The Underground and I

 

Me & the late Underground Cartoonist Skip Williamson 

At Krogers the other day I saw a lady, probably in her 40s, wearing a gray t shirt saying, “I LOVE UNDERGROUND BOOKS”

Underground books?  I have been a fan of underground comics, which I have become friends with some Underground cartoon artists, such as the late Skip Willamson;  and friends with an editor of an underground magazine (THE REALIST Paul Krassner), and the person considered the Father of Underground comic, Harvey Kurtzman *(creator of MAD- and also said he would demand a blood test to see if he really is the father of underground cartoons).

·       We had a one sentence per letter communication going between us.  I think it lasted about 4 or 5 letter swaps, which lasted over a year.

But what about underground books?  I looked up Underground Books on the internet and don’t any more than before.  They had about 6 bookstores that called themselves Underground Bookstores.  They all displayed books they had for sale, the only ones I recognized and read were the Kurt Vonnegut  books.

 

So, back to the egg and cheese section of Krogers, the lady with the I LOVE UNDERGROUND BOOKS! Tshirt.  Should I speak to her, telling her I know some underground stuff too, but not books.  I am at least twice her age, so it cannot sound like a pickup line, I just wanted to drop some underground creative people I have been friends with.  Why did she wear the t-shirt if she didn’t wan to discuss t he subject or at least get a thumbs up.

Not me.  I’m not a conversationist starter to strangers.