Zap Comix
Zap Comix | |
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Trashman | |
Creative team | |
Created by | Robert Crumb |
Artist(s) | Robert Crumb, Victor Moscoso, S. Clay Wilson, Gilbert Shelton, Spain Rodriguez, Robert Williams, Rick Griffin, Paul Mavrides |
Zap Comix is an
Premiering in early 1968 as a showcase for the work of Robert Crumb, Zap was unlike any comic book sensibility that had been seen before. After the success of the first issue, Crumb opened the pages of Zap to several other artists, including S. Clay Wilson, Robert Williams, "Spain" Rodriguez, Gilbert Shelton, and two artists with reputations as psychedelic poster designers, Victor Moscoso and Rick Griffin. This group of artists, along with Crumb, remained mostly constant throughout the history of Zap.
While the origin of the spelling "comix" is a subject of some dispute, it was popularized by its appearance in the title of the first issues of Zap. Design critic
Overview
Labeled "Fair Warning: For Adult Intellectuals Only", Zap #1 featured the publishing debut of
For the second issue, Crumb invited S. Clay Wilson, Victor Moscoso and Rick Griffin to contribute. Gilbert Shelton joined the crew with issue #3, and Robert Wiliams and Spain Rodriguez joined with issue #4, completing the roster.
Zap's new publisher the
Contributor Rick Griffin died in 1991; Paul Mavrides made his debut as a Zap contributor in issue #14 (1998). Mavrides was invited to contribute when Crumb announced that he no longer wanted to work on Zap, although Crumb never did actually quit the title.[6]
Publication history
Zap #1 was published in
The contents of the first Zap were not intended to be the debut issue. Philadelphia publisher
The tagline of Zap #1, "Zap Comics are Squinky Comics!!" has an interesting origin. Art Spiegelman called his girlfriend of the time, Isabella Fiske, "Squink", Crumb liked the word and decided to use it on the cover.[citation needed] Crumb himself credits[9] Gershon Legman's 1949 article "Love and Death"[10] condemning the "horror-squinky" in 1940s comics.
In late 1968, shortly before Zap #3 was to be published, Crumb found Xerox copies of the missing pages from the original Zap #1, which (according to fellow Zap contributor Victor Moscoso) successfully captured the linework but not the solid blacks. After being re-inked by Crumb, those strips subsequently appeared as Zap #0. Thus Zap #0 became the third in the series (even though it was drawn before #1 in 1967), and Zap #3 the fourth.[11]
With issue #4 (Aug. 1969), Zap moved publishers to the
From issue #10 (1982) onward, Zap was published by
Issues #13–15 all featured cameos by
A limited edition six-volume hardcover box set containing the complete Zap Comix (
Circulation
The first issue of Zap was sold on the streets of
Due to its unusual outside position in the comic distribution industry, a completely accurate count of Zap's circulation cannot be known, but overall sales for the comic's first 16 issues are in the millions.
Jams
From issue #3 forward (with the exception of issue #8), every issue of the title featured a group jam by the "Zap collective", where the cartoonists would pass a story around, each one contributing panels to the overall story (which was usually no more than two pages).
In addition, in June 1970, the collective did the one-page jam "Science Fiction Comics" along with Harvey Kurtzman, which was published in East Village Other vol. 6, #1. In 1974, between issues #7 and #8 of Zap Comix, the collective produced Zam (Zap Jam), an entire 36-page comic filled with their jams.
List of Zap jams
- "Atomic Comics", 3 pages in Zap #3
- "Jam", 3 pages in Zap #4
- "Micro-Minnie", 15 pages in Zap #5
- "Mammy Jama", 1 page in Zap #6
- ["All nite comix..."], 2 pages in Zam-Zap Jam (The Print Mint, 1974)
- "Zyklon Jam - Souvenir of the Carnage", 1 page in Zap #8
- "The Sky Is, In Fact, Falling" ("Four Guys Comics"), 1 page in Zap #9
- "Toe Jam Comix", 1 page in Zap #10
- "The Constipated Chaos Consortium", 1 page in Zap #11
- "Rotten to the Core", 2 pages in Zap #12
- "Bark All You Want, You Can't Bite Me Now — A Shaggy Fish Story", 3 pages in Zap #13
- "The Last Lunch", 2 pages in Zap #13 — dedicated to the memory of Rick Griffin
- "(Self) Important Comics", 2 pages in Zap #14
- "Circle of Jerks", 2 pages in Zap #15
Featured characters
- Angelfood McSpade (R. Crumb) — a large-built black woman drawn as a racist African native caricature. She is usually depicted being sexually exploited or manipulated by men. She appears in issues #2 and #0.
- Captain Pissgums and his Pervert Pirates (S. Clay Wilson) — a crew of bisexual male drug-addict pirates that are into a series of kinky and outré sexual acts. Captain Pissgums' nemesis is Captain Fatima and the butch all-female crew of the SS Quivering Thigh.[16] A "Captain Pysse-Gummes" is mentioned as one of the captains attending the Pirate's Conference in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.[17] He appears in issues #3, 10, and 15.
- The Checkered Demon (S. Clay Wilson) — portly, shirtless demon frequently called upon to kill the various demented bikers, pirates, and rapists who populate Wilson's universe. He appears in issues #2, 4, 5, and 8–15.
- Coochy Cooty (Robert Williams) — sinner, substance abuser, fornicator, and bad-ass antihero who wears a flower pot hat. He appears in issues #5, 6, and 8–13.
- R. Crumb(R. Crumb) — self-caricature portrayed as "a raving lunatic" and "one of the world's last great medieval thinkers". He appears in issues #0, 1, 6–8, 10, 11, and 13–15.
- Dirty Dog (R. Crumb) — an anthropomorphic animal comic in which the hero is a horny long-eared hound dog. An all-seeing god is portrayed by a rabbit in a straw boater and striped vest with a movie camera. The character appears in issue #3.
- Mr. Goodbar (R. Crumb) - a clueless hick in suspenders that seems to be the opposite of Mr. Natural. He appears in issue #3.
- Mr. Natural(R. Crumb) — unreliable holy man and his neurotic disciple Flakey Foont. He appears in issues #0 and #1–7.
- Trashman(Spain) — hero of the working classes and champion of radical left-wing causes. He appears in issues #11–13.
- Wonder Wart-Hog, the "Hog of Steel" (Gilbert Shelton) — a violent reactionary amoral "superhero" who hypocritically murders and rapes people he doesn't approve of. His alter ego is reporter Philbert DeSanex. He appears in issues #3-5, 13, and 15.
Issue guide
# | Date | Publisher | Cover artist | Contributors | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Feb. 1968 | Apex Novelties |
Robert Crumb | Robert Crumb | First comics appearance of Keep on Truckin' image. Later printings by Print Mint and then Last Gasp .
|
2 | Aug. 1968 | Apex Novelties |
Crumb | Crumb, Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, S. Clay Wilson | Wilson, Griffin, and Moscoso join the Zap crew. First comics appearance of Angelfood McSpade and The Checkered Demon. Later printings by Print Mint and then Last Gasp. |
0 | Late 1968 | Apex Novelties |
Crumb | Crumb | Originally created prior to Zap #1. Later printings by Print Mint and then Last Gasp. |
3 | Fall 1968 | Apex Novelties |
(flip book) Griffin and Wilson | Crumb, Griffin, Moscoso, Gilbert Shelton, Wilson | Flip book subtitled "Special 69 Issue". Shelton joins the team. First appearance of Wilson's Captain Piss-Gums and his Pervert Pirates. Later printings by Print Mint and then by Last Gasp. |
4 | Aug. 1969 | Print Mint | Moscoso | Crumb, Griffin, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain Rodriguez, Robert Williams, Wilson | Williams and Spain join. Crumb's infamous "Joe Blow" strip leads to obscenity lawsuit. Later printings by Last Gasp. |
5 | May 1970 | Print Mint | Shelton | Charles Crumb, R. Crumb, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | Printed by Print Mint despite Apex Novelties logo on cover.[18] Crumb's story is redrawn from childhood comics done with his brother Charles. Later printings by Last Gasp. |
6 | Jan. 1973 | Print Mint | Shelton | Crumb, Griffin, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | Later printings by Last Gasp. |
7 | Mar. 1973 | Print Mint | Spain | Crumb, Moscoso, Griffin, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | Last contribution from Griffin until issue #11. Later printings by Last Gasp. |
8 | 1975 | Print Mint | Crumb | Crumb, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | Later printings by Last Gasp. |
9 | 1978 | Print Mint | Wilson | Crumb, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | 10th anniversary issue. Later printings by Last Gasp. |
10 | 1982 | Last Gasp | Moscoso | Crumb, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | |
11 | Feb. 1985 | Last Gasp | Williams | Crumb, Griffin, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | Griffin returns. |
12 | 1989 | Last Gasp | Spain | Crumb, Griffin, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | Last contribution from Griffin (who died in 1991). |
13 | 1994 | Last Gasp | Moscoso | Crumb, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | |
14 | 1998 | Last Gasp | Wilson | Crumb, Paul Mavrides, Moscoso, Spain, Shelton, Williams, Wilson | Mavrides joins the crew; a number of the contributors portray their version of the dispute between Crumb and Moscoso over the direction of the title. |
15 | 2005 | Last Gasp | Mavrides | Crumb, Mavrides, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | |
16 | Nov. 2014 | Fantagraphics | Crumb | R. Crumb, Griffin (posthumous), Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Mavrides, Moscoso, Shelton, Spain, Williams, Wilson | New member Kominsky-Crumb collaborates with her husband R. Crumb. Originally part of Zap collection, it was released in Feb. 2016 as a stand-alone 96-page comic. 16 pages in color. |
References
- ^ Fox, M. Steven. "Zap Comix #1", ComixJoint. Accessed Oct. 21, 2016.
- ^ Heller, Steven. 1999. Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design, New York: Allworth Press.
- ^ Gilbert Shelton quoted in ROSENKRANZ, PATRICK. "Zap: Censorship and Suppression", The Comics Journal website (NOV 10, 2014): "Over in Berkeley there was Si [Simon] Lowinsky who had an art gallery and he had an exhibition, and was selling copies of Snatch Comics and he got busted for that. It went to court. It went to trial. The definition of pornography in California is that it has to be of prurient interest and no one on the jury would admit to being aroused by Snatch Comics. It got a not guilty verdict".
- ^ Sergi, Joe. "Obscenity Case Files: People of New York v. Kirkpatrick (Zap Comix #4)", Comic Book Legal Defense Fund website.Accessed Nov. 17, 2016.
- ISBN 0-914171-64-X.
- ^ Fox, M. Steven. "Zap Comix #14", ComixJoint. Accessed Nov. 19, 2016.
- ^ Zap Comix entry at the Grand Comics Database. Accessed October 27, 2009.
- ^ Heritage Comics and Comic Art Signature Auction #823 By Ivy Press, Gary Dowell, Greg Holman
- ^ Crumb, Robert. "Minds are Made to Be Blown", The Complete Crumb Comics - Volume 4 (Fantagraphics, 1988). Archived on CrumbProducts.com.
- ^ Odelle, Cole Moore. "From Floppity Rabbits to Horror-Squinkies", Mountain of Judgment (Aug. 2006).
- ^ ISBN 0-914171-64-X, 9780914171645 p.52
- ^ Heller, Steve. "Comics for the Youth Movement, Not for Kids: A new history of Zap Comix celebrates how the lascivious, tongue-in-cheek cartoons revolted against conservative Cold War-era mores", The Atlantic (Nov. 20, 2014). Accessed December 14, 2014.
- ^ Jennings, Dana. "Raunchy and Revered: Zap Comix, Now in a Coffee Table Boxed Set", New York Times (OCT. 31, 2014).
- ^ Zap #16 page, Fantagraphics website. Accessed March 4, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-87805-758-0.
- ^ Zap #3b, pgs.02-11
- Moore, Alan and Kevin O'Neill, "And the Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder", League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vol. 2, #3 (Nov. 2002).
- ^ Fox, M. Steven. "Zap Comix #5", ComixJoint. Accessed Nov. 17, 2016.
External links
- Zap section of ComixJoint, including reviews of issues #1-15
- "The Zap Show: A Cultural Revolution" exhibit at New York's Society of Illustrators
- A Thumbnail History: (More Than) Thirty Years of Zap Comics Making Publishing History