Last Gasp is a

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

-based

book publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

with a

lowbrow art Lowbrow, or lowbrow art, is an underground visual art movement that arose in the Los Angeles, California area in the late 1960s. It is a populist art movement with its cultural roots in underground comix, punk music, tiki culture, graffiti, and ...

and

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

focus. Owned and operated by Ron Turner, for most of its existence Last Gasp was a publisher,

distributor A distributor is an enclosed rotating switch used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have mechanically timed ignition. The distributor's main function is to route high voltage current from the ignition coil to the spark plug ...

, and wholesaler of

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, ...

and books of all types. Last Gasp was established in 1970. Although the company came onto the scene a bit later than some of the other underground publishers, Last Gasp continued publishing comix far longer most of its competitors. In addition to publishing notable original titles like ''

Slow Death ''Slow Death'' is an underground comix anthology published by 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 first Earth Day), the titl ...

'', ''

Wimmen's Comix ''Wimmen's Comix'', later titled ''Wimmin's Comix'', is an influential all-female underground comics anthology published from 1972 to 1992. Though it covered a wide range of genres and subject matters, ''Wimmen's Comix'' focused more than other ...

'', ''

Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary ''Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary'' is an autobiographical comic by American cartoonist Justin Green, published in 1972. Green takes the persona of Binky Brown to tell of the " compulsive neurosis" with which he struggled in his youth a ...

'', and '' Weirdo'', it also picked up the publishing reins of important titles — such as ''

Zap Comix ''Zap Comix'' is an underground comix series which was originally part of the youth counterculture of the late 1960s. While a few small-circulation self-published satirical comic books had been printed prior to this, ''Zap'' became the model for ...

'' and '' Young Lust'' — from rivals who had gone out of business. Last Gasp no longer publishes "floppy" comics; the company publishes art and photography books,

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

s, fiction, and poetry, producing 10–15 new titles per year.

History

Last Gasp Eco Funnies was founded in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...

, in 1970 by

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different ...

graduate studentNelson, Gayle
"The Origins of Last Gasp,"
Last Gasp website (Jan. 1999). Accessed December 14, 2013. Ronald E. Turner,Indicia
''Slow Death'' #8 (1977). with the help of

Gary Arlington Gary Edson Arlington (October 7, 1938 – January 16, 2014) was an American retailer, artist, editor, and publisher, who became a key figure in the underground comix movement of the 1960s and 1970s.Yardley, William"Gary Arlington, a Force in Unde ...

, to publish the ecologically-themed comics title ''

Slow Death Funnies ''Slow Death'' is an underground comix anthology published by 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 first Earth Day), the title ...

'' (in conjunction with the first Earth Day). Last Gasp followed ''Slow Death Funnies'' with the all-female anthology ''It Ain't Me, Babe'', spearheaded by

Trina Robbins Trina Robbins (born Trina Perlson; August 17, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first female artists in that movement. In the 1980s, Robbins beca ...

. Last Gasp incorporated on September 11, 1971.Levin, Bo
''The Pirates and the Mouse: Disney's War Against The Underground''
(Fantagraphics, 2003), p. 123. In the time period 1971–1973, Last Gasp published ''

Air Pirates Funnies The Air Pirates were a group of cartoonists who created two issues of an underground comic called ''Air Pirates Funnies'' in 1971, leading to a famous lawsuit by Walt Disney Productions. Founded by Dan O'Neill, the group also included Bobby Londo ...

'' #1–2 and a number of other

Air Pirates The Air Pirates were a group of cartoonists who created two issues of an underground comic called ''Air Pirates Funnies'' in 1971, leading to a famous lawsuit by Walt Disney Productions. Founded by Dan O'Neill, the group also included Bobby Lo ...

-related titles, including ''The Tortoise and the Hare'', ''Dopin' Dan'' #1–3, and ''Merton of the Movement''. (Turner insists that he only served as an advisor to the Air Pirates collective, despite them crediting his company as "publisher.") Considered to be an "enabler" of the Air Pirates infamous

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

parodies, Turner's name was added to Disney's lawsuit against the collective. Turner quickly settled with Disney, but Air Pirates

Dan O'Neill Dan O'Neill (born April 21, 1942) is an American underground cartoonist, creator of the syndicated comic strip ''Odd Bodkins'' and founder of the underground comics collective the Air Pirates. Education O'Neill attended the University of Sa ...

, Bobby London, and

Ted Richards Ted Richards (born 11 January 1983) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). AFL career Richards was recruited from Xavier Col ...

continued fighting, in a case that dragged on for years. The company's success with ''Slow Death'' and ''It Ain't Me, Babe'' enabled Last Gasp to expand into distribution, in addition to publishing. The company soon became a major part of the

movement. Sociopolitical themes were explored in Last Gasp series such as

Guy Colwell Guy Colwell (born March 28, 1945) is an American painter and occasional underground cartoonist. Although not African-American himself, Colwell's comics often portray blacks in strong roles in stories of life on the streets. His " Figurative Soci ...

's ''Inner City Romance'' (1972–1979), which portrayed gritty urban tales; ''

Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...

'' (1973), which focused on anarcho-capitalism;Multicultural Comics: From Zap to Blue Beetle
- Race and Comix by Leonard Rifas pp. 33-34 and '' Anarchy Comics'' (1978), which focused on

left-wing politics Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soc ...

. In addition to publishing ''

'' for much of its run, Last Gasp published a number of other comix with feminist themes, including ''

It Ain't Me, Babe "It Ain't Me Babe" is a song by Bob Dylan that originally appeared on his fourth album ''Another Side of Bob Dylan'', which was released in 1964 by Columbia Records. According to music critic Oliver Trager, this song, along with others on the albu ...

'', '' Tits & Clits Comix'', '' Twisted Sisters'' #1, and '' Good Girls''. In 1972, Last Gasp published Justin Green's seminal autobiographical comic ''

''. Beginning in 1972, Last Gasp began publishing ongoing titles moving over from other companies; beginning with '' Young Lust'', and then

Rand Holmes Randolph Holton Holmes (February 22, 1942 – March 15, 2002) was a Canadian artist and illustrator probably best known for his work in underground comix. His work was of a higher level of quality than was seen elsewhere in the field, and is cons ...

' '' Harold Hedd''. In 1977, the company picked up

Joyce Farmer Joyce Farmer (born 1938 in Los Angeles, California)Vankin, Deborah"R. Crumb: Joyce Farmer’s ''Special Exits'' on par with ''Maus'',""Hero Complex," ''Los Angeles Times'' (November 28, 2010). is an American underground comix cartoonist. She was a ...

and Lyn Chevely's '' Tits & Clits Comix'', publishing that series until 1987. Last Gasp published the final three issues of ''

San Francisco Comic Book ''San Francisco Comic Book'' was an underground comix anthology published between 1970 and 1983. Conceived of and edited by Gary Arlington, the anthology highlighted the work of many of San Francisco's top underground talents, including Bill Grif ...

'' in 1980–1983, and the latter half of ''

run from 1982 to 2005. Last Gasp also published '' Weirdo'' from 1981 to 1993, and '' Cherry Poptart'' from 1982 to 1992. In the early 1980s Last Gasp published some of the first books about the West Coast punk rock scene, including a number of titles by Peter Belsito. Last Gasp moved its headquarters from Berkeley to San Francisco in c. 1975. Starting in 1975, Ron Turner began hosting the annual "Burritos, Beer & Cheer" holiday party at the Last Gasp offices, which was also a fundraiser for the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality, a free soup kitchen located in San Francisco. Last Gasp hosted "Burritos, Beer & Cheer" for more than 30 years. In the period 2004–2010, Last Gasp published English-language compilations of popular manga titles, including Fumiyo Kouno's ''

Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms is a one-volume manga written and illustrated by Fumiyo Kōno. The two connected stories were first published in Japan by Futabasha in '' Weekly Manga Action'' in 2003 and 2004, then collected in a single ''tankōbon'' volume in 2004. The s ...

'';

Junko Mizuno is a Japanese manga artist. Her drawing style is often termed as ''Gothic kawaii'' or ''kawaii noir'' style. Art style Mizuno's drawing style, which mixes childish sweetness and cuteness with terror and erotica, has often been termed a ''Goth ...

's ''

Pure Trance is a '' shōjo'' (targeted towards girls) science-fiction manga by Junko Mizuno. Her debut manga, it appeared as a serial in the booklets of Avex Trax's ''Pure Trance'' techno compilation CD series. It was later collected into a bound volu ...

''; and

Keiji Nakazawa was a Japanese manga artist and writer. Biography Nakazawa was born March 14, 1939 Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan and was in the city when it was destroyed by an atomic bomb in August 1945. Most of his family members who had not evacuated died as ...

's ''

Barefoot Gen is a Japanese historical manga series by Keiji Nakazawa. Loosely based on Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor, the series begins in 1945 in and around Hiroshima, Japan, where the six-year-old boy Gen Nakaoka liv ...

''. In early December 2016, Last Gasp announced it was ending its comics distribution business to focus solely on book publishing. (As one of the last independent distributors, they handled comics distribution from more than 100 small comics publishers.) As a consequence, the company planned to lay off the bulk of its dozen employees by February 2017.Aoki, Deb
"Comics Publisher Last Gasp Shuts Down its Distribution Operation,"
''Publishers Weekly'' (December 7, 2016).

Creators associated with Last Gasp

Notable artists published by Last Gasp include Tim Biskup,

Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American cartoonist and musician who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contem ...

Richard Corben Richard Corben (October 1, 1940December 2, 2020) was an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in '' Heavy Metal'' magazine, especially the ''Den'' series which was featured in the magazine's first film ada ...

, Ron English, Camille Rose Garcia, Justin Green,

Bill Griffith William Henry Jackson Griffith (born January 20, 1944) is an American cartoonist who signs his work Bill Griffith and Griffy. He is best known for his surreal comedy, surreal daily comic strip ''Zippy the Pinhead, Zippy''. The catchphrase "Are w ...

, John Howard,

Greg Irons Greg Irons (September 29, 1947 – November 14, 1984) was an American poster artist, underground cartoonist, animator and tattoo artist. Profile Irons was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He moved to San Francisco, California, in 1967, w ...

, Shawna Kenney,

Spain Rodriguez Manuel Rodriguez (March 2, 1940 – November 28, 2012), better known as Spain or Spain Rodriguez, was an American underground cartoonist who created the character Trashman. His experiences on the road with the motorcycle club, the Road Vultures M ...

Mark Ryden Mark Ryden (born January 20, 1963) is an American painter who is considered to be part of the Lowbrow (or Pop Surrealist) art movement.Ken Johnson"Mark Ryden: ‘The Gay 90s: Old Tyme Art Show" ''The New York Times'', May 6, 2010. Retrieved 2013 ...

, Dori Seda, Larry Welz, Robert Williams, and S. Clay Wilson.

Titles published (selected)

Comix

Manga translations

* Kouno, Fumiyo. ''

'' (2004) * Mizuno, Junko. ''

'' (2005) * Nakazawa, Keiji. ''

'' (10 issues, 2004–2010)

Books

* Belsito, Peter, Bob Davis, and Marian Kester. '' StreetArt: The Punk Poster in San Francisco 1977-1981'' (1981) * Belsito, Peter and Bob Davis. ''Hardcore California: A History of Punk and New Wave'' (1983) * Belsito, Peter. ''Notes From the Pop Underground'' (1985) * Blank, Joani (ed.) ''

Femalia ''Femalia'' is a book of 32 full-color photographs of human vulvas, edited by Joani Blank and first published by Down There Press in 1993. A reprint edition was published by Last Gasp in 2011. The photographs were taken by Tee Corinne, Michael P ...

'' (2nd ed., 2011) *

Cometbus Aaron Elliott (born May 20, 1968), better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American musician, songwriter, roadie, and magazine editor, best known as the creator of the punk zine ''Cometbus''. Career Born in Berkeley, California, Cometbus started ...

. '' Despite Everything: A Cometbus Omnibus'' (2002) * Corinne, Tee. ''The Cunt Coloring Book'' (1989) * Davis, Mike. ''A Blind Man's Journey'' (2014) * Griffith, Bill. '' Zippy Stories'' (1986). * Fitzgerald, F. Stop and Marian Kester. ''

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing p ...

: The Unauthorized Version'' (1983) * LeRoy, J. T. with illustrations by Cherry Hood. ''

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

'' (2006) * Perry, Michael with illustrations by Doug Cunningham. '' Turntable Timmy'' (paperback re-issue, 2015) * Schorr, Todd. '' American Surreal'' (2008)

References

External links

* * *
Photos from the 2005 charity fundraising party held at Last Gasp offices

Photos from the 2007 charity fundraising party held at Last Gasp offices

Photos from the 2008 charity fundraising party held at Last Gasp offices
{{Comic book publishers in North America navbox Comic book publishing companies of the United States Companies based in San Francisco Underground comix Publishing companies established in 1970 Publishers of adult comics 1970 establishments in California Book distributors