History Main / UndergroundComics

* ''Cherry Comics'': DumbBlond [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex has lots of sex]] in a PornWithPlot usually stylized after Franchise/ArchieComics (when drawn by Cherry's creator, Larry Welz, not by Mark Bodé).

** ''ComicBook/{{Horndog}}'': A pot-smoking, skirt-chasing punk rock hip-hopper who happens to be an anthropomorphic dog on a planet inhabited by {{Funny Animal}}s. The first underground comic to form a basis for a webcomic variant.

* TijuanaBibles are an early form of underground comics. Often they were solely pornographic parodies of mainstream comics (featuring characters ranging from Blondie and Dagwood to Mickey and Minnie Mouse), but there were also Tijuana bibles that featured original characters, a rarity in the comic book industry at the time, as during the early days of comic books, the medium almost solely published reprints of newspaper comics. The precursor to RuleThirtyFour.

Underground comics (or "comix") are small press or self-published comic books that first emerged in [[TheSixties the 1960's]]. They came about as an artistic response to the mainstream, [[TheComicsCode Comics Code Authority]] approved comics, which focused on superheroes, war, romance, and juvenile humor, while ignoring many of the real-life issues affecting their readers. Underground comics took on these topics forbidden in the mainstream, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence. They were most popular from the late 1960's to [[TheEighties the early 1980's]].

Underground comics (or "comix") are small press or self-published comic books that first emerged in [[TheSixties the 1960's]]. They came about as an artistic response to the mainstream, Comics Code Authority approved comics, which focused on superheroes, war, romance, and juvenile humor, while ignoring many of the real-life issues affecting their readers. Underground comics took on these topics forbidden in the mainstream, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence. They were most popular from the late 1960's to [[TheEighties the early 1980's]].

* Creator/VaughnBode was a very early, and, until his premature death in 1975, extremely popular underground cartoonist. His ''Cheech Wizard'' comics were a regular feature in the Franchise/NationalLampoon, and he was an influence on filmmaker Creator/RalphBakshi.

* TijuanaBibles are an early form of underground comics. Often they were solely pornographic parodies of mainstream comics (featuring characters ranging from Blondie and Dagwood to Mickey and Minnie Mouse), but there were also Tijuana bibles that featured original characters, a rarity in the comic book industry at the time, as during the early days of comic books, the medium almost solely published reprints of newspaper comics.

* [[Creator/IsaacBaranoff Isaac M. Baranoff]]: Modern day underground cartoonist known for FunnyAnimal comix and violent horror stories. Creations include:

** Creator/HorndogStudios: A production company founded by Baranoff, originally under the name Mystic Studios Productions.
** ''[[WebVideo/HorndogTV Comix From The Underground]]'': An Internet review series focusing primarily on underground comics.
** ''ComicBook/BobTheDog'': A pot-smoking, skirt-chasing punk rock hip-hopper who happens to be an anthropomorphic dog on a planet inhabited by {{Funny Animal}}s. The first underground comic to form a basis for a webcomic variant.

* Creator/VaughnBode was a very early, and, until his premature death in 1975, extremely popular underground cartoonist. His ''Cheech Wizard'' comics were a regular feature in the NationalLampoon, and he was an influence on filmmaker Creator/RalphBakshi.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fffreakbro.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Ignore the name, and it's a great example!]]

* BobbyLondon:

** ''MertonOfTheMovement'': A household of ostensible revolutionaries who were basically unmotivated stoners - done in the style of Elzie Segar (Thimble Theater).

* ''Comicbook/ReidFlemingWorldsToughestMilkman'': A very silly comic about a very violent man.

* ''Comicbook/{{Rocky}}'': Swedish autobiographical comic by Martin Kellerman in which FunnyAnimal AuthorAvatar Rocky and his slacker buddies deal with things like relationships, hang out at bars and coffee shops, attend HipHop concerts and have a series of often-embarrassing [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex one-night stands]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Buzz}}'', published by Oni Press and telling the story of a world where spelling bees are SeriousBusiness and a form of combat.

* ''ComicBook/AmericanSplendor'': Early on. Later published by Creator/DarkHorseComics and VertigoComics, an imprint of Creator/DCComics. A pioneering autobiographical comic focusing on the life of its creator and writer, Harvey Pekar, with art drawn by many underground cartoonists, including Frank Stack and Robert Crumb.

[[caption-width-right:350:ignore the name, and it's a great example!]]

* ''Cherry Comics'': DumbBlond [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex has lots of sex]] in a PornWithPlot usually stylized after ArchieComics (when drawn by Cherry's creator, Larry Welz, not by Mark Bodé).

* ''ComicBook/AmericanSplendor'': Early on. Later published by Creator/DarkHorseComics and VertigoComics, an imprint of DCComics. A pioneering autobiographical comic focusing on the life of its creator and writer, Harvey Pekar, with art drawn by many underground cartoonists, including Frank Stack and Robert Crumb.

** ''ComicBook/CheechWizard'': A philosophical talking yellow wizard's hat interacts with anthropomorphic lizards and attractive babes; inspired a limited special edition shoe and matching hoodie from Puma, a custom toy from Kidrobot, a lot of graffiti artists and a line in BeastieBoys' "Sure Shot".

Underground comics were popular with the hippie counterculture and punk scenes. Produced by people like Creator/RobertCrumb, Gilbert Shelton, and Gary Panter, the comics tapped into the zeitgeist of the youth culture, exploring themes of distrust in government, the horrors of daily life, and the fading of the AmericanDream.

Underground comics gained prominence and influence, as is evidenced in such works as TheMovie of ''WesternAnimation/FritzTheCat'', ''WesternAnimation/DownAndDirtyDuck'' and ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, ''ComicStrip/ZippyThePinhead'' and ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage]]'' originally began as underground comics before gaining mainstream success (in Zippy's case, syndication in newspapers, whereas the Turtles were basically commercialized and pimped out by major corporations). Even mainstream comic books weren't immune, and took on underground themes, as with ''ComicBook/HowardTheDuck''. Their legacy is most obvious with AlternativeComics, the genre's SpiritualSuccessor.

Underground comics gained prominence and influence, as is evidenced in such works as TheMovie of ''WesternAnimation/FritzTheCat'', ''WesternAnimation/DownAndDirtyDuck'' and ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. Also, ''ComicStrip/ZippyThePinhead'' and ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage'' originally began as underground comics before gaining mainstream success (in Zippy's case, syndication in newspapers, whereas the Turtles were basically commercialized and pimped out by major corporations). Even mainstream comic books weren't immune, and took on underground themes, as with ''ComicBook/HowardTheDuck''. Their legacy is most obvious with AlternativeComics, the genre's SpiritualSuccessor.

* ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage'' was originally a self-published independent comic which was gritty and violent (and influenced by FrankMiller), prior to becoming a mainstream franchise essentially aimed at children.

** ComicBook/TheFabulousFurryFreakBrothers: A trio of hippies in search of marijuana, various forms of psychedelic drugs, sex, and cheap thrills.

* ''ComicStrip/SpaceMoose''

This movement helped to kick off the FurryFandom early on due to the sheer number of attempts to subvert the belief that "all comics are {{Funny Animal}}s" that was pervading the mainstream comics industry in the 70s, by basically taking those characters and putting them in adult or sexual situations.