This cartoon was originally in the January 1965 issue HELP! Magazine. It was by Gilbert Shelton. Later Shelton made a name of himself with the cartoons of The Fabulous Freak Brothers and also Wonder Wart Hog.
Here, Shelton's art is a little crude. Later his art became more elaborate.
Gilbert Shelton, Robert Crumb, Skip Williamson, and a few others are considered founders of the Underground Cartoonist movement. And partly because Harvey Kurtzman in his HELP! Magazine allowed them to contribute and I think partly because of Kurtzman's anarchist rebel style of humor is considered the "Father of Underground Comics" which Kurtzman said he "demands a blood test".
ROBERT CRUM. DIDN'T HE COME UP WITH "KEEP ON TRUCKIN'"? WHY DO THEY CALL THESE DEDES UNDERGROUND>
ReplyDeletePR
PR,
ReplyDeleteYep Robert Crumb is the one that came out with the "Keep On Trucking" cartoon and also Felix the Cat, neither has he ever received royalties for.
Underground Comics is a name they gave themselves. I think they had in mind that Underground usually means against against or rebellious against authority... such as the Underground Railroad in slavery days or the types of underground movements that authority frowned upon. I think you could probably say the Rat Scats were an Underground Social Club.
Underground Comix got their name mainly because they were published so widely in Underground newspapers (Even before the cartoonists started publishing in the comic book format).
ReplyDeleteAnd Eddie -- I know you know this -- it was Fritz the Cat. Felix the Cat was a Fleischer brothers animated cartoon character back in the 1930s.
Skip,
ReplyDeleteOopps! Fritz the Cat! I never could get that right.
I am humbled you visited me Skip. Please drop by more.