Underground Comix

This was the first time I sat down and read underground comix. Underground comix we were small, self-published comics in the 1960s.  I found it very dark and satirical.  They were a huge contrast to some of the first comics ever made - which were more family-friendly. These comics dealt with violence, sexuality, drug-use, alcohol, and other mature themes. The drawings themselves were also very strange and crude. It seems heavily influenced by punk and alternative culture.

Robert Crumb's comics were particularly wild. Mr. Natural was an underground comix made in the 1960s by Robert Crumb. It was extremely popular and merchandized. It is a depiction of a guru. He has strange powers and unique insights. Mr. Natural was published in Zap comix. Zap comix were revolutionary. Nothing like it has been seen or done before. This appealed to the rapidly alternative culture of this time. While they are not my personal taste in graphic novel, I feel they were very important to the history of graphic novels because they drew a new audience to the art form. Suddenly, comics could discuss and engage darker, more serious topics in new ways. This was never done before and paved a way for diverse novels in the future. The audience grew for the art form.