Going underground
Going underground |
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Page 20 of 36  Cozmic Comix (H Bunch, 1974), one of the Cozmic line, with art by Joe Petagno Yet some of the best British creators came from the regions and were associated with other comix. Three in particular were outstanding. Bryan Talbot, originally from Preston in Lancashire, made his name on the London-published Brainstorm (Alchemy, 1975): his art was impressively accomplished, while his main character 'Chester Hackenbush, Psychedelic Alchemist' became something of a hippie hero due to the sheer quantity of illegal chemicals he consumed; Angus McKie, from Newcastle, whose obscure Either Or Comics (Junior Print Outfit, 1977) demonstrated a range of styles, from Crumb-like slapstick to more Kirbyesque rendering (McKie also contributed to the Cozmics with the latter technique); and Hunt Emerson, from Birmingham, who contributed to and edited the Street Comix line (Arts Lab, 1976), and whose bold, cartoony linework evoked a sense of enormous speed and energy. Emerson drew on a mixture of influences from Leo Baxendale via Crumb to Tex Avery's madcap animation, and he is generally agreed to have been the most important of all the British comix creators. Britain also had its share of 'wild men' - home-grown equivalents of S Clay Wilson and Rory Hayes. The two names that fit the bill most closely were Antonio Ghura and Mike Matthews. Ghura was one of the funniest of all the undergrounders, but his humour could veer into some extremely sick areas: rape, incest and necrophilia were all fit subjects for his gags. He was a frequent contributor to the anthology It's All Lies (Gemsanders, 1973), and followed up with his own Bogey (Vicar's Raw Balls Co, 1975), Truly Amazing Love Stories - a sort of British Young Lust - and Raw Purple (both Beyond the Edge, 1977). Matthews was a better artist than Ghura, but lacked his wit. Nevertheless, his work was just as extreme, evidenced by his notorious Napalm Kiss (self-published, 1977).  Zip Comics, 1973  Page from The Firm, (Cozmic Comix, 1972), a vicious satire of office and factory life, and one of the outstanding titles of the British underground. Art/script: Mine Weller. |