Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Underground Comics

People are weird. I'm sure at the time these comics came out, they were the peak of social pariah-hood. A formal publication that followed ideas of drugs, war and sex seems like the taboo of the time. The Vietnam War instilled a large rift in the culture, separating more traditional ideas with radical ideas, with modern ones. Where can comics lie at this point? Underground comics emerged and existed for the rift then created. They symbolized the fringe ideas that came heavy with a stigma very frowned upon. But as I read the likes of Dopin' Dan, I'm only left with a foul taste in my mouth. Not that I find the contents distasteful of deplorable, but kind of immature.

I get it that this was the culture these books were for, the time, the significance. But for me it just doesn't hold up. I couldn't say whether its just not for me or if it doesn't hold up overtime or if just doesn't translate well. Specifically in Dopin' Dan, its stilted towards the military, reserves, crowd, of which I'm not apart of. But I can pick up on the partying, drugs and sexual culture thats apart of the story and it just seems to be their just for the edge of it.

As a whole, that was the attitude I was feeling. Between Dopin' Dan and Mr Natural, I feel like most underground edgy comics of the time were just being different and edgy for the sake of it.

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