Dirty Pictures

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This narrative history delves into the Underground Comix movement of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, which transformed the comic landscape. Author Brian Doherty explores the outlaw world of Underground Comix, produced in lofts on outdated machinery and disseminated through handbound zines and underground newspapers. These comix, deliberately spelled to differentiate from mainstream superhero comics, tackled themes of illicit sex, drug use, and a countercultural critique of American society, resonating with hippies, artists, and future creatives. Doherty weaves together the stories of notable figures like Harvey Kurtzman, R. Crumb, Trina Robbins, Spain Rodriguez, and Art Spiegelman, providing a comprehensive account of local scenes in cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Chicago. The narrative covers their origins, successes—including Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning *Maus* and Robbins’s *Wimmen’s Comix*—as well as personal tragedies like S. Clay Wilson’s alcohol-related decline and Crumb’s struggles with success and controversial imagery. This essential exploration highlights the legacy of these creators and the impact of Underground Comix on perceptions of war, race, sex, gender, and artistic expression, marking a significant chapter in American art history.