Donald Richard Donahue (May 18, 1942 – October 27, 2010)Levin, Bob
"Don Donahue 1942-2010: As Far as Hello,"
''The Comics Journal'' website (Nov. 2, 2010). was a comic book publisher, operating under the name Apex Novelties, one of the instigators of the

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, ...

movement in the 1960s. Donahue published numerous influential comics from that movement, including the first run of ''

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 a number of other highly regarded comics by

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 ...

, such as ''Your Hytone Comics'' (1971) and ''Black and White Comics'' (1973). Apex Novelties published the bulk of its comix from 1968 to 1974. Besides Crumb, other creators associated with Apex Novelties include S. Clay Wilson,

Jay Lynch Jay Patrick Lynch (January 7, 1945 – March 5, 2017) was an American cartoonist who played a key role in the underground comix movement with his ''Bijou Funnies'' and other titles. He is best known for his comic strip ''Nard n' Pat'' and the ...

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 ...

Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman (; born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman on February 15, 1948) is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel '' Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines ''Arcade'' and '' Ra ...

Rory Hayes Rory Hayes (August 8, 1949 – August 29, 1983) was an American underground cartoonist in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His comics were drawn in an expressionistic, primitivist style and usually dealt with grim subject matter such as par ...

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 ...

Rick Griffin Richard Alden "Rick" Griffin (June 18, 1944 – August 18, 1991) was an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters in the 1960s. As a contributor to the underground comix movement, his work appeared regularly in ...

, Michael McMillan,

Kim Deitch Kim Deitch (born May 21, 1944 in Los Angeles, California)Donahue, Don and Susan Goodrick, editors. Deitch bio, ''The Apex Treasuet of Underground Comics'' (Apex Novelties, 1974), p. 127. is an American cartoonist who was an important figure in th ...

Shary Flenniken Shary Flenniken (born 1950) is an American editor-writer-illustrator and underground cartoonist. After joining the burgeoning underground comics movement in the early 1970s, she became a prominent contributor to '' National Lampoon'' and was on ...

, Justin Green, and

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 ...

. Donahue co-edited ''The Apex Treasury of Underground Comics'', one of the first book collections to highlight the

era.

Career

In San Francisco in early 1968, Donahue traded his hi-fi

tape player An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...

to poet

Charles Plymell Charles Plymell (born April 26, 1935, in Holcomb, Kansas) is a poet, novelist, and small press publisher. Plymell has been published widely, collaborated with, and published many poets, writers, and artists, including principals of the Beat Ge ...

to publish the first issue of

's ''

'' on Plymell's printing press.Crumb, R
"Minds Are Made to be Blown,"
''The Complete Crumb Comics - Volume 4'' (Fantagraphics, 1988). Archived on Crumb on Crumb (official R. Crumb website). Donahue later purchased the equipment and founded

Apex Novelties The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex ...

. The publisher's first headquarters was in the third-floor ballroom of the former Mowry's Opera House, located at 633 Laguna Street in Hayes Valley (fellow underground publisher

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 ...

also shared that space). While at that location, Donahue published some of the most notable — and notorious — comix of the underground era, including ''Zap'' issues #1-4, ''Snatch Comics'' issues #1–3, ''Cunt Comics'', ''Jiz'', ''King Bee'', and ''The Life and Loves of Cleopatra''. After a fire almost destroyed the building in late 1969, Apex Novelties moved to a storefront at 1417 Valencia Street in the

Mission District The Mission District (Spanish: ''Distrito de la Misión''), commonly known as The Mission (Spanish: ''La Misión''), is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. One of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Mission District's name is ...

.Rosenkranz, Patrick
"Don Donahue @ Mowry’s,"
''The Comics Journal'' website (November 9th, 2010 ). In 1970, Susan Goodrick became Donahue's partner in Apex Novelties, staying with the company until 1978. Also in 1970, Donahue helped

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 ...

recruit artists for, and helped edit the first issue of, Arlington's anthology title ''

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 ...

''.Fox. M. Steven
"San Francisco Comic Book #1,"
ComixJoint. Accessed Oct. 8, 2016. Donahue and Goodrick co-edited ''The Apex Treasury of Underground Comics'', published in 1974 by Links Books/Quick Fox. The 192-page anthology collected previously-published stories and strips (not just from Apex Novelty titles) by

, 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 ...

, Bobby London,

Willy Murphy William "Willy" MurphyMurphy entry
''Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999''. Acc ...

, and

. (The book was re-issued in 1981 by Quick Fox as a "flip book" with ''The Best of

Bijou Funnies ''Bijou Funnies'' was an American underground comix magazine which published eight issues between 1968 and 1973. Edited by Chicago-based cartoonist Jay Lynch, ''Bijou Funnies'' featured strong work by the core group of Lynch, Skip Williamson, Rob ...

'', which had originally been published in 1975.) In the mid-1970s, Apex Novelties was known for publishing material by radicals, including the

Symbionese Liberation Army The United Federated Forces of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was a small, American far-left organization active between 1973 and 1975; it claimed to be a vanguard movement. The FBI and American law enforcement considered the SLA to be the ...

(known for kidnapping Patty Hearst).Levin, Bob
"Don Donahue, Comic Book Publisher (1943–2010),"
Berkeley Historical Plaque Project (2011). Donahue's final published comix title was in early 1979 with the R. Crumb comic '' Best Buy Comics''. (By this time, Apex Novelties was located at 353 Frederick Street in San Francisco's

Haight-Ashbury Haight-Ashbury () is a district of San Francisco, California, named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets. It is also called The Haight and The Upper Haight. The neighborhood is known as one of the main centers of the counterculture ...

.) In the early 1980s, Donahue moved operations to Berkeley's Dakin Warehouse, where he lived and worked with other like-minded people. From that location, he became one of the country's top dealers of underground comix and other ephemera. According to historian Patrick Rosenkranz, Donahue's "last publishing venture was a series of

silk-screen Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh ...

ed posters he made in the early 1990s." Donahue remained at the Dakin Warehouse until 2002.

Personal life and death

The partner of cartoonist Dori Seda, Donahue inherited the rights to her work following her death in 1988 at the age of 37, and edited ''Dori Stories'', a compilation of her comics, which 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'', a 2007 album by Impaled * ''The Last Gasp'' (novel) * "Last Gasp" (song) {{dab ...

in 1999.Thalheimer, Anne
"This Girl Would Rock Till She Broke the Clock,"
a review of ''Dori Stories: The Complete Dori Seda'' ''PopMatters''. Archived on DoriSeda.com.Sternbergh, Leslie. "...there's a way, or, My Dinner With Olga", ''

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 r ...

'' #154 (November 1992). Donahue died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

on October 27, 2010, in Berkeley after many years of

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

Comix titles published

R. Crumb works

* '' Best Buy Comics'' (Feb. 1979) – Consists primarily of Crumb material originally published in ''

CoEvolution Quarterly ''CoEvolution Quarterly'' (1974–1985) was a journal descended from Stewart Brand's ''Whole Earth Catalog''. Stewart Brand founded the ''CoEvolution Quarterly'' in 1974 using proceeds from the ''Whole Earth Catalog.'' It evolved out of the o ...

'' * ''Black and White Comics'' (June 1973) * '' Mr. Natural'' (2 issues, 1970–1971) – co-published with San Francisco Comic Book Company; later continued by

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 hard ...

* ''Snatch Comics'' (3 issues, late 1968–Aug. 1969) – Principally by R. Crumb (using various pseudonyms) and S. Clay Wilson * ''Your Hytone Comics'' (Feb. 1971) * ''

'' (4 issues, Feb.–Fall 1968) — R. Crumb, Wilson, Moscoso, Spain, Griffin, Shelton, and Robert Williams; later continued by the

Print Mint The Print Mint, Inc. was a major publisher and distributor of underground comix based in the San Francisco Bay Area during the genre's late 1960s-early 1970s heyday. Starting as a retailer of psychedelic posters, the Print Mint soon evolved into ...

Other creators

* '' Ace Hole, Midget Detective'' (1974) — large-format black-and-white comic by

* ''Cunt Comics'' (1969) —

, with minor contributions from Donahue, Lynch, and Deitch * ''Four Sketchbooks and a Table of Useful Information'' (1973) — digest-sized collection of sketchbooks by

, and Justin Green * '' Funny Aminals'' (1972) — anti-animal

vivisection Vivisection () is surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure. The word is, more broadly, used as a pejorative catch-all term for Animal testi ...

anthology edited by

Terry Zwigoff Terry Zwigoff (born May 18, 1949) is an American filmmaker whose work often deals with misfits, antiheroes, and themes of alienation. He first garnered attention for his work in documentary filmmaking with ''Louie Bluie'' (1985) and '' Crumb'' ( ...

featuring Crumb, Lynch, Green, Flenniken, Michael McMillan,

, and Spiegelman (whose three-page strip, "Maus," was the inspiration for '' Maus'') * ''Jiz'' (1969) — anthology featuring R. Crumb, Lynch, Spain, Hayes, S. Clay Wilson, and

* ''King Bee'' (1969) — tabloid anthology mostly by S. Clay Wilson with contributions from several other ''Zap Comix'' crew members — Crumb, Moscoso, and

— as well as Jeremy Marks and

Peter Max Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a German-American artist known for using bright colors in his work. Works by Max are associated with the visual arts and culture of the 1960s, particularly psychedelic art and pop art. ...

* ''Left-Field Funnies'' (1972) — anthology featuring cartoonists associated with the

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 ...

collective, including Bobby London, Gary King, and

Willy Murphy William "Willy" MurphyMurphy entry
''Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999''. Acc ...

* ''The Life and Loves of Cleopatra'' (Nov. 1969) — reprint of a self-published

Harry Driggs Harry Driggs (November 3, 1935 — July 14, 2007) was an American artist, graphic designer, political activist, and underground cartoonist. Much of his comix work was published under the name R. Diggs. Driggs was a longtime resident of San Franci ...

comic originally released in 1967 * ''Terminal Comics'' (1971) — Michael McMillan

References

Notes

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Donahue, Don 1942 births 2010 deaths Comic book publishers (people) Deaths from cancer in California