Editing Underground comix (section)

====1968–1972: Underground's "Golden Age"====
In February 1968, in San Francisco, [[Robert Crumb]] published (with the help of poet [[Charles Plymell]] and [[Don Donahue]] of [[Apex Novelties]])<ref>[http://www.comics.org/series/1892/ Zap Comix entry at the Grand Comics Database.] Accessed October 27, 2009.</ref> his first solo comic, ''[[Zap Comix]]''. The title was financially successful and almost single-handedly developed a market for underground comix.

Within a few issues, ''Zap'' began to feature other cartoonists — including [[S. Clay Wilson]], [[Robert Williams (artist)|Robert Williams]], [[Spain Rodriguez]], and [[Gilbert Shelton]] — and Crumb launched a series of solo titles, including ''Despair'', ''Uneeda'' (both published by [[Print Mint]] in 1969), ''Big Ass Comics'', ''R. Crumb's Comics and Stories'', ''Motor City Comics'' (all published by [[Rip Off Press]] in 1969), ''Home Grown Funnies'' ([[Kitchen Sink Press]], 1971) and ''Hytone Comix'' ([[Apex Novelties]], 1971), in addition to founding the pornographic anthologies ''Jiz'' and ''Snatch'' (both Apex Novelties, 1969).<ref name="Sabin-92"/>

The [[San Francisco Bay Area]] was an epicenter of the underground comix movement; Crumb and many other underground cartoonists lived in [[San Francisco]]'s [[Haight-Ashbury]] neighborhood in the mid-to-late 1960s.<ref>Lopes, Paul. ''Demanding Respect: The Evolution of the American Comic Book'' (Temple University Press, 2009), p. 77.</ref> Just as importantly, the major underground publishers were all based in the area: [[Don Donahue]]'s [[Apex Novelties]], [[Gary Arlington]]'s [[San Francisco Comic Book Company]], and [[Rip Off Press]] were all headquartered in the city, with [[Ron Turner (publisher)|Ron Turner]]'s [[Last Gasp (publisher)|Last Gasp]] and the [[Print Mint]] based in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]].<ref>Levin, Bob. ''The Pirates and the Mouse: Disney's War Against The Underground'' (Fantagraphics Books, 2003), p. 41.</ref> Last Gasp later moved to San Francisco.

By the end of the 1960s, there was recognition of the movement by a major American museum when the [[Corcoran Gallery of Art]] staged an exhibition, ''The Phonus Balonus Show'' (May 20-June 15, 1969). Curated by [[Bhob Stewart]] for famed museum director [[Walter Hopps]], it included work by Crumb, Shelton, [[Vaughn Bodé]], [[Kim Deitch]], [[Jay Lynch]] and others.<ref>[http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/archive_results.asp?Year=1969 Corcoran Gallery of Art Exhibitions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103075907/https://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/archive_results.asp?Year=1969 |date=2011-01-03}}</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55574-2005Mar21.html Richard, Paul. "Walter Hopps, Museum Man with a Talent for Talent". ''Washington Post'', March 22, 2005.]</ref>

Crumb's best known underground features included ''Whiteman'', ''[[Angelfood McSpade]]'', ''[[Fritz the Cat]]'', and ''[[Mr. Natural (comics)|Mr. Natural]]''. Crumb also drew himself as a character, caricaturing himself as a self-loathing, sex-obsessed intellectual.<ref name="Sabin-92"/> While Crumb's work was often praised for its social commentary, he was also criticized for the misogyny that appeared within his comics. [[Trina Robbins]] said: "It's weird to me how willing people are to overlook the hideous darkness in Crumb's work... What the hell is funny about rape and murder?"<ref name="Sabin-92"/> Because of his popularity, many underground cartoonists tried to imitate Crumb's work.<ref name="Sabin-92"/> While ''Zap'' was the best-known anthology of the scene, other anthologies appeared, including ''[[Bijou Funnies]]'', a Chicago publication edited by Jay Lynch and heavily influenced by ''Mad''.<ref name="Sabin-92"/> The San Francisco anthology ''[[Young Lust (comics)|Young Lust]]'' ([[Company & Sons]], 1970), which parodied the 1950s romance genre, featured works by [[Bill Griffith]] and [[Art Spiegelman]]. Another anthology, ''Bizarre Sex'' (Kitchen Sink, 1972), was influenced by [[science fiction]] comics and included art by [[Denis Kitchen]] and [[Grass Green|Richard "Grass" Green]], one of the few [[African-American]] comix creators.<ref name="Sabin-92"/>

Other important underground cartoonists of the era included Shelton, Wilson, Deitch, Rodriguez, [[Skip Williamson]], [[Rick Griffin]], [[George Metzger (artist)|George Metzger]], and [[Victor Moscoso]]. Shelton became famous for his characters [[Wonder Wart-Hog]], a superhero parody, and [[The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers]], a strip about a trio of "freaks" whose time is spent attempting to acquire drugs and avoid the police, both of which first appeared in the self-published ''[[Feds 'N' Heads]]'' in 1968.<ref name="Sabin-92"/> Wilson's work is permeated by shocking violence and ugly sex; he contributed to ''Zap'' and created the infamous [[The Checkered Demon]],<ref name="Sabin-92"/> a portly, shirtless being who is frequently called upon to kill the various demented bikers, pirates, and rapists who populate Wilson's universe. Spain worked for the ''[[East Village Other]]'' before becoming known within underground comix for [[Trashman (comic)|Trashman]] and his solo titles ''Zodiac Mindwarp'' and ''Subvert''.<ref name="Sabin-92"/> Williamson created his character [[Snappy Sammy Smoot]], appearing in several titles.

Underground [[horror comics]] also became popular, with titles such as ''Skull'' (Rip Off Press, 1970), ''Bogeyman'' (San Francisco Comic Book Company, 1969), ''Fantagor'' (Richard Corben, 1970), ''Insect Fear'' (Print Mint, 1970), ''Up From the Deep'' (Rip Off Press, 1971), ''[[Death Rattle (comics)|Death Rattle]]'' (Kitchen Sink, 1972), ''Gory Stories'' (Shroud, 1972), ''Deviant Slice'' (Print Mint, 1972) and ''Two Fisted Zombies'' (Last Gasp, 1973). Many of these were strongly influenced by 1950s EC Comics like ''[[Tales from the Crypt (comics)|Tales from the Crypt]]''.<ref name="Sabin-92"/>

The male-dominated scene produced many blatantly misogynistic works, but female underground cartoonists made strong marks as well. Edited by [[Trina Robbins]], ''[[It Ain't Me, Babe (comics)|It Ain't Me, Babe]]'', published by Last Gasp in 1970, was the first all-female underground comic;<ref name="Sabin-92"/> followed in 1972 by ''[[Wimmen's Comix]]'' (Last Gasp), an anthology series founded by cartoonist {{interlanguage link|Patricia Moodian|fr}} that featured (among others) [[Melinda Gebbie]], [[Lynda Barry]], [[Aline Kominsky]], and [[Shary Flenniken]]. [[Joyce Farmer]] and [[Lyn Chevli]]'s ''[[Tits & Clits Comix]]'' all-female anthology debuted in 1972 as well.