Snappy Sammy Smoot is an American

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, ...

character created by

Skip Williamson Mervyn "Skip" Williamson (August 19, 1944 – March 16, 2017) was an American underground cartoonist and central figure in the underground comix movement. Williamson's art was published in the '' National Lampoon'', ''High Times'', ''the Reali ...

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

. A counterculture Candide who never loses his innocence, Snappy Sammy Smoot appeared in his own strips in a number of comix titles, most notably ''

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 ...

'', ''

Comix Book ''Comix Book'' is an underground comic book series published from 1974 to 1976, originally by Marvel Comics. It was the first comic of this type to be published by a mainstream publisher. Edited by Denis Kitchen, ''Comix Book'' featured work by s ...

'', and ''

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 movement), lowbrow art. The first two issues (198 ...

''. Cultural critic David Manning White wrote about the strip, "But what is . . . interesting about 'Snappy Sammy Smoot' is that it manages to be politically radical at the same time it is satirical and funny", and that it is "one of more highly stylized in the field".

Publication history

Snappy Sammy Smoot first appeared in ''

'' #1 (Summer 1968), and was featured in almost every issue of the title until 1972. After a short hiatus, he was featured in the first two issues of ''

'', the short-lived attempt by

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 ...

to get into the underground publishing movement. In Jan. 1979,

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 ...

collected all the Snappy Sammy Smoot stories published at that point in a 36-page self-titled one-shot. The character's adventures were again collected in 1988 as part of the Skip Williamson collection ''The Scum Also Rises: An Anthology of Comic Art'', published by

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 founde ...

. They were reprinted again in ''Smoot'' #1, self-published by Williamson in 1995. Snappy Sammy Smoot reappeared in 1989 in the annual anthology ''

'', published by Kitchen Sink; and was featured in most later issues through issue #7 (1992). The character's last major appearance was in the Fantagraphics anthology '' Zero Zero'' #9, published in 1996.

Adaptation

The character was brought to life in the 1960s by the actor

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

on the TV show ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

''.Fox, M. Steven
"Snappy Sammy Snoot"
ComixJoint. Accessed Oct. 21, 2016.

List of appearances (selected)

* "Snappy Sammy Smoot isits His Alma Mater, ''

'' #1 (Bijou Publishing Empire, Summer 1968) * "Snappy Sammy's Handy Hints No. 1", ''Bijou Funnies'' #1 (Bijou Publishing Empire, Summer 1968) * "Snappy Sammy Smoot Visits the Intergalactic World Brain", ''Bijou Funnies'' #2 (Print Mint, Sept. 1969) * "Snappy Sammy Smoot Gets Assassinated", ''Bijou Funnies'' #3 (Print Mint, Oct. 1969) * "Sammy Gets Fat", ''Bijou Funnies'' #4 (Print Mint, May 1970) * "Why goodness me!... If it isn't Tiajuana Jack, my old friend!", ''Bijou Funnies'' #5 (Kitchen Sink Press, Dec. 1970) * "The Voice of Doom", ''Bijou Funnies'' #5 (Kitchen Sink Press, Dec. 1970) — features Ragtime Billy (Snappy Sammy Smoot's Best Friend) * "Snappy Sammy Smoot Joins the Jesus Revolution", ''Bijou Funnies'' #7 (Kitchen Sink Press, Nov. 1972) * ''Teen-Age Trash'' #1 (Adam's Apple Distributing Co., July 1972) * "Ol' Sam has a Revelation", ''

'' #1 (

, Oct. 1974) * "Super Sammy Smoot Battles to the Death with the Irrational Shithead", ''Comix Book'' #1 (Marvel Comics, Oct. 1974) * "Sammy Encounters the Black Mafia", ''Comix Book'' #2 (Marvel Comics, Jan. 1975) * "Aw Heck!", ''Comix Book'' #2 (Marvel Comics, Jan. 1975) * "Musical Fruit", ''Apple Pie'' #1 (Histronic Publications, 1975) — cameo appearance * "Gripped by wanderlust I seek the thrill of the open road!", ''

High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade.Danko, Danny"Norml Founder Retires – Exha ...

'' #39 (Trans-High Corporation, Nov. 1978) * ""Smoot! All things considered, modern humanity doesn't amount to a fart in the wind!" ''Prime Cuts'' #2 ( Fantagraphics Books, Mar. 1987) * "Snappy Sammy Smoot — Death Merchant", ''

'' #4 (Kitchen Sink Press, Summer 1989) * "Ah, the vicissitudes of fate. Gunfire, so common in the far-flung hotspots of the world, can cause vexing change..." ''Blab'' #5 (Kitchen Sink Press, Summer 1990) * "Snappy Sammy Smoot Speculates", ''Blab'' #5 (Kitchen Sink Press, Summer 1990) * "Travail, Misery, Disillusionment and Pending Oblivion With Snappy Sammy Smoot", ''Blab!'' #6 (Kitchen Sink Press, Summer 1991) * "Psychobabylon", ''Blab''! #7 (Kitchen Sink Press, Winter 1992) * "The Cocktail Party", '' Zero Zero'' #9 (Fantagraphics, May–June 1996)

References

Notes

Sources

* Green, Grass. "The Strange World of Snappy Sammy Smoot: An Interview with Skip Williamson", ''

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 ...

'' #104 (Jan. 1986)

External links

*
Snappy Sammy Smoot
at the Bronze Age of Blogs {{Underground comix works American comics characters 1968 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1968 1996 comics endings Underground comix Satirical comics Black comedy comics Comics set in the 1960s Comics set in the 1970s Comics set in the 1980s Comics set in the 1990s Comics set in the United States Fictional American people Male characters in comics