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Underground Comix collection

 Collection
Identifier: 8644

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

A collection of underground comic books and related printed material, spanning from approximately 1948-1978. The collection contains precursors to the genre, including 174 Tiajuana Bibles, individual zines, along with galley proofs and proof books of issues of Zap and Motor City. The collection also features an extensive representation of some of the genre's most celebrated titles such as Zap, Bijou Funnies, Motor City, Mr. Natural, Yellow Dog and dozens of others. Most of the issues come from the original publisher's file at The Print Mint, a major publisher of underground comics based in the San Francisco Bay Area during the genre's heyday (1968-1974), and the first publisher to focus heavily on the underground comix movement. The collection includes works by Robert Crumb, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, Joel Beck, Vaughn Bode and many others.

Dates

  • 1948-1978.

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Underground comix are small press, underground or self-published comic books which often present alternative or counter cultural viewpoints. Subjects frequently include alternative lifestyles, satirical challenges to middle-class values and mainstream culture, with regular appearances of recreational drug use, nudity, disrespect for authority, rock n' roll, political dissent, or gratuitous sex and violence. These topics resonated with youth culture of the 1960s and 70s, which set itself at odds with mainstream adult America. Several of the titles present in this collection, such as Horseshit, Zap, Snatch, and the SCUM Manifesto, were banned by various local authorities, resulting in the arrests of some publishers and news dealers for publishing pornography.

Extent

3.3 cubic feet. (3.3 cubic feet.)

Abstract

A collection of underground comic books and related printed material, spanning from approximately 1948-1978. The collection contains precursors to the genre, including 174 Tiajuana Bibles, individual zines, along with galley proofs and proof books of issues of Zap and Motor City. The collection also features an extensive representation of some of the genre's most celebrated titles such as Zap, Bijou Funnies, Motor City, Mr. Natural, Yellow Dog and dozens of others. Most of the issues come from the original publisher's file at The Print Mint, a major publisher of underground comics based in the San Francisco Bay Area during the genre's heyday (1968-1974), and the first publisher to focus heavily on the underground comix movement. The collection includes works by Robert Crumb, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, Joel Beck, Vaughn Bode and many others.

Physical Description

Printed materials, publications.

General

Contact Information:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524rareref@cornell.eduhttp://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:
RMC Staff
Date completed:
July 2018
EAD encoding:
Jude Corina, July 2018
Status
Completed
Author
Compiled by RMC Staff
Date
July 2018
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Repository

Contact:
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853
607-255-3530
607-255-9524 (Fax)