Backdrop, 1904-1916 / by Jeff Zenick

One of Morty the Blog's favorite cartoonists, Jeff Zenick, has just published a very original work called Backdrop, 1904-1916. Wonderful character studies here by a top-notch artist!

It is 40 pages, enlarged digest (folded legal size). This should be considered a major self-pub effort and something of a milestone in terms of breaking new ground by making historical sources a work of comix art. I am very impressed.

Jeff did not assign a price, but I would send at least five bucks for this outstanding work. He can be contacted at: 645 McDonnell Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32310.

Phone photo 2728

Tom Rehm displays a beautiful Jeff Zenick t-shirt

Butler, Pennsylvania

WSU Comix Collection Finding Aid

This must be something posted just within the the last year. I stumbled across a list of comix I gathered, 1966-1997, for the Washington State University Comix Collection! Looks like you can see the bibliographic entry on their online catalog by clicking the highlighted LC classification call number.

In the past they have provided a list for the Lynn Hansen Comix Collection and the Paul Brians Comix Collection.

WSU also mentions: "Unprocessed collections (please contact us for access information): Further Steve Willis collections (MS 2009-15); Clark Dissmeyer collection (MS 2009-18); Joseph Shea collection (MS 2009-19, MS 2010-01); Jeff Zenich collection (MS 2009-20)."

City Limits Gazette # Too much noise, too far away (Aug. 1993)

Logo by Maximum Traffic, Other Sounds by Wayno, Suspended Animation by Michael Vance and R.A. Jones, Underground cartoonists sacred cows response by William Dockery - Bruce Sweeney - Randy Crawford, Buck Town Pub by Mark Cunningham, Note to Hemp reform comix artists by Maximum Traffic, Andrew Roller offers to take over CLG, Time to deep-six the National Endowment for the Arts, Bil Keane Watch by William Dockery - Maximum Traffic - Jeff Zenick - Mike Lee, Bibliography of Underground and Obscuro Comics by Gary Usher.

City Limits Gazette # Soft white Canadians wearing gaudy sombreros in Mexicali (Apr. 1993)

Logo by Randy H. Crawford, CLG reader profile of Ted Bolman, Tallahassee 'Zine Show by Jeff Zenick, Bil Keane Watch by Jeff Zenick - Tom Jansson, Xeric Foundation by Maximum Traffic, Seth Friedman sends Factsheet Five news, Maximum Traffic responds to Ricardo Nancy McJacksonstein, Dave Szurek describes life in Grays Harbor County, Bibliography of Virgil Franklin Partch II (VIP) by Wayno.

City Limits Gazette # Ecstatic static on automatic (Mar. 1993)

Logo by Jeff Zenick, Harper's gives CLG some ink, Maximum Traffic on the Bizarros, CLG reader profile of Jerry Riddle, Minneapolis Ben Adams on Morty the Dog, Comix reviews by Lynn Hansen with logo by Jeff Snee, Maximum Traffic on Nixon, Bruce Sweeney's Underground Station with logo by Spain Rodriguez, Mike Stengl 20 years ago, Wayno on space fantasy stamps.

I'm including a scan of the actual Harper's piece. It is humorous they couldn't handle CLG's unique numbering system and had to shorten it a bit. Here's a link to the CLG in question. Initially attracted to CLG by the Bil Keane Watch, Harper's decided to focus on this librarian item instead. Fallout will follow.

City Limits Gazette # 222222222 (Feb. 1993)

Logo by Ted Delorme, Bruce Chrislip covers the hip Ballard scene including J.R. Williams - R.L. Crabb - brothers Kelly - Pat Moriarity plus a David Lasky mention, McJacksonstein escapes the Tumwater Psychiatric Prison for the Transculturally Perverse, Bil Keane Watch by Jeff Zenick - Wayno - Dusty Rhodes, CLG reader profile of Jeff Zenick, Bob Vojtko sends a blade of grass from his yard, Working Mother magazine apologizes for slamming The Master, Comix reviews by Lynn Hansen, Bil Keane Watch by Mark Campos, Dave Szurek on Obscuro press 1961, Comics Journal small press index by Gary Usher.

Just for fun I tracked two primary documents. Vojtko's blade of grass, trapped under tape, still looks pretty good. Also, I dug up the actual letter from Working Mother, representing one of CLG's proudest moments.