Going underground
Going underground |
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Page 21 of 36  Zip Comics Britain similarly had female creators. There was never really a 'women's scene' like there was in America, but some notable comix did emerge. They served the same twin purposes of providing a platform for women creators, and a venue for women's issues to be aired. Thus they included similar protests against the sexism of the male underground, in this case directed at people like Ghura and Matthews. Heroine (Arts Lab, 1978) featured the highly stylized artwork of Suzy Varty, the best-known female creator, and was followed by a handful of others, including the most high profile title Sour Cream (Sour Cream, 1980). The British underground was certainly far smaller in commercial terms. Figures are hard to obtain, but the best sellers were the Cozmics and Brainstorm, whose top individual issues sold between ten and twenty thousand; most others sold in the hundreds or low thousands, and only lasted for one or two editions. Yet, the comix made their mark, and for a few years at least they represented a vibrant alternative to the mainstream. There were even two 'Konventions of Alternative Komix', KAKs, in 1976 and 1977. Underground art fed into other media in much the same way as it did in America. Posters, album and book covers, and more obscure areas such as tattooing and custom-bike art, were all influenced in one way or another. Hunt Emerson was the name most closely associated with this kind of extra-curricular activity. Understandably, the British story has been overshadowed by events in America, but this does not mean that it was any less interesting.  Zip Comics  Page from Cosmic Comix (1974), about a visit to London by a 'miracle crusade'. Art/script: RC Moody. |