Wednesday, June 24, 2009

looking backwards and sideways


click picture to enlarge

In conversations with people at work who
have lived only here in the midwest, I've
been reminded daily, as to how lucky I was
to have lived on the west coast during my
formative years.

Once I saw the first issue of Zap Comix
I was hooked. But I also read the
San Francisco Oracle, a paper printed
with interesting articles by people like
Gary Snyder, poems by Lawrence
Ferlinghetti
and many others. Food and clothes
give-aways, where the free concerts
were going to be held, environment
issues, etc, etc.

Thinking, outside the box and
alternatively certainly started
during that time.

Seems like creativity too was
rampant, unlike now, unless
you know where to look.




12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to see this Crumb cover, again! And the Walter Brennan narration....classic! I see you're still toying with the header. So many ideas...somewhat frustrating, isn't it?

Spadoman said...

Just got home from a great motorcycle excursion. Imagine my delight to see R. Crumb on you pages!

I have many old issues of Zap. Furry Freak Brothers, Wonder Warthog, Bijou Funnies and on and on.

Your alternative thinking theory about it starting about the time these comix came out is right on in my opinion. The Beatles changed the world.

Peace. Good to be back home again.

mum said...

Warning to other readers: Do not (repeat NOT) sip your espresso while listening to Walter Brennan. I snorted and sprayed mine through the nose when he got to 'and now, I'm gettin dandruff'. Oy. Think I'll listen one more time now that I've cleaned up the computer screen.

Zap Comix. The recommendation says it all (meant to write a story titled Ghostwriters in the Sky once, but someone had already nabbed the title so I'm not telling what it's called now.)

Know what, cm? They'd pay me to be younger, I wouldn't be interested.

(Hey, some day maybe you can do a post on your different headers and get a ranking from your readers? So far, I like them all. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go webcam my greetings to my kids in Australia, Florida, Montréal...) :-)

cheers from Graulhet.

Anonymous said...

@mum, warning noted! Good thing my cuppa was empty, at the time-LOL :)

Merle Sneed said...

I had forgotten the time when stars who couldn't sing a lick made narration recordings. Who bought those?

Loved hearing Brennan's voice again. Thanks.

California Girl said...

Granpa McCoy! YeeeeeHaaaaa! What a kick to play THAT! I sent to my husband. he still runs around the house, hitchin' up his arms, sayin'
"Pepina! Pepina!"

Actually, WB is one of my favorite all time character actors. That guy NEVER looked young.

Dot-Com said...

How great! A gentle reminder to slow down :-)

Tom said...

This is all before my cognitive awareness...but I love Walter Brennan...and recently saw a documentary on Crumb...interesting character, crazy days.

mouse (aka kimy) said...

I gotta check out the documentary of crumb!! boy, takes me back....

Ténèbres à la lumière... said...

Hi! C.M.,
What a very interesting post!
and nice sounds from actor Walter Brennan.
C.M.,
What a nice header...I really like it and the graphics look great!
Thanks, for sharing!
DeeDee ;-D

Celeste Maia said...

Where I grew up, in Mozambique of the 60s,there were no comics, hardly any TV, at least we did not have one, and the music were the great African sounds from various live bands. So with your blog I am learning, always learning...

Coffee Messiah said...

subT: I plan to follow this up, but looking at it, it almost makes it look like this is what made me who I am today, which is nuts really. Oh well.

spado: Nice to see you are back and the area is quite beautiful. Those hot springs look fantastic too with that view.

mum: Yeah, someone once said: Youth is wasted on the youth. Was it Mark Twain? I'm with you, once was enough ; )

merle: Not sure really. One listen is plenty.

cg: Some people are like that I guess.

dc: Something americans don't seem to do so well, compared to europeans ; (

tom: He came a long way through his life and sure can draw, and not only these cartoons.

kimy: It's worth seeing.

dcd: Thanks for mentioning it, I think I like it the best so far.

celeste: Ooooh, to hear that music back then must have been quite an experience, although I can't imagine the kind of repression back then ; (