Going underground
Going underground |
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Page 10 of 36  Home Grown Funnies (Kitchen Sink, 1971) 'Spain' Rodriguez was different again. His idea of an underground strip involved pushing political issues to the fore, and his in-your-face 'urban guerilla' style had already proved very popular in the alternative papers. His character 'Trashman' (a machine-gun toting anarchist avenger) became a symbol for the more radical elements of the anti-Vietnam protest movement, while 'Manning: Police Detective' told the story of a cop who uses his badge as a cover for murder and sadism. Zap showcased some of his best work, though popular solo outings included Zodiac Mindwarp (East Village Other, 1967) and Subvert (Rip Off, 1970). Finally, there were three lesser-known Zap contributors who added their own particular flavour to proceedings. Victor Moscoso and Rick Griffin made their names originally on the San Francisco poster scene - the latter especially having originated an intricately 'mystical' psychedelic style. Both used cartoon motifs in their poster work, and were to be responsible for some of the most memorable, and most colourful, Zap covers. The third, Robert Williams, previously worked as a T-shirt designer and oil painter on the West Coast, and was greatly influenced by legendary hotrod artist Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth. Williams's cartooning style was clean and distinctive, and unlike Moscoso or Griffin, he had a talent for telling a funny story. All three contributors additionally put out comix of their own.  The People's Comics (Golden Gate, 1972)  Page from The Collected Adventures of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (Rip Off, 1971). Art/script: Gilbert Shelton. The eponymous heroes were three endearingly drug-obsessed hippie degenerates, who inevitably became big heroes of the counterculture. |