Bezango WA 985 #1

First published Oct. 28, 2001, 25 copies with a yellow cardstock cover.

The 2nd, revised edition was published November 28, 2001, 27 copies, yellow cardstock cover.

3rd ed., June 2002, 15 copies, blue cover.

Starting in August 2002 and lasting for a brief time, this was a print-on-demand comic. Apparently printed in a variety of colors. I have no idea how many are out there.

The 1st Danger Room Ed. of June 2005 had 5 copies (1 each in blue, red, yellow, pink, green).

All editions are digest size.

Parts of the series were converted to the stage in August 2002 (info on this was covered in an earlier post).

In June-July 2007 the entire run was exhibited at Batdorf & Bronson, a coffeehouse in downtown Olympia, Washington. Issues 1-4 in June, issues 5-8 in July. Garden stakes were hung in a horizontal manner, clotheslines were then stretched along the stake, and pages from the book were attached to the lines with clothespins.

Although some of my comix comrades might not consider this title to be true comic art, I still think of the Bezango WA 985 series as one of my favorite comic productions. The communication still requires the interaction of text and graphics.

Basically I drew most of my material for this series from the exploits and tales of my fellow residents of Southwest Washington State, a corner of the world that really has yet to be discovered and fully wrecked by the rest of the country. The town of Bezango is a composite of many places and people up here.

I was a little worried that some of the subjects of this series, or their relatives, might be upset about all this. But to my amazement, very few people recognize themselves even though all the other readers know exactly who I'm writing about.

The reason the 2nd edition is revised, as far as I can tell, is that I lopped off the last sentence on page 17.

The original art was drawn with a #1 lead pencil in a very tiny size. Then it was considerably enlarged. The enlarged drawing was then detailed in felt tip or #1 lead pencil.

The characters on pages 6-7 were very real people I knew. The fellow on page 6 was also one of the topics in my Evergroove Trivia history on OlyBlog (pt. 15). The actor who portrayed him on the stage was eerily accurate in his imitation of this man who he could never have known in person.

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When I was growing up, the historical site of the first Territorial Legislature in Olympia, Washington was being used, appropriately enough, as a state liquor store. Today that spot is the home of a bakery with seating along the sidewalk in good weather.

A Local Interlude

Before I start scanning and posting the Bezango WA 985 series, it might be fitting to share some local art from right here in McCleary, Washington, USA.

We live up in the hills where much of the economy revolves around the timber industry. For awhile two words that were sure to inflame passions between loggers and environmentalists were "Spotted Owl." The critter was considered endangered and thus made certain types of forests taboo for logging.

My neighbor at the time (like 20 years ago), a retired worker from the local door plant named Maurice "Morrie" Goff (1922-2005) created a special response to the Spotted owl controversy.

It's a little box, and when you open it there are little bushes and a dowel with googly eyes, dots painted on the body, a small sea shell for a nose.

Inside the little door, Morrie taped a typed note: Congratulations, You are now the proud owner of a Northwest Spotted "Dowel."

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Bezango / Bezango Obscuro

My first comic of 1994 (January), 100 copies. Rose colored covers in enlarged digest format.

2nd ed., around Feb.-March 1994, 50 copies with a salmon cover, also enlarged digest size.

Starhead Comix reprinted the comic in commercial form later in 1994 and retitled it Bezango Obscuro. I'm not positive, but I think Michael Dowers told me he printed somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 copies.

The cover color was supplied by Art Penn, an amazing artist chiefly known under another name as an illustrator of children's books.

Because the comic was originally drawn for the digest size, there happened to be extra space in the margins. This was filled by employing an academic Michael had met in a bar. Dr. Whidbey interviewed me once on Michael's front porch. I recall he was drinking something that smelled like high octane mango, and wore black socks with his sandals. Howerton College, a private school somewhere up north, went under awhile back due to bad investments. Or maybe the whole thing was just a dream.


My only comment on his comments is the use of the word "claim." I know not this "claim," it just is.

There was more padding by including part of Morty Comix #2018, and three issues of State of Beings, which were initially released as comic supplements with the biweekly City Limits Gazette during my editorship, 1991-1993.

The 1st Danger Room Reprint Ed. of June 2005 was a return to the original form, except the 5 copies with red covers were printed in digest form, not enlarged.

"Bezango" is a word I just made up, I like the sound of it. "Obscuro" was a term I began to use frequently while editing CLG. By the early 1990s the Newave was dead and I started using "Obscuro" as another word to describe the kind of comix we produced. Michael picked up on that and added it to the commercial release. I'm not sure if Michael himself or Art Penn created the second part of the cover title logo.

I'm including a scan of the enlarged digest cover, the original color of the cover (a gift from Michael which I prize) with and without the acetate overlay, and commercial comic itself. Whidbey has saved me the trouble of adding trivia notes.

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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!

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