Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s

Back in the days of Factsheet Five, I used to order tons of minicomix. Most were mediocre, but a few were terrifically good and that made it worth the risk to send in the fifty cents or so that they cost. One reason there were so many minicomix was because they were really easy to make. You just took a two-sided photocopy of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and voila! -- you had yourself an 8-page comic book.

Fantagraphics just released a massively thick (900 pages!) anthology of minicomix called Newave! The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s, and it's a treat. Many of my favorite comic book artists got started or contributed to minicomix and they are well represented here: Mack White, Rick Geary, Peter Bagge, Jim Blacnhard, J.R. Williams, Mary Fleener, Dan Clowes, Dennis Worden.

Many of the comics are for adults only, so don't buy this as a gift for youngsters!

Newave!: The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s

• [Halloween Jack]

  Looking at both the description of this book and its description of the minicomix scene, I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I have a lot of envy for people that managed to pick up some of the early work of these artists, who are some of my favorites, as well. I spent a lot of the eighties in college towns in the midwest, where the comics shops didn’t really stock minis, and I somehow missed out on the Factsheet 5 fun. (And, frankly, there were times when I really couldn’t have afforded even a fifty-cent book and an SASE.)

  On the other hand… I’m looking at that list of artists and thinking of all the books that I did get that featured their work–full-sized comics like Wimmen’s Comix and Snarf and larger-sized books like Weirdo, and I think, what did I really miss out on? Whenever I get up to Chicago, one of my mandatory stops is to Chicago Comics and Quimby’s, and I look over the mini-comics rack, and quite a few of them, frankly, aren’t that good, or at least aren’t that distinctive. (There are some great new artists that apparently got their start in minis–Jeffrey Brown and Kevin Huizenga come to mind–but those two have already ascended to more professional publication, and Brown even got published in Marvel’s recent Strange Tales miniseries.) And, maybe he’s mentioned in the book but not in the Amazon description, but where the hell is Chester Brown?

  Mind you, I’ll still get the book regardless–it looks like it’s put together well and, even if it has a lot of strips that I already own, there will doubtless be new discoveries there.

• [jfaehnle]

  I found this post just delightful. I had no idea about these minicomix. And here I am producing my own minicomix with the same format & for the same price! The title is THIS. Comix, doodlings, life advice, bizarre clipart, humor that equally disparages all races, nations, creeds, and political beliefs! I call it stupid humor for intelligent people. What more could you ask for?

  Shameless plug follows:

  Volume II, issue 3 is about to hit the presses. If you’re interested in taking that same risk that Mark mentioned, email THIS at emailTHISinc[at]gmail.com.

  What about you, Mark? Looking for more minicomix? Think of the time-warping boingboing post that could result from THIS situation. “30 years ago I bought a book of minicomix from 30 years before, which led me to buying some minicomix now collected in a book I just bought 30 minutes ago.”

  Is THIS spam? If so, sorry. If not, sorry.

• [Anonymous]

  Yes! Minicomix are back! I’m glad this book includes Mary Fleener and Ed Emmer. A great read and a wonderful collection.

• [Anonymous]

  wow cool to see this, i have a box of about a thousand of these complete with the envelopes and letters from the authors from circa 1980-1985, i even drew 6 issues of nuclear comix and sent them out when i lived in vancouver B.C. in 1984 i even have some starhead comix and some cool cynical man by matt feazell, its good to see this stuff survived and is making itself know in popular culture
  paul

• [Anonymous]

  oh, I loved Factsheet Five!!!

• [Anonymous]

  I remember Clay Geerdes used to be a major mentor/distributor for mini comix creators in the Eighties. I never met him in person but enjoyed corresponding with him back then. I hope that he receives appropriate mention in this book.

• [Anonymous]

  Factsheet Five!!! It’s been a long time since I picked up copy at See Hear.

• [maknbacon]

  I’ve only been putting out mini comix, comics and digest comics since 1984. I loved reading this book. Never thought I’d see a book like it. Seemed most folks don’t know about mini comix, small press comics etc…and books like this help keep it alive. Well, that and the thousands upon thousands of creators that keep producing them. But this helps shed a little light on these brave creators. Loved the interviews also. I’m still reading it as I just got it a day or so ago. Love the packaging and Jim Blanchards colors on the cover. Great stuff. Oh, and over the years I’ve met most of these guys and gals, and they are just as facinating in person. Go to a small press convention some time. Its a hoot!