Underground Comics

Straightforward, crack-tastic, disturbing, disgusting, sexist, racist and yet witty…these were all of my initial impressions while reading some of the 1960 underground comics.  To be entirely honest, I had no idea what to feel while reading these.  My sense of decorum really wanted me to stop after the second page of Cheech Wizard and I could feel myself blushing up a storm when it got to all of the sexual themes.  It really was like looking into the mind of a hormonal 13-year-old boy, with the blatant want for nothing but sex and the over-exaggeration of the women figure to be even more “fertile”, which I guess was the point to some extent.  The whole purpose of creating the underground comic industry (if you could call it that) was to take the comic to a whole new arena where anything goes.  In fact, it wouldn’t succeed in this industry if it didn’t try to offend at least someone (preferably someone of higher status that just wouldn’t get their humor…it’s too below them). 

However, I will say that I was impressed with how in-tune some of the writers were to social constructs and political topics that the racism and lack of tact with some characters was in some way valid.  They were trying to make a satirical point while at the same time just being a grotesque comic.  It’s like saying to the rest of the world “your concerns are silly because the things you are concerned about are silly here look how silly they are”.  I also liked the style that this genre seemed to inherit which is this super clean and simple doodle that get’s right to the point.  Blocky lines, minimalist backgrounds and very few distinguishable characters seem to be just what these comics need to get the message of the story across. 

These were those kind of comics that if you could submerse yourself to that level…putting all of your dignity and good upbringing aside…then they are actually quite funny and enjoyable to read.  In a way, I found myself relaxing while going through comics like Cheech Wizard and Zap Comics because I wasn’t worrying about social norms or rules.  It was like being a rebellious teenager again and that’s exactly how I feel these comics are.  They are those sex driven, rebel building, and “no one understands me” awkward years of being a pubescent teenager without having to relive the awful acne.  I did feel like I was reading porn in some way, though, and after a bit I had to put them down.  I am glad that they existed because I can see how they would influence the creators of comics today since they grew up with these around.