Newave! Promo Mini Comic

Here's the page I contributed to the 8 page minicomic Michael Dowers printed up to promote his Newave book. Other artists included, XNO, Wayne Gibson, Wayno, J.R. Williams, David Lasky and Jamie Alder in what was probably one of his last published drawings.

Outside In # 3

1st edition, 1983, 150 copies on white cardstock.

2nd edition, December 1983, 20 copies on white cardstock.

3rd edition, 1984. Seattle, Washington : Starhead Comix, regular stock white paper.

J.R. Williams, George Erling, Par Holman, Jim Ryan, John Mobbs II, Bruce Chrislip, Matt Feazell.

A lineup of the classics in their classic poses, almost all of them part of the central core of the Newave comix movement. I got to meet Matt Feazell in person for the first time at SPACE last March, and I can't really explain it, but he actually does look like the self-portrait he contributed here! I'm impressed.

Morti Resurrectus

While rummaging through a trunk to begin scanning the oversize items for this blog, I ran across the original art of "Morti Resurrectus" by George Erling, Jim Ryan, Bruce Chrislip, and J.R. Williams.

This is from the mid-1980s and initially appeared in, I think, Cartoon Loonacy. Later I responded with a four-panel page (reproduced here but not the original).

These three pages also appeared together in Retreads 4.

Retreads 4

1st edition, 1985, Pullman, Washington, 70 copies, cherry cover, enlarged digest size.

1st Danger Room Reprint edition, July 2005, 5 copies, blue cover, enlarged digest size.

In the 2nd half of 1985 I published several comix but didn't release them until the start of 1986. This was one of them.

Trivia:

Pages 10-11: "The Leash" was always one of my favorite short pieces. It originally appeared, I think, in Equinox, a comic with more of a fan audience than a Newave readership.

Page 16: As I recall, the title for this was created by first drawing the background texture and then taping a cut out stencil of the title over it.

The device of using third parties to describe a basically unseen character in an almost documentary way is a convention that has long interested me. Come to think of it, applying nonfiction narrative techniques to comix is something I learned from the undergrounds. If a documentary is well produced, no matter what the topic, I'm much more engaged than watching, say, football or baseball.

Pages 29-31: George Erling, Bruce Chrislip, Jim Ryan, and J.R. Williams are four very silly people.

Of Newave and Williams

Michael Dowers asked me to write an introduction for J.R. Williams Fun House # 1 (September 1993, Starhead Comix). It was a pleasure to act as a master of ceremonies in print for a fellow Pacific Northwesterner and one of my favorite cartoonists.

This essay also gave me an opportunity to write a short history of Newave comix in order to provide the setting for JR's early years in publishing.

By the way, if you haven't seen this comic I highly suggest hunting down a copy. The guy is funny.

Annex Theatre Exhibit 1988

When Seattle's Annex Theatre moved to more permanent digs, they celebrated by hosting an exhibit of local comix artists, Feb. 11-28, 1988. The artists were Peter Bagge, Michael Dougan, J.R. Williams, me, Mark Zingarelli and Triangle Slash. I'm told "Morty Wanted to be a Cow" and "Sinking Islands" were among several of my works on display, but I've never been to the Annex Theatre so I can't say. I think Michael Dowers had a lot to do with my work being in there.

Getting up to Seattle is a big trip for us simple Grays Harbor County folk. Interstate 5 is not a fun drive. Anyway, by Feb. 1988 my daughter's arrival was about halfway along so I was a bit preoccupied.

There is more to this booklet, but I've scanned the parts of interest to comix people. It is true I have some issues with comic art displayed in gallery settings. One of the strengths of our genre is the fact it has been an under the radar art form, and very abstract drawings and concepts can be universally accepted by a wider audience. Once the art establishment gets their mitts on it, the comix form begins to lose the punch in the nose quality that has made it so powerful for so long.

But, it speaks well of the Annex they chose comix as a way to celebrate. And look, they're still here!