''The Rip Off Review of Western Culture'' was an

underground comics 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, ...

magazine published by

Rip Off Press Rip Off Press Inc. is a comic book mail order retailer and distributor, better known as the former publisher of adult-themed series like '' The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' and ''Rip Off Comix'', as well as many other seminal publications from ...

and produced out of

San Francisco, California 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 ...

. It published three issues in 1972. The publication was historically significant in that it brought together the work of many noteworthy underground artists and writers.

Publication history

J. David Moriaty conceived of ''The Rip Off Review of Western Culture'' in 1971, desiring to publish a real magazine with writing, photographs, and comics. Moriaty asked Robert Follett to serve as the magazine's editorial director, a job which entailed contributing interviews and editing the magazine. Dave Sheridan, already a well-known cartoonist and underground comic artist, was given the title of art editor. Follett and a couple of others managed to publish first issue of ''The Rip Off Review of Western Culture'' in June 1972. A magazine and comic book mix, the artists, writers, and photographers contributed many different styles and stories to the magazine. The magazine was distributed through various underground outlets, with a limited amount of money. Ramsey Wiggins stepped in as the managing editor on the second issue and was asked to write a column and a few of the editorials.

Issues

#1 (June/July 1972)

*Editor and Publisher: J. David Moriaty *Editorial Director: Robert Folletthttp://www.artandlife.com Bob Follett-Art and Life *Art Editor: Dave Sheridan *Managing Editor: Janie T. Gaynor *"Editor at Sea":

Billy Lee Brammer Billy Lee Brammer (April 21, 1929 – February 11, 1978) was an author, journalist, and political staffer in Texas and Washington, D.C.. He is best known for his set of three linked novellas titled ''The Gay Place.'' Life Brammer was born ...

The first issue was 84 pages, and contained very few ads. The editorial staff with Bruce Jackson a photographer from New York had determined to keep the total production of the magazine in house for absolute control of quality and costs. The cover for the first issue, features Dave Sheridan, taken by photographer Michael Heinichen. It was the most difficult cover to print, which required large areas of solid black ink. J. David Moriaty had worked hard with the staff to save this difficult run. After many long days, he managed to print the covers without too many defects to the magazine. This saved the first issue, due to the lack of money

had in their budget. The artist Monjett Graham originally from Nebraska, wrote a regular column on culture for ''The Sun Reporter'', an African-American newspaper, located in San Francisco. This was about the time he was approached by the ''Rip Off Review of Western Culture'' staff and asked if he would contribute to the magazine. Graham contributed two pieces of artwork to the first issue. The first one, called ''Urban Mood'', appears on page 15. This piece was created with woodcuts and pencil. The second piece, ''Occupation'', is

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas tha ...

s only, and features a soldier with a helmet. *Writers: *Lewis McAdams and Tom Clark- Texas Years * Bruce Jackson -"Prison" and "Henry" *J. David Moriaty -The Great County Prison Expose' Fiasco pg 13 *Jubal Washcloth- The Pleasure Palace of Space pg 18 *Robert Follett- A Little Something for Mom pg 22 * P. J. O'Rourke- A.J. at N.Y.U. pg 26 *James Langdon-Easter Present pg 30 * Fred Schrier, Uncle Sam Takes LSD -insertFred Schrier's Illustrations
Retrieved 09 November 2010 *William Ellis- Great Galveston Bay Dope Disaster pg 34 * Bruce Jackson Henry pg 44 *Ron Siegel-Psychedelics Revisited pg 54 *Lennart Bruce- The Whore pg 60 *Artists *

Joel Beck Joel Beck (May 7, 1943 – September 14, 1999) was a San Francisco Bay Area artist and cartoonist. His comic book, ''Lenny of Laredo'', one of the earliest underground comic books of the 1960s, was the first underground comic book published o ...

* Jim Franklin * Monjett Graham *Jack Jackson

Jaxon Jaxon may refer to: *Jaxon (name), given name and surname (including a list of people with the name) *Jaxon (cartoonist), American cartoonist, illustrator, historian, and writer *Jaxon (musician) (David Jackson, born 1947), English progressive ro ...

Victor Moscoso Victor Moscoso (born July 28, 1936) is a Spanish–American artist best known for producing psychedelic rock posters, advertisements, and underground comix in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first of the rock poster artists of ...

*Vin Scheihagen * Fred Schrier, Uncle Sam Takes LSD -insert- * Larry Welz * S. Clay Wilson *

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 ...

*Photographers *Elihu Blotnik pg 41 *Michael Heinichen - Cover *William Irwin pg 35-39 *Bruce Jackson photos of the prison system appeared in the 1st edition. The piece is called "Prison".http://brucejacksonphotography.us/#prison pg 8-12

#2 (Aug./Sept. 1972)

*Editor and Publisher: J. David Moriaty *Editorial Director: Robert Follett *Art Editor: Dave Sheridan *Managing Editor: Ramsey Wiggins *Southwestern Corespondent: Bill Dormam The second issue is a collection of articles, stories, pictures, illustrations, and comics. The cover is an illustration by

, who contributed many others to the magazine. This issue features several articles, such as a two part interview/story on Dennis Hopper called "Acting Strange: Hopper's Nickbag Medicine Show Comes To Dime Box", written by M.D. Shafter; and "The Loan Arranger", a piece of creative nonfiction by Bob Chorush. In addition, featured in this issue was artist/writer Tullio, who contributed a regular column entitled "Mindstream". Cartoonist

Frank Stack Frank Huntington Stack (born October 31, 1937 in Houston, Texas) is an American underground cartoonist and fine artist. Working under the name Foolbert Sturgeon to avoid persecution for his work while living in the Bible Belt, Stack published w ...

provided the comic "Jesus Goes To The Faculty Party". *Writers *Bob Chorush — "The Loan Arranger" pg 10 *Susan Netzorg — "Funky Fables" pg 13 *Chris Miller — "Hippie" pg 17 *M. D. Shafter — "Acting Strange, featuring Dennis Hopper" pg 18 *

— "Jesus Goes to the Faculty Party" pg 25 *Liv Peterson — "Poetry" pg 49 *Tom Pope — "Media Review" pg 60 *

Tullio DeSantis Tullio Francesco DeSantis (born 1948), also known as Tullio, is an American contemporary artist, writer, technologist, and teacher. His work is informed by ancient and contemporary philosophy, science, and the relationship between art and life. ...

— "Mindstream" pg 64 *Artists *Jack Jackson

* Larry Welz * S. Clay Wilson *

*Kerry Fitzgerald *Gary Frutkoff *Phil Romero *

*Photographers *Richie Fiddler *Peter Gent

#3 (Nov./Dec. 1972)

*Editor and Publisher: J. David Moriaty *Editorial Director: Robert Follett *Art Editor: Dave Sheridan *Managing Editor: Ramsey Wiggins *Southwestern Correspondent: Bill Dormam The third issue consists of an editorial written by J. David Moriaty on the Presidential election of 1972 and the United States consumption of gasoline. On page three of this issue the "Liner Notes" describes the main contributors to "The Rip Off Review of Western Culture". Jim Franklin provided the artwork for the cover, which is a parody of the artist Porfirio Salinas work. Also in this issue is a detailed interview by the editorial director Robert Follett, with S. Clay Wilson, known as one of the best American underground cartoonist in the 1970s. Tom Pope contributed a regular column, entitled "The Morning Stage" along with Tullio DeSantis who winds up the magazine with his regular column known for his cosmic note "Mindsteam". *Writers *M.D. Shafer-Acting strange part II pg 12 *Ty Hunt-Armadillo Festival pg18 *Ken Green-Several Final Solutions pg 23 *Pat Ryan and P. Delacorte- Fun and Games pg28 *Ron Siegel-You're Just Another Animal that Turns On *S. Clay Wilson: An Interview pg 38 *Will Hatcher-Will Hatcher Sells His Soul pg 46 *W.E. Ellis *Tom Pope-Morning Stage pg 62 *

-Mindstream pg 64 *Lieuen Adkins- Craddock's Crusade pg 55 *Mary Carter-Record Reviews pg 61 *David Dean *Ricky Morsund *Artists *Jack Jackson (

) *

* S. Clay Wilson *

*Kerry Fitzgerald also known as

Kerry Awn Kerry Fitzgerald (born 1949), better known as Kerry Awn, is an American cartoonist, actor, muralist, comedian, musician, iconographer and poster artist. He is best known for his comedy and the iconic 'Austintatious' mural near the University of T ...

* Gary Frutkoff *Jim Cherry *Pat Ryan *William Klapp *Kim Verstraten *Photographers *Ike Baruch *Peter Gent

References

External links

Bob Follett, ArtandLife

Bob Follett a personal site

Bob Chorush's website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rip Off Review of Western Culture 1972 comics debuts Bimonthly magazines published in the United States Satirical magazines published in the United States Defunct magazines published in the United States Magazines about comics Magazines established in 1972 Magazines disestablished in 1972 Magazines published in San Francisco Underground comix