name this little mag from the early 80's

August 18, 2005 2:27 PM

1980ish - western massachusetts I had a newsprint publication abot 50 - 80 pages with a bunch of single page indy comics in it. what the heck was it called?

I was 10 or 12. I probably picked it up for free in northhampton ma. I recall it had alot of R. Crumb 'style' b/w short comics. various artists. I'm also assuming it was somewhat political but it all went over my head. My parents may have eventually thrown it out when they finally looked inside. Possibly had some essays or writing but I know there were ALOT of comics (that's why I loved it so).

It was on newsprint like a local 'shoppers guide' type rag.

I mention mass because it may have been a regional compilation but could have also had a wider circulation than I was aware of. may have been a one time deal or a monthly or quarterly publication but I only ever had that one issue.

I know I barely understood most of it but it fascinated me. last night it popped into my head and now I can't stop thinking about it.

What the heck was it called?

posted by darkpony to media & arts (10 comments total)

Growing up in the 80's in Eugene Oregon we had The Comic News. I know they spread around, but never thought they spread that far. Maybe though...

It was just as you describe. Looked like any old fold-out weekly, but was filled with nothing but comic strips and ads.
posted by pwb503 at 2:33 PM on August 18, 2005

I feel like it had a less logical name. And the 'about' page at comic news says published since 1988. This was definatetly earlier, I was just a tot.

another possible lead or false lead... It MAY have either had early work by the teenage mutant ninja turtle guys (kevin eastman peter laird) or one of them may have been involved in the development of it. Or they may not have been connected at all.
posted by darkpony at 2:41 PM on August 18, 2005

The Kitchen Sink Press was located in Northhampton, MA around that time, so maybe it was something they published?
posted by footnote at 2:44 PM on August 18, 2005

In Boston, there was Boston Comic News (now called Editorial Humor), which sounds something like what you describe; I don't know whether this existed in the early '80s, though. A lot of it was reprints from op-ed cartoonists. Don't Shoot! It's Only Comics is another Boston pub in the same vein, but this one I'm pretty sure existed only recently. It's good, though!
posted by escabeche at 2:51 PM on August 18, 2005

The kitchen sink press seems like a huge lead! thanks! I may try to contact them somehow.

I feel like alot of the comics were original content. Not reprints of op-ed stuff, or syndicated stuff. It was crude but awesome.

I've seen Boston Comic news and that is the wrong direction. That is actually too 'slick' compared to what this thing looked like. imagine no budget 1980's layout capabilities. Nopt a fold out, magazine size, but newsprint, maybe like those car buyers newsprint mags.
posted by darkpony at 2:58 PM on August 18, 2005

There were/are a lot of comic artists in the Pioneer Valley. As such, Northampton was an ideal location for the Words & Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art in Northampton -- now closed -- but, reincarnated as the Words & Pictures Virtual Museum. I suggest wandering around their website and contacting them. They may point you in the right direction.
posted by ericb at 3:16 PM on August 18, 2005

*Words & Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art in Northampton*
posted by ericb at 7:03 PM on August 18, 2005

Sounds like World War 3 Illustrated, edited by Seth Tobocman. Or perhaps RAW Anthology, one of Art (Maus) Spiegelman's projects.
posted by Smart Dalek at 7:14 PM on August 18, 2005

gotta be early 80's. but that world war 3 illustrated looks interesting. I can see me at age 10 totally needing to own a magazine called world war three but cant imagine it slipping past mom/dad censors for even a minute. Wish I could look inside.
posted by darkpony at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2005

well Denis Kitchen emailled me back and said he never heard of it. Only moved to northampton in the mid 90's. The Words and pictures museum seems to be a bit of an empty husk and all emails to them bounce back.

back to square one.
posted by darkpony at 11:53 PM on August 18, 2005