Lot of 4
Dr. Wirtham’s Comix & Stories
#1, 2, 3 & 7/8
1976 Clifford Neal
Underground Comix
Great Shape! Some Light Wear. See Pictures of actual items you will receive!
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Info from comix joint —>
Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories
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1976-1987 / Clifford Neal
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Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories is one of the premier examples of a comic book series that spanned the gap between the demise of the underground comic era and the birth of alternative comics. This extraordinary series would never have been published by any mainstream comic publisher, but was bravely launched by Clifford Neal, who self-published all ten issues and invited anyone and everyone to submit stories for publication.
The title of the series was inspired by Dr. Fredric Wertham, the author of the 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent, which demonized mature-theme comic books (e.g., EC Comics) and led to the creation of the prudish Comics Code. The ironic title of Neal's comic book, which intentionally misspelled Wertham's name (presumably to avoid legal trouble), was conceived years after the underground comic era had already revolutionized the comic industry, but it still demonstrated that Neal's spirit was in the right place.
Everything in the first issue of Dr. Wirtham's was produced by Neal, but it wasn't long before he had some good company. Like Harvey Pekar's self-published American Splendor, which Pekar launched just months prior to Dr. Wirtham's debut, Dr. Wirtham's soon attracted some heavyweight contributors to the series. And like Pekar, Neal published one issue per year, at least for the first five issues (the fifth being a double issue). Then the publishing schedule became more sporadic, with just one more double issue and two single issues surfacing in the following seven years.
Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories spans a broad spectrum of storytelling, from sci-fi and horror to funny animals and eroticism. It was a unique title that provided one of the most open forums for golden-era underground comic creators and especially the up-and-coming comic artists and writers who followed them.
Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories #1
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Only Printing / January, 1976 / 36 pages / Clifford Neal
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The first issue of Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories was written and illustrated entirely by publisher Clifford Neal, who adopted the pseudonym Oisif Egaux throughout this book (and for most of his other comic book appearances). Much of Neal's art, particularly in this comic, has a distinctive, heavy cross-hatch style. Perhaps this style is derived from Neal's fascination with binary systems analysis (essentially, computer programming, but Neal's interpretation appears to apply to art and human perception). His text article "Decoding The Codex" may help explain his fascination, but I find it essentially incomprehensible. In any case, the artwork is oddly striking and dynamic.
In this book, Neal also makes his pitch for contributions from the reading public. Over the course of the next several months, he must have received quite a response, as his subsequent issues present an ever-growing cast of cartoonists and stories.
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HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
Clifford Neal printed approximately 5,000 copies of this comic book. It has not been reprinted.
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COMIC CREATOR:
Clifford Neal (aka Oisif Egaux) - 1-36
Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories #2
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Only Printing / January, 1977 / 36 pages / Clifford Neal
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In the second issue, publisher Clifford Neal is joined by a variety of contributors, such as Will A. Meugniot, Mike Roberts, Rick Veitch and Bill Black. As Clifford predicted, his co-contributors' work outshines his own. Love the opening story by Meugniot, "Hot Dog!"
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HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
Clifford Neal printed approximately 4,000 copies of this comic book. It has not been reprinted.
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COMIC CREATORS:
Clifford Neal (aka Oisif Egaux) - 1, 2, 15-20, 33-37, 43, 44
Will A. Meugniot - 3-9
Mike Roberts (aka Max Frizbee) - 10-14
Larry Rippee - 21, 42
Steve R. Bissette - 22-23
Rick Veitch - 24-32
Bill Black (aka B. Flack) - 38-41
Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories #3
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Only Printing / February, 1978 / 36 pages / Clifford Neal
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The third issue of Dr. Wirtham's adds a full-color cover, clearly a step up for Clifford Neal's comic magazine. The comic features several stories about death, including a fine contribution by Mike Roberts, "Heavenly Bodies." I still marvel at the fact that Clifford Neal managed to produce this series from way out in Mystic, Connecticut.
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HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
Clifford Neal printed approximately 4,100 copies of this comic book. It has not been reprinted.
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COMIC CREATORS:
Greg Irons - 1
Clifford Neal (aka Oisif Egaux) - 2, 16-17, 20-26, 35
Doug Potter - 3-8 (art)
Mark Burbey - 3-8 (script), 27-33 (script)
Mike Roberts - 9-15, 36
Al Davoren - 18
Larry Rippee - 19
Richard Larson - 27-33 (art)
Hector Tellez - 34
Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories #7/8
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Only Printing / 1983 / 100 pages / Clifford Neal
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It took three years to compile the second double issue in the Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories series, but it turned out to be a massive one. The book is 100 pages thick and features over 20 artists and writers, including Jay Kinney, Mike Matthews, Greg Irons, Robert Williams and Peter Bagge, who contribute a diverse variety of stories and artwork.
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HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
It is currently unknown how many copies of this comic book were printed. It has not been reprinted.
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COMIC CREATORS:
Issue #7:
Jay Kinney - 1, 56
Terry Beatty - 2
Rickey Grimes - 3-11
Eric Vincent - 12-19
Joe Zabel - 20-33
Mark Nelson - 34-38
Neil Clifford (aka Oisif Egaux) - 39-44, 48-49
Doug Potter - 45-47
Robert Williams - 50-51
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Issue #8
Gregg Budgett - 1 (collaboration), 3-6 (collaboration)
Gary Dumm - 1 (collaboration), 3-6 (collaboration)
Greg Irons - 2
Bruce Younger - 2
Bruce V. Kalnins - 7-13 (script)
Lomax - 7-13 (art)
Peter Bagge - 14-18
Mike Roberts - 19-26
Terry Beatty - 27-30
Mike Matthews - 31-41
Bradley Mudgett - 42-43
Jay Kinney - 44-45
Jim Ryan - 46
Al Sirois - 47-49