Bezango WA 985 #8

1st ed., December 12, 2002. 40 copies, blue cover.

1st Danger Room Reprint Ed., June 2005, five copies (1 red, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 pink, 1 yellow).

This was the final issue of the series, meaning there are only 45 complete sets of Bezango WA 985.

The "Conspiracy" theme issue includes wild Russian boars, which truly do run around this county.

"Grover" was a nod to Grover Krantz, who I was acquainted with when I lived in Pullman, Washington, home of Washington State University.

The GHC on a t-shirt is for Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington. And here we find another disturbing mascot, Charlie Choker.

Most of the world probably doesn't know the local meaning of "choker." It is a highly dangerous job in the logging industry. But to the outside world, they probably react with as much shock as they do to the previously mentioned Orofino Maniacs.

Uriah is based on the elderly gentleman I referenced in Phone photo 59. "Impeach Earl Warren" signs used to be a very common sight in neighboring rural Lewis County.

I was about halfway through Bezango WA 985 #9, but my computer crashed and all the text went with it. I took that as a sign to stop the series and move on. Several of the drawings I had in store for #9 were used later in Cranium Frenzy #10.

Sasquatch Comix #1

My first solo minicomic, if I'm not mistaken, first published early 1983 in Olympia, Washington, 67 copies on green cardstock. There is no edition statement on the comic itself. The little 14 cm. minicomic form was not a medium I had considered until I was exposed to Clay Geerdes' Newave network in late 1981.

Some qualification here is needed. As a Newaver myself, the word "minicomic" has always meant the little guys, usually measuring 14 x 11 cm. Over the years I've noticed the term has been used to describe all photocopied, small press, independent type comix regardless of their dimensions. That's fine. But in this blog, I still speak in Newave. Perhaps a comix anthropologist should track us down and compile a Newave glossary.

Yes, I am a Newaver. I'll always be a Newaver, no matter how outdated the term becomes. I guess I'm now an Old Newaver, which sounds like a paradox. But as one who embraces paradox as a life philosophy, that suits me just fine.

So. Anyway. Back to the collector stuff. The 2nd ed., not on cardstock but still green, was published March 1983 in Olympia, 74 copies.

The 3rd. ed., physically like the 2nd., was published by Robert Stump in Hopewell, Virginia, in October 1983.

All five issues of Sasquatch Comix were collected under one cover and presented in digest form during my 1994 print-on-demand period.

In June 2005 five copies (4 green, 1 red) of the digest form were published as the 1st Danger Room Reprint Ed.

Sasquatch Comix #1 was posted on OlyBlog, Feb. 2006.

Somehow I have a nagging feeling I'm leaving out some other appearances of this comix, but if I did I'll update this post once it comes back to me.

This series came about from my desire to celebrate regional stories about this great corner of the world, where I was born and raised. Although the scientific discussion concerning our legendary creature is interesting, I was really more involved in what makes a good story.

Shortly after I published the 2nd ed., I moved across the state to Pullman, home of Washington State University. There I met Grover Krantz (speaking of anthrolopogists) , one of America's greatest Sasquatch scholars. Grover and this comic recently became the subject of my column, Bezango, which I occasionally write for the biweekly Olympia Power & Light. I've included a scan of the essay, it's from OP&L issue 15 (June 16-29, 2010).