Dirty Pictures: How an Underground Network of Nerds, Feminists, Misfits, Geniuses, Bikers, Potheads, Printers, Intellectuals, and Art School Rebels Revolutionized Art and Invented Comix

In the 1960s, a new generation of creators subverted the medium of comics with their "comix," which presented tales of taboo sex, drug use, and a transgressive view of society. Embraced by hippies and future creatives, this subgenre of comic books and strips cast cultural ripples for decades, moving the comics form beyond the gutter and into fine-art galleries. Author Brian Doherty chronicles the stories of R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, Spain Rodriguez, Harvey Pekar, and Howard Cruse, detailing the complete narrative history of this movement.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 20 July 2023
Publisher: Abrams

In the 1950s, comics were synonymous with superheroes, family-friendly gags, and Sunday funnies. However, a new generation of creators emerged in the 1960s, inspired by these strips and the satire of MAD magazine. These creators sought to subvert the medium and American culture, producing "comix" that presented taboo sex, casual drug use, and a transgressive view of society.

Embraced by hippies and legions of future creatives, this subgenre of comic books and strips often ran afoul of the law. Despite this, they continued to cast cultural ripples for decades, eventually moving the entire comics form beyond the gutter and into fine-art galleries.

Author Brian Doherty weaves together the stories of R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, Spain Rodriguez, Harvey Pekar, and Howard Cruse, among many others, detailing the complete narrative history of this movement.

Through dozens of new interviews and archival research, Doherty chronicles the scenes that sprang up around the country in the 1960s and 70s, beginning with the artists' origin stories and following them through success and strife. The book concludes with an examination of these creators' legacies, making Dirty Pictures an essential exploration of a truly American art form that recontextualized the way people thought about war, race, sex, gender, and expression.

Dimension: 210 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781419750472