Jack Edward Jackson (May 15, 1941 – June 8, 2006), better known by his pen name Jaxon, was an American

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

, illustrator, historian, and writer. He co-founded

Rip Off Press Rip Off Press Corporation, Inc. is a comic book mail order retailer and Distribution (business), distributor, better known as the former publisher of adult-themed series like ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' and ''Rip Off Comix'', as well as ...

, and some consider him to be the first

underground comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

artist, due to his most well-known comic strip ''

God Nose ''God Nose'' is a 42-page American comic book produced in 1964 by Jack "Jaxon" Jackson and is considered one of the first underground comix. ''God Nose'' centers on philosophical discussions between God and the "fools he rules." Plot ''God Nose ...

''.Booke, Keith M. 2010, ''Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels'', ABC-CLIO, LLC, Santa Barbara, CA

Early life

Jackson was born in 1941 in

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

, Texas. He majored in accounting at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

and was a staffer for its '' Texas Ranger'' humor magazine, until he and others were fired over what he called "a petty censorship violation".Fox, M. Steven
"Texas Ranger,"
ComixJoint. Accessed Dec. 18, 2016.Moriaty, J. David. "Back From the Dead," ''The Texas Sun'' (Apr. 8, 1977). Archived a
The Newspaper Archives of the Texas Sun
Accessed Dec. 18, 2016.

Career

In 1964, Jackson self-published the one-shot ''

'', which is considered by some to be the first

underground comic Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

in the modern sense, discounting “

Tijuana bible Tijuana bibles (also known as eight-pagers, Tillie-and-Mac books, Jiggs-and-Maggie books, jo-jo books, bluesies, blue-bibles, gray-backs, and two-by-fours) were palm-sized pornographic comic books produced in the United States from the 1920s to ...

s”. He moved to San Francisco in 1966, where he became art director of the dance-poster division of the Family Dog

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

music-promotion collective. In 1969, he co-founded

, one of the first independent publishers of

, with three other Texas transplants,

Gilbert Shelton Gilbert Shelton (born May 31, 1940) is an American cartoonist and a key member of the underground comix movement. He is the creator of the iconic underground characters ''The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'', '' Fat Freddy's Cat'', and ''Wonder W ...

, Fred Todd, and Dave Moriaty. Despite this, most of his underground comics work (heavily influenced by

EC Comics Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books, which specialized in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction, dark fantasy, and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-195 ...

) was published by

Last Gasp Last Gasp or The Last Gasp may refer to * Last Gasp (publisher) * ''Last Gasp'' (''Inside No. 9''), a TV episode * ''The Last Gasp Impaled is a death metal band from Oakland, California. The band's name is a backronym, standing for "Immoral M ...

, including frequent contributions to the Last Gasp anthology ''

Slow Death ''Slow Death'' is an underground comix anthology published by Last Gasp (publisher), Last Gasp, the first title published by the San Francisco Bay Area-based press. Conceived as an ecologically themed comics magazine (in conjunction with the firs ...

''. (Jaxon left his affiliation with Last Gasp in c. 1991.)Jackson entry
''Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999''. Accessed Oct. 1, 2016. In addition to ''Slow Death'', Jackson contributed to a selection of other underground comix, including ''Barbarian Comics'' (California Comics) and ''Radical America Komiks'' (Radical America Magazine). In the 1980s Jaxon contributed historical comics to

Fantagraphics Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

' ''Graphics Story Monthly'' and a number of

Kitchen Sink Press Kitchen Sink Press was a comic book publishing company founded by Denis Kitchen in 1970. Kitchen Sink Press was a pioneering publisher of underground comics, and was also responsible for numerous republications of classic comic strips in hardcov ...

titles, including ''

BLAB! ''Blab!'' was an anthology edited by Monte Beauchamp that featured a mixture of alternative comics and illustrated features focused predominantly on illustration, graphic design, and lowbrow art. The first two issues (1986–87) were published b ...

'' and the 11-part, 126-page "Bulto… The Cosmic Slug," about a space creature's effect on the people of the ancient Southwest, which was serialized in ''

Death Rattle Terminal respiratory secretions (or simply terminal secretions),, known colloquially as a death rattle, are sounds often produced by someone who is near death as a result of fluids such as saliva and bronchial secretions accumulating in the throa ...

''. Jackson did freelance work for

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

as a colorist from 1988 to 1991. Jackson was also known for his historical work, documenting the history of

Native America The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Ame ...

and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, including the graphic novels ''Comanche Moon'' (1979), ''Recuerden El Alamo'' (1979), ''Los Tejanos'' (1982), ''The Secret of San Saba'' (1989), ''Lost Cause'' (1998), ''Indian Lover: Sam Houston & the Cherokees'' (1999), ''El Alamo'' (2002), and the written works like ''Los Mesteños: Spanish Ranching in Texas: 17211821'' (1986), ''Indian Agent: Peter Ellis Bean in Mexican Texas'' (2005), and many others. The

Texas State Historical Association The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, on March 2, 1897. , TSHA moved their offices from Austin to the University of N ...

commissioned him to produce a new version of the 1920s racist comic strip ''

Texas History Movies ''Texas History Movies'' was a "popular racist comic strip that ran in ''The Dallas Morning News'' in the late 1920s". According to the Texas State Historical Association's ''Handbook of Texas'', it was "drawn by Jack Patton, ndwas originally pu ...

''; Jackson's ''New Texas History Movies'' was his last work before his death, and was published in 2007 ().

Personal life

Jackson died in Stockdale, Texas on June 8, 2006, in an apparent suicide after being diagnosed with

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

Legacy and honors

* Lifetime fellowship to Texas Historical Association * Judges' Choice for

The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame The following is a list of winners of the Eisner Award, sorted by category. The Eisner Awards have been presented since 1988, but there were no Eisner Awards in 1990 due to balloting mix-ups."Eisners Cancelled," ''The Comics Journal'' #137 (Sept. ...

in 2011

Bibliography

Comics-format

* ''

'' (self-published, 1964; republished by Rip Off Press, 1969) * ''Happy Endings Comics'' (Rip Off Press, Aug. 1969) * ''Comanche Moon: A Picture Narrative About Cynthia Ann Parker'' (Rip Off Press, 1979) * ''Recuerden El Alamo: The True Story of Juan N. Seguin and his Fight for Texas Independence'' (Last Gasp, 1979) * ''Los Tejanos'' (Fantagraphics Books, 1982) * ''Jaxon's Illustrated Tales'' (FTR Publishing, 1984) * ''The Secret of San Saba: A Tale of Phantoms and Greed in the Spanish Southwest'' (Kitchen Sink Press, 1989) * ''Optimism of Youth: The Underground Work of Jack Jackson'' (Fantagraphics Books, 1991) * (adaptation of the novel by

James Fenimore Cooper James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century, whose historical romances depicting colonist and Indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries brought h ...

) ''Dark Horse Classics: Last of the Mohicans'' (Dark Horse Comics, 1992) * (with

Neal Barrett, Jr. Neal Barrett Jr. (November 3, 1929 – January 12, 2014) was an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, mystery/suspense, and historical fiction. He also worked under the pseudonyms Victor Appleton, Chad Calhoun, Franklin W. Dixon (Strate ...

, adapted from the novel by

Joe R. Lansdale Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor. A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...

) ''Dead in the West'' (Dark Horse Comics, 1993) * ''God's Bosom and Other Stories: The Historical Strips of Jack Jackson'' (Fantagraphics Books, 1995) * "Threadgill's: The Comic Book," in ''Threadgill's: The Cookbook'' (Longstreet Press, 1996) * ''Lost Cause:

John Wesley Hardin John Wesley Hardin (May 26, 1853 – August 19, 1895) was an American Old West outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk icon. Hardin often got into trouble with the law from an early age. He killed his first man at the age of 15, claiming h ...

, the Taylor-Sutton Feud, and

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

Texas'' (Kitchen Sink Press, 1998) * ''Indian Lover:

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

& the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

s'' (Mojo Press, 1999) * ''The

Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

: An Epic Told from Both Sides'' (Paisano Graphics, 2002) — self-published *''New Texas History Movies'' (

, 2007: )

Prose

* ''Long Shadows: Indian Leaders Standing in the Path of Manifest Destiny, 1600–1900''.

Amarillo Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County. It is the List of cities in Texas by population, 14th-most populous city in Texas and th ...

, TX: Paramount Publishing, 1985. * ''Los Mesteños: Spanish Ranching in Texas, 1721–1821''.

College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as the Texas Triangle. It is northwest of Houston and east-northeast of Austin. ...

: Texas A&M University Press, 1986. * (with Maurine T. Wilson) '' Philip Nolan and Texas Expeditions to the Unknown Land, 1791–1801''.

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

, TX: Texian Press, 1987. * ''Mapping Texas & the Gulf Coast: The Contributions of Saint-Denis, Oliván, & Le Maire''. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 1990. * ''Imaginary Kingdom: Texas As Seen by the Rivera & Rubi Military Expeditions, 1727 & 1767''.

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, 1995. * ''Flags Along the Coast: Charting the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

, 1519–1759''. Austin, TX: Book Club of Texas/Wind River Press, 1995. * ''Shooting the Sun: Cartographic Results of Military Activities in Texas, 1689–1892''. Austin, TX: Book Club of Texas/Wind River Press, 1998. * (ed., with trans. John Wheat) ''Texas by Terán: The Diary Kept by General

Manuel de Mier y Terán José Manuel Rafael Simeón de Mier y Terán (February 18, 1789 — July 3, 1832), generally known as Manuel de Mier y Terán, was a noted military and political figure during the Mexican War of Independence and during the era of the First Repu ...

on His 1828 Inspection of Texas''. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2000. * ''Indian Agent:

Peter Ellis Bean Peter Ellis Bean (sometimes ''Ellis Peter Bean''; es, Pedro Elias Bean) (June 8, 1783, Grainger County, Tennessee – October 6?, 1846, Veracruz) was a United States filibuster in Texas and Mexico, and a Mexican revolutionary. Early life Bean ...

In Mexican Texas''. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2005. * ''Almonte’s Texas:

Juan N. Almonte Juan Nepomuceno Almonte Ramírez (May 15, 1803 – March 21, 1869) was a Mexican soldier, commander, minister of war, congressman, diplomat, and presidential candidate. He was the natural son of José María Morelos, a leading commander during ...

's 1834 Inspection, Secret Report, and Role in the 1836 Campaign''. Austin, TX:

, 2005.

References

External links

Lambiek Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ), though since 2007, his son Boris Kousemaker is the current owner. From 1968 to 2015, it was located ...

Jack Jackson interview
''

The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...

'' #213
Art and Artifice

*
Vimeo
''Jaxon: Drawn to the Task'' interview
UT Texas Ranger Magazine archive
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jaxon 1941 births 2006 deaths American cartoonists American comics artists Artists who committed suicide Artists from Austin, Texas Suicides in Texas Underground cartoonists Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame inductees Critics of Christianity 2006 suicides