|
Post by G on Aug 31, 2008 11:09:52 GMT -5
Would you consider Catfish Comics Independent or Underground? Im thinking Independent, but its a little fuzzy for me on that one.
|
|
|
Post by Brother J on Aug 31, 2008 22:22:52 GMT -5
Would you consider Catfish Comics Independent or Underground? Im thinking Independent, but its a little fuzzy for me on that one. yeah, that would be an independent. I don't think you should be really that confused about what is underground comix and what is not. To put it in the simplest terms, underground comix came out in the 60's and 70's, part of the hippy counterculture. They generally focus on sex or drug use or other elements of the counterculture and they were mainly distributed through "head shops". They died out in the 70's. As far as modern books, it's really just one person's opinion whether something is a "modern underground". You would be safe considering anything that isn't published by DC or Marvel as an independent.
|
|
|
Post by G on Sept 1, 2008 16:34:17 GMT -5
I guess that was my next question. I understand about the hippie sex and drug counter culture comics of those days. Those are probably the easiest to identify as Underground Comics. I was just wondering what else qualified and does anything today come even remotely close to being an underground?
|
|
|
Post by Brother J on Sept 2, 2008 13:46:52 GMT -5
I guess that was my next question. I understand about the hippie sex and drug counter culture comics of those days. Those are probably the easiest to identify as Underground Comics. I was just wondering what else qualified and does anything today come even remotely close to being an underground? I personally don't feel there is anything being published as a regular title currently that would qualify as even a "modern underground". The American Splendor mini series put out by Vertigo/DC are about as close as they come. If R. Crumb or his fellow underground creators from the 60's-70's come out with something new, I am likely to consider that underground. Fantagraphics publishes a lot of books that are underground-like. Hate by Peter Bagge is a modern underground, as is Eightball by Daniel Clowes. The real underground movement has shifted to mini comix, things that can be published by hand. I think Mike Diana's work is about as underground as you can get. He is the only comic artist that was convicted on obscenity charges regarding his comic work.
|
|
|
Post by G on Sept 3, 2008 5:10:23 GMT -5
Hate is a book I always wished I had picked up. I could tell I would like it just from the covers I have seen. Are these reasonably priced? I thought Hate had kind of a cult following and had made the price move up some. I kind of remember Eightball too. I can see why these may be considered Undergrounds but I wonder who publishes them? Fantigraphics makes me think semi-Independent and makes me wonder if others I might consider like Kitchen Sink would have any Undergrounds on the list?
I obviously don't know enough about this stuff, but I'm willing to learn a thing or two.
How can I convince you to throw some books up here periodically to help promote and educate and help us see what is truly considered Underground J? I'd like to see some of your oddball stuff. Ive got the tried and true up here but diversity would never hurt either. And I think it would actually help here.
|
|
|
Post by Brother J on Sept 3, 2008 9:33:08 GMT -5
Hate is a book I always wished I had picked up. I could tell I would like it just from the covers I have seen. Are these reasonably priced? First printings of Hate #1 aren't even that expensive, I think they usually go somewhere between $10-$20 Fantagraphics publishes both of them, plus some other underground books, like the modern R. Crumb comic, Self Loathing Comics. Well, Kitchen Sink is definitely an underground comix publisher even if every book they have published isn't necessarily an underground. They started back in the heyday of undergrounds and just kind of morphed into an independent comic company along the way. They are no longer in business. Other companies that started out as underground comix companies and are still around are Last Gasp and Rip Off Press. My best suggestion to you would be to check out the underground comix wiki and forums. You can learn just about anything you would need to know there. There are guys who have been collecting comix since the early days and THEY are still learning new things! The problem is I'm not one who is into scanning books very much. I will do it to sell stuff or if I really want to share something, but I would never be able to get myself to scan books all the time like you do for the background.
|
|
|
Post by G on Sept 3, 2008 10:03:34 GMT -5
Thats cool. I understand. I didnt mean you had to do it very often at all. I just mean whenever you got a scan handy and something cool to show off here. Exposure to Undergrounds is half the battle around here.
|
|