The Comix Files: Anonymous 2

This anonymous letter from 1988 included a torn out shred from the Feb. 17, 1988 (exactly 26 years ago today!) issue of the East County News, our local weekly newspaper. I believe this article was kicking off the East County Comix strip I drew for that paper for nearly two years. 

The reproduced panel "Repeat after me, 'Question authority!'" panel was originally used, I believe, in the Cooper Point Journal, student newspaper for The Evergreen State College. Libertarian Socialist might sound like an oxymoron, but that comes the closest to describing my political philosophy.

As a result of watching too many demonstrations at Evergreen, I grew to hate megaphones. After awhile I concluded that anyone using them was a hustler. Hence, this cartoon panel, which I still love.

But the irony is missed by many. The following anonymous writer was apparently arrested as a result of protesting the WPPSS nuclear plant here in Grays Harbor County. And it never went online. Whoever you are, thank you! for helping to stop that insane project.

Here was her cartoon response:

Phone photo 3178

Sandbaggers prepare for flooding in McCleary

Babs Tino Sings Bacharach

Call Off the Wedding

Phone photo 3177

Charlie, Dreamer, Buster, Hettie

Paul Tumey Introduces the Bungle Family

Library of Congress, Paul Tumey, dark visions -- look promising.

Check it out at THIS LINK

Phone photo 3176

Charlie, Dreamer, Buster, Hettie

Favorite Movie Quote: The World's End

"I remember sitting up there, blood on my knuckles, beer down my shirt, sick on my shoes and seeing the orange glow of a new dawn break and knowing in my heart life would never feel this good again. And you know what? It never did."

Phone photo 3175

Charlie, Dreamer, Buster, Hettie

Phone photo 3174

Charlie and Dreamer, Guardians of the Universe

The Four Winds and the Seven Seas

From 1949. Not a particularly exciting cover. Note the use of shading film.

Hal David (1921-2012) would team up with Burt Bacharach in 1957 and become the composer's chief lyricist.

The Comix Files: Anonymous 1

Amazingly enough, the number of anonymous mailings I have had over the years have been quite small. This particular one was mailed from the UK around 1994. Not only did this arrive without a return address, but also without postage. The small envelope contained carefully folded ads for various UK Punk recordings and zines, no doubt meant for me to reproduce in City Limits Gazette, which had already croaked by the time this made it to McCleary. The only title I recognize in this batch is the Bypass zine.

Here's a peek into the UK Punk/garage band/zine scene two decades ago:

The Midnight Rebels Sing Bacharach

Don't Make Me Over

Alabama Moon

From 1920. I like the texture created by the uneven thick black lines, giving the work a look of being carved out of linoleum. The back cover includes a nice period drawing. The cover artist's signature cannot be deciphered.

The Comix Files: Randall Ainsworth

I first met photographer and computer guy Randall Ainsworth in 1992 when he photographed me for an article I wrote about McCleary.

A bit later we connected again. Ainsworth was based in Aberdeen, and I was interested in other small periodicals in Grays Harbor County. This was during a transitional period in 'zine history. The early era of online serials was just starting. Randall had a monthly called RAndY's RumOR RaG, which can now be considered something a pioneer effort.

So here's how Ainsworth described his publication in 1993:

And here is the July 1993 issue.  We Newave Comix artists call this digest size. Remember, the Worldwide Web was still in an embryonic state at this time. It would not start becoming a household feature for two or three more years. Oddly, the very first website still exists!

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into computer technology coupled with 'zine history. Impressive that this publication was started in 1985!

Nana Mouskori Sings Bacharach

Don't Make Me Over

Favorite Movie Quotes: The Crow

"Guess it's not a good day to be a bad guy, huh, Skank?"

Grays Harbor County, Fun Health Facts!

My poor county, literally. One of the last bastions of Wild West anarchy. But there is a price.

According to this health website, we ranked 36 out of Washington State's 39 counties for "Health Outcomes." But in "Health Factors" we placed dead last. Pun intended.

Washington State December 2013 Unemployment Rates

Grays Harbor County, we're number one! We're number one!

From: Washington State Employment Security Dept.

Beautiful Annabell Lee

Printed 1921, copyright 1920. Frederick Manning (1874-1960) specialized in portraying what was considered the standards of feminine beauty at the time.

In this piece, I think, Manning eerily anticipates Elizabeth Taylor!