Five Highlights From The Comics Journal #49

 

Cover: Dennis Fujitake

Back cover: Bob Aull

THE COMICS JOURNAL 49 (September 1979)

Executive Editor: Gary Groth

Editor/Circulation Director: Kim Thompson

Consulting Editor: J. Michael Catron

Assistant Editor: Bob Soron

Correspondent [UK]: John Dakin

Correspondent [Comix]: Bruce Sweeney

Mascots: Leif Allmendiger; Eric Bethke-Coehn; Sheila Mooney; Heidi Pygman; Janet Toombs; Jan Trendowski; and, "Little" Gretchen Meyer

Janet Toombs, a few years later Source

Distributors: Seagate Distributors (Brooklyn, NY); Bud Plant (Grass Valley, CA); Big Rapids Distributors (Detroit, MI); New Media (Rockville, MD); Well News Service (Columbus, OH).

1. NEWSWATCH: Undergrounds

These are the comix listed as new, coming soon, or in the works as some of them didn't turn up until 1981. Links to a number of items still available from Last Gasp, Rip Off Press, or Denis Kitchen.

Last Gasp

Last Gasp

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Last Gasp

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Rip Off Press

Last Gasp

Last Gasp

Last Gasp

Last Gasp

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Last Gasp

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GCD

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Last Gasp

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Last Gasp

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Last Gasp

Heritage Auctions

Denis Kitchen

Denis Kitchen

2. NEWSWATCH: Whitman Comics (Dynabrite albums were, I believe, forerunners of the explosion of Baxter paper reprints from Marvel and DC in the 80s. Great idea from Whitman (king of the comics three-pack), just the wrong time.)

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3. COMICS REVIEWS: Marvel Premiere 50  "Alice Cooper: From the Inside"

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"The most immediately intriguing aspect of the book is the way it's artists, Tom Sutton and Terry Austin, strive to recall the heyday of comic book impropriety. The cover is a straight-on parody of the EC horror books, down to the oozing title lettering and insert head shots. As far as I know, this is the first time this kind of loving swipe has appeared on a company comics cover - it's almost standard operating procedure for undergrounds and fanzines - and it works in that it connotes just enough Cooper outrageousness without appearing too threatening. (There’s the Comics Code seal in the corner, after all.) Inside, the art harkens back to EC, as well.

  "Here, however, it's the EC of Kurtzman, Elder, and 'humor in a jugular vein'."

4. INTERVIEW: Julie Simmons and John Workman interviewed by Gary Groth.

Illustration: Eddie Eddings

Gary Groth vs. Nicole Claveloux:

5. Umm...yeah, so this is a highlight solely for Carol Kalish (co-) writing for TCJ. Eleven and a half pages on Chris Claremont and John Byrne's run on The Uncanny X-Men!

What's really historically interesting is this ad from Ed Shukin then Vice-president of Circulation for Marvel. I'm pretty sure this is the job Carol Kalish had at Marvel several years later following Mike Friedrich...

Brigid Alverson 2023 profile of Carol Kalish.

Comix Reading List #16-#19: Underground Comix Online Part 2: Weirdo 18-21

Aline Kominsky-Crumb editing WEIRDO, as read on archive.org, or some physical copies available at lastgasp.com.

16. WEIRDO #18 (Last Gasp)

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Aline Kominsky-Crumb passed away in 2022, leaving behind a wide ranging influence as an autobiographical cartoonist and anthology editor (and co-editor). Her first issue as editor was WEIRDO #18 and it was a real punch in the nuts to alternative comix readers of the time, I imagine (I didn't read any issues until the 90s, iirc). Kominsky-Crumb hits us with a double dose of both Diane Noomin and her own self-flagellation in comic form. Also ringing in the mid-80s women in comics explosion are Carol Tyler with her first comix appearance, the inimitable Dori Seda, and Linda Crothers.

17. WEIRDO #19 (Last Gasp)

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After the avalanche of women creators last issue Aline Kominsky-Crumb brings just seven pages total from herself and Penny Van Horn. The bulk of the issue is taken up by some predictably racist and misogynist S. Clay Wilson, autobiographical Frank Stack, classic Kim Deitch from his Al Ledicker cycle, and a double shot of Robert Crumb to represent the classic underground cartoonists side. Aline, again, steals the show with her "Sex Crazed Housewife" detailing her sexual fantasies in a hilariously un-romantic way.

18. WEIRDO #20 (Last Gasp)

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The return of Carol Tyler with "Un-covered Property" where she is pretty much awesome from her first full-length comic strip on, along with Dori Seda and the always unique Mary Fleener. Two more excruciating autobiographical vignettes from Aline Kominsky-Crumb about food and dreams. And, some outliers like Australian ("Elle") Lindsay Arnold and Luna Ticks fill in the gaps between regulars Michael Zingarelli and Michael Dougan. Robert Crumb's "Footsy" is quite painful to read, mostly in sympathy with the degradation of being 13, the rest is Crumb just being a dick no matter his age.

19. WEIRDO #21 (Last Gasp)

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 "Suburban Teens On Acid 1969" is the highlight this issue for me and definitely the most expressive art I can recall from Dennis Worden.  Two more shorts by Carol Tyler grace this issue, the "Auntie Mary" one-page strip is particularly sharp autobiography. There's a calvacade of classic underground cartoonists filling out this issue: Robert Armstrong, Spain Rodriguez, Justin Green, and Robert Crumb. William Clark and Michael Dougan battle it out for weird supremacy, while Mary Fleener and Luna Ticks return. Aline Kominsky-Crumb at her best with "Sex Crazed Housewife or My Troubles With Men", that first page with her self analysis of her early relationships with men (and R. Crumb in particular) is incredible. The scene with her dancing with her daughter's friend's Dad is laugh out loud funny. Also, B.N. Duncan.

More to come...

Comix Reading List #12-#15: Underground Comix Online Part I

 12. VIPER (Rip Off Press, 1985) Internet Archive

A great opportunity to explore our transgressive comix history can be found on the Internet Archive. There are hundreds of underground comix from world famous to regional amateurs. This one turned out to be a good first choice. Edited by Erick Gilbert of the French version of Viper, this Rip Off Press version has a wide selection of international and US cartoonists. Kicked off by a highly unusual cover effort from Carol Lay, continuing with UK legend Mike Matthews' scatalogical excretions to an early English-language appearance of Spanish cartoonist Max.

13-15. CAPTAIN GUTS 1-3 (Print Mint, 1969-71) Internet Archive

It's not surprising Larry Welz gained fame for Cherry Poptart (still being published on kickstarter, btw) rather than this character! Even by underground standards, a superhero powered by beer and with the stereotypical racism and misogyny of a hard working blue collar white guy of the 60s is a hard sell (not to mention his superpowered hard on). The outrageous second issue with "Captain Guts Meets Black Power" rises above these fairly average efforts with Captain Guts battling Ambrosia Sweetmeat, while definitely ringing the bell of the title of this blog.

Comix Reading List #5-#11: Hoopla, Fantagraphics, and more!

 5. TIME UNDER TENSION by M.S. Harkness (Fantagraphics Books) Hoopla

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It's been awhile since I read these, however I remember liking this one quite a bit. This strain of introspective, character development heavy autobiographical story is probably overdone today. Nobody does it better than M.S. Harkness, though.

6. YOU AND A BIKE AND A ROAD by Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics Books) Hoopla

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Loved the overall minimalism of the writing and art, also very rare for an autobiographical book to have any sort of dramatic tension without it feeling manufactured. Eleanor Davis is an influence on some of my favorite cartoonists, and I can see why.

7. CARAVAGGIO: THE PALETTE AND THE SWORD: BOOK 1 by Milo Manara (Fantagraphics Books) Hoopla

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I remember not liking the episodic story of Caravaggio's early struggles, it falls apart from "and then this happened"-itis. Beautiful art from Manara, of course, very unusual staging and nudity actually essential to the plot. Maybe it would be stronger reading both Book 1and 2 together.

8. BIZARRO COMICS: THE DELUXE EDITION (DC Comics) Hoopla

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dc.com

Alternative cartoonists take on DC licensed superheroes to varied results. Mostly if you like a certain cartoonist you will want to check out their take on tired old retreads. Kyle Baker steals the show with the infamous (and oft-reprinted) "Letitia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter".

9. THE MARVEL COMICS COVERS OF JACK KIRBY: VOLUME 1 1961-1964 (Dark Horse Comics) Hoopla

darkhorse.com

Dark Horse jumps on the Marvel reprint bandwagon with this nice collection of remastered Jack Kirby covers. Aesthetically, I would have preferred photos of the actual covers rather than these reprocessed versions from Marvel Masterworks. Penty of fun to look through, in any case.

10. ALL MY BICYCLES by Powerpaola (Fantagraphics Books) Hoopla

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I read this as research for my review of La Poderosa #1 on Broken Frontier, as I embarrassingly hadn't read any of her work before. This is a wonderfully constructed autobiography through bicycles owned by the author. What a great idea! The ethereal, non-linear story and art set this above most other autobiographical graphic novels.

11. A TREASURY OF XXth CENTURY MURDER: LOVER' LANE by Rick Geary (NBM Graphic Novels) Hoopla

I'm not going to lie, I read all of Rick Geary's books through the library not only because I'm cheap but I'd have to open my own library to house all of them! Geary has been around since the 70s and he's been doing these murder books for decades now. I haven't read all of them, but would highly recommend any of them. His detailed, yet cartoony, art is perfect for these period pieces and the intricate storytelling some of them require.