground comics.

The other schools of thought in 1960's-1970's undergrounds are :
2) uncensored horror in the EC tradiion, such as SKULL COMICS.
And
3) Emboldened by a lack of censorship, the aspiration to tell more meaningful stories, in historical works and social commentary, such as Jaxon's COMANCHE MOON, LOS TEJANOS, and SLOW DEATH work.