Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Incomplet Design History

The Grateful Dead occupy a singular place in American music and visual culture, achieving lasting success despite minimal radio play and a radically unconventional approach to performance, distribution, and branding. Founded in California in 1965, the band cultivated its audience through live, improvisational performances in which no two shows were ever the same. This emphasis on experience over reproducibility fostered a devoted fan base, known as Deadheads, and encouraged practices such as concert taping, tape trading, and fan-led circulation that have been described as an early form of viral marketing. Equally distinctive was the Grateful Dead’s approach to visual identity. Rather than relying on a single logo or cohesive corporate identity system, the band embraced a fluid system of symbols that evolved through collaboration with artists, designers, engineers, and fans. The Grateful Dead’s iconography was a decentralized and countercultural model of visual identity, focusing on key symbols such as the “Steal Your Face” (Stealie) skull and lightning bolt, the Skull and Roses (Bertha), the Dancing Bears, and the Terrapins. Created by figures including Owsley “Bear” Stanley, Bob Thomas, Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, and Rick Griffin, these icons emerged from practical needs, psychedelic aesthetics, historical references, and fan participation rather than a top-down branding strategy. Permissive attitudes toward taping and unsanctioned merchandise helped expand the band’s visual language through fan creativity on Shakedown Street and beyond. Together, these practices reveal how the Grateful Dead built a powerful and enduring visual identity rooted in collaboration, adaptability, and community. All of which challenge conventional assumptions about branding, authorship, and control in graphic design history.

1938 - Bob Thomas is born

1940 - Phil Lesh is born, Stanley “Mouse” Miller is born, Alton Kelley is born

1942 - Jerry Garcia is born

1945 - Ron "Pigpen" McKernan is born

1946 - Bill Kreutzmann is born

1947 - Bob Weir is born

1965 - The Grateful Dead band formed in Palo Alto, California

1966 - September, Grateful Dead perform at Avalon Ballroom, Kelley and Mouse designed poster

1969 - Steal Your Face or Stealie logo developed by Owsley Stanley & Bob Thomas, Live Dead album released.

1971 - Grateful Dead Live double LP released with Skull & Roses cover by Kelley & Mouse

1973 - Ron "Pigpen" McKernan dies, History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice) album released

1976 - the Steal Your Face Album was released

1985 - Rick Griffin creates minuteman logo for 20th anniversary tour

1993 - Bob Thomas dies

1995 - Jerry Garcia dies, the Band breaks up

2008 - Alton Kelley dies

2024 - Phil Lesh dies

2026 - Bob Weir dies

Barnes, B. (2014). Everything I Know about Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead: The Ten Most Innovative Lessons from a Long, Strange Trip.

Benson, M. (2016). Why the Grateful Dead Matter (1st ed.). ForeEdge,  an imprint of University Press of New England.

Browne, D. (2024, October 30). See the Original Art That Inspired the Grateful Dead’s Classic Logo. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/grateful-dead-original-art-logo-1316160/

Bryant, M. (2015). Sullivan, Edmund Joseph (1869–1933), illustrator and cartoonist. In Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.

Cushway, P. (2012). Art of the Dead. National Geographic Books.

Edgers, G. (2015, May 22). Meet the artist who invented the Grateful Dead’skull and roses logo: Stanley “Mouse” Miller talks Dead, monsters on hot rods and dung-eating beetles on Journey albums. The Washington Post (Online).

Fabulous, M. (2025, January 30). Grateful Dead Art: The Stories and Inspiration Behind the Icons we Love. Meghan Fabulous. https://www.meghanfabulous.com/blogs/the-daily-fab/grateful-dead-art-the-stories-and-inspiration-behind-the-icons-we-love?srsltid=AfmBOopyfVHYjIyIqIu0BEPWGHw6gHDeFEmNIDLxN5qGrFJ5lfb376j4

Fricke, D. (2011, Apr 14). The Grateful Dead remember LSD guru Owsley Stanley. Rolling Stone, 26. 

Grushkin, P. (1987). The Art of Rock: Posters from Presley to Punk.

Jackson, B., McNally, D., Peters, S., & Wills, C. (2003). Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip. DK Publishing

Kapoor, M. (n.d.). Why Edward FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam is One of the Most Controversial Translations Ever | Sahapedia. Sahapedia. https://www.sahapedia.org/why-edward-fitzgeralds-rubaiyat-omar-khayyam-one-most-controversial-translations-ever#:~:text=While%20there%20have%20been%20many,never%20wrote%20to%20the%20Rub%C3%A1iy%C3%A1t.

McNally, D. (2002). A long strange trip: inside the history of The Grateful Dead. Broadway Books.

OBITUARIES: Owsley "Bear" Stanley. (2011, 05). Goldmine, 37, 93. 

Patton, A. (2023, February 17). A guide to Grateful Dead Iconography. American Songwriter. https://americansongwriter.com/a-guide-to-grateful-dead-iconography/

Richardson, P. (2015). No Simple Highway: A Cultural History of the Grateful Dead. Macmillan.

Scott, D. M., & Halligan, B. (2010). Marketing lessons from the Grateful Dead : what every business can learn from the most iconic band in history (1st edition). Wiley.

Skull and Roses/Grateful Dead, Oxford Circle, Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco | Denver Art Museum. (n.d.). https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/edu/object/skull-and-rosesgrateful-dead-oxford-circle-avalon-ballroom-san-francisco

Stanley, O. (n.d.). Grateful Dead Logo. The Bear. http://www.thebear.org/GDLogo.html

Throughout history, LGBTQ+ communities have used a wide range of icons, colors, badges, and symbols to communicate identity, resistance, and belonging, often under conditions of surveillance, persecution, and criminalization. Queer symbols as both coded language and visible markers, shifted in meaning as social conditions changed. Oscar Wilde used subtle visual cues like the Green Carnation of the Victorian Aesthetic Movement to signal queer identity in an era when homosexual acts were criminalized in Britain and beyond. The Pink Triangle, a symbol imposed by the Nazi regime to mark gay men as “other.” While it began as a tool of oppression, the Pink Triangle was later reclaimed as a sign of resilience, survival, and protest. The color lavender was an early twentieth-century coded reference, though it was weaponized during the McCarthy-era Lavender Scare before being reclaimed by lesbian activists such as the Radicalesbians and the Lavender Menace. Additional symbols, including the Lavender Rhinoceros and the Lambda, demonstrate how queer communities have repeatedly transformed stigma into empowerment through visual culture. The Pride Flag, arguably the most iconic queer symbol today, was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978, and it has adapted and changed over the years to better reflect the diversity of LGBTQ+ identities. Together, these histories reveal how queer symbols function as tools of survival, protest, and self-definition, illustrating that visual identity within LGBTQ+ culture is neither fixed nor singular, but continually reshaped through struggle, reclamation, and collective action.

1871 - Criminal codes enacted in Germany defined homosexual acts between men as a criminal offense.

1885 - Gross indecency laws were enacted in the UK to prosecute sexual acts between men

1892 - Oscar Wilde wears a green carnation as a coded symbol of sexuality

1894 - The Green Carnation is published

1895 - Oscar Wilde is convicted of Gross Indecency 

1938 -  Nazis force gay men to wear a pink triangle in concentration camps

1950s-1960s - Lavender Scare

1952 - Alan Turing  is convicted of Gross Indecency 

1969 -  June 28, the Stonewall riots were LGBTQ demonstrations in response to a police raid at the Stonewall in.

1969 -  Author and activist Betty Friedan warns of the Lavender Menace (Lesbians)

1970 - on the 1st anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the first Pride Parades take place.

1970 - Tom Doerr  introduced the lambda as a symbol for the Gay Activists Alliance

1974 - The Lavender Rhinoceros is introduced in Boston, Massachusetts, as a symbol of visibility for the LGBTQ community

1978 - Gilbert Baker designs the rainbow flag, 8 colors

1979 - The Rainbow flag is reintroduced with 6 colors

1986 - The Silence Equals Death Collective adopts an inverted version of the pink triangle for their  message

1987 - National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights poster uses pink triangle

1987- Gross Indecency laws were repealed in Canada

1988 - The National Coming Out Day logo is very geometric and includes multiple references to Lavender triangles  and at least one pink triangle

1994 -  Mile-long Pride flag, created by Gilbert Baker, is carried down 5th avenue in Manhattan

1999 - Transgender flag introduced

2003 - The gross indecency provisions were repealed in UK

2005 - Black and pink organization in Massachusetts adopts a variation of the pink triangle for its logo

2021 - Progress Pride flag introduced

Campbell, A. (2019). Queer X design : 50 years of signs, symbols, banners, logos, and graphic art of LGBTQ (First edition.). Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers.

Cole, S. (2000). Invisible Men?. In ‘Don We Now Our Gay Apparel’: Gay Men’s Dress in the Twentieth Century (pp. 59–70). Oxford: Berg. Retrieved October 1, 2025, from http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/9781847888679/DWNOGA0008

Gray, A. (2019, June 3). How a lavender rhino became a symbol of gay resistance in ’70s Boston | WBUR News. WBUR.org. https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/06/03/lavender-rhino-gay-resistance-boston

Hastings, C. (2020, June 4). _How lavender became a symbol of LGBTQ resistanc_e. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/lgbtq-lavender-symbolism-pride

Jewish Badge: During the Nazi era | Holocaust Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Holocaust Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/jewish-badge-during-the-nazi-era

Mark, J. J., & Sailko. (2025). LGBTQ+ in the ancient world. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1790/lgbtq-in-the-ancient-world/

Matthews David, A. (2018). Tainted Love: Oscar Wilde’s Toxic Green Carnation, Queerness, and Chromophobia. In J. Faiers & M.W. Bulgarella (Ed.). Colors in Fashion (pp. 127–142). London: Bloomsbury Academic. Retrieved October 1, 2025, from http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781474273701.ch-012

McMillan, K. (n.d.). Violet delights: A queer history of purple. V&A Dundee. https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/violet-delights-a-queer-history-of-purple?srsltid=AfmBOoq3ibyH5gRqwjaw0Azk0G2-e9BEV2q1EkbRYHth9Cay-_Cnpyg8

Meyers, J. (2019). 'Green Carnation'. TLS. Times Literary Supplement, (6080), 6.

Mordden, E. (1991, October 21). Rock and Cole. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1991/10/28/rock-and-cole

Mullen, M. (2025, May 28). The Pink Triangle: From Nazi label to symbol of gay Pride | HISTORY. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/articles/pink-triangle-nazi-concentration-camps

Newsome, W. (2019). Pink Triangle. In Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History (pp. 1238–1243).

Stewart, J. (2008). Pink is for Boys. Step Inside Design, 24(1), 28-31,12.

The New York Public Library. (n.d.). Radicalesbians. NYPL, 1969: The Year of Gay Liberation. http://web-static.nypl.org/exhibitions/1969/radicalesbians.html

Online exhibition - Gilbert Baker — GLBT Historical Society. (n.d.). GLBT Historical Society. https://www.glbthistory.org/gilbert-baker

Graphic design is not merely decorative but operates as a powerful form of cultural and linguistic activism in the fight against language extinction. The relationship between design and language is not new. Dating back to the earliest forms of writing, it is an exercise in taking a spoken language and giving it a physical shape, whether it’s inscribing on soft clay tablets, or writing on papyrus or printing on paper. Languages must be visible, used, and emotionally valued to survive, and graphic design provides the tools to make that possible. Through tools such as typography and infographics, designers can ensure visibility, foster pride, and transform endangered languages into living, public, and emotionally resonant systems. Design is an active force of resistance, revitalization, and cultural survival in the realm of language preservation.

Busby, J. (2024, September 11). Reclaiming a Language: Contextualizing John Eliot’s Genesis. King's Collection. https://blogs.kcl.ac.uk/kingscollections/2024/09/11/reclaiming-a-language-contextualizing-john-eliots-genesis

Daniels, B., & Andrea, S. (2022). Indigenous Language Revitalization and Applied Linguistics: Conceptualizing an Ethical Space of Engagement Between Academic Fields. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 25, 1-18. 25. 1-18. 

Fishman, J. A. (Ed.). (2001). Can Threatened Languages be Saved? Channel View Publications. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853597060

Janse, M., & Tol, S. (Eds.). (2003). Language Death and Language Maintenance: Theoretical, Practical and Descriptive Approaches. John Benjamins Publishing Company. 

McIvor, O. (2020). Indigenous Language Revitalization and Applied Linguistics: Parallel Histories, Shared Futures? Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, (40), 78-96. Cambridge University Press. 

Office of the Attorney General of Oklahoma. (2025, October 30). Drummond to dismiss Native American hunting case. oklahoma.gov. https://oklahoma.gov/oag/news/newsroom/2025/october/drummond-to-dismiss-native-american-hunting-case.html

Ọladeji, T. M., Adelana, O. P., & Atolagbe, O. D. (2023). Language preservation: The role of infographics. Journal Of ICT In Education, 10(2), 74-97. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376893524_Language_preservation_The_role_of_infographics

Olko, J., & Sallabank, J. (Eds.). (2021). Revitalizing Endangered Languages: A Practical Guide. Cambridge University Press. https://doi-org.libproxy.uco.edu/10.1017/9781108641142

Skillern, C. (n.d.). TulseyType. https://www.tulseytype.com

Tapp, N. (1989). The Impact of Missionary Christianity Upon Marginalized Ethnic Minorities: The Case of the Hmong. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 20(1), 70-95. Cambridge University Press. 

UNESCO. (2024, April 19). Digital preservation of Indigenous languages: At the intersection of technology and culture. UNESCO. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/digital-preservation-indigenous-languages-intersection-technology-and-culture

Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization. (2016, July 5). Amazigh: Morocco Upholds Ban of Traditional Names. unpo.org. https://unpo.org/amazigh-morocco-upholds-ban-of-traditional-names

Ṿardi, ʻA. (Ed.). (2016). New Types: Three Pioneers of Hebrew Graphic Design. Israel Museum.

Wang, I., & Tedx Talks. (2016). Designing for endangered languages | Irina Wang | TEDxUniversityofBristol [Youtube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvS5B-xMp1Y

Medical design and illustration is a relatively new field, but medical practices and documentation have roots in ancient civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Greece, and Rome. Texts like the Edwin Smith Papyrus (1600 BCE) and the Sushruta Samhita (600 BCE) show early practices in medical documentation, observation, and treatment. Though religious restrictions on human dissections would greatly limit medical advancements, eventual implementation would lead polymaths like Leonardo Da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius to contribute to the implementation of illustrations in medical texts. Rapid medical advancements in the 19th century would create a drastic shift in the approach, and demand of medical illustrations. This need led to the establishment of the field by German Illustrator Max Brödel, whose Carbon Dust technique and training program at Johns Hopkins established lasting principles of accuracy, clarity, and collaboration between physicians and illustrators. His influence extended through WWI and WWII, and to illustrators like Eleanora Fry, who helped define the visual identity of institutions such as the Mayo Clinic. Medical design would also find its place in public health communication, from medieval plague tractates to emotionally driven wartime posters, and large-scale public health campaigns from the Works Progress Administration. These visual strategies laid the groundwork for modern health communication, now seen in digital media, infographics, and global awareness campaigns.

10,000 – 4500 BCE – Early evidence of medical practices like trepanation
1600 BCE – Edwin Smith Papyrus was created,  documenting 48 injuries
600 BCE – Sushruta Samhita in India details surgical techniques and human dissection practices
4th Century  – Miasma theory arises, suggesting diseases come from “bad air”
13th Century – Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire permits physicians to perform one human dissection every five years
1348 – James of Agramont creates plague tractates intended for the general public
1440 – Gutenberg invents the printing press, enabling mass production of books and illustrations
1481 – Marsilio Ficino publishes Advice Against the Plague
15th – 16th century – Leonardo da Vinci produces detailed anatomical illustrations
1542 – Andreas Vesalius publishes De Humani Corporis Fabrica, a detailed, illustrated anatomical text
19th Century – Germ theory revolutionizes public health; bacteria and pathogens identified as primary causes of disease
1870 – Max Brödel born in Leipzig, Germany
1885 – Brödel enrolls at Leipzig Academy of Fine Arts at age 15
1888 – Illustrates a detailed anatomical cross-section for physiologist Carl Ludwig at the University of Leipzig
1891 – begins freelance work for Dr. Howard Kelly at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
1894 – Develops the Carbon Dust technique for realistic medical illustration
1911 – Medical illustration formally recognized as an academic discipline
1912–1920s – Eleanora Fry joins Mayo Clinic, producing highly detailed medical illustrations.
1914–1918 (WWI) – Medical illustrators document battlefield injuries, standardizing treatments and surgical techniques.
1930s–1940s – WPA commissions posters for public health campaigns in the U.S.
1939–1945 (WWII) – Public health and military posters illustrate hygiene, disease prevention, and venereal disease awareness
Late 20th Century – Medical illustration incorporates 3D modeling, digital rendering, and animations
21st Century – Public health campaigns utilize digital media for awareness.

Archaeology. (2025, January 9). Tomb of Pharaoh’s physician explored in Saqqara. Archaeology Magazine. https://archaeology.org/news/2025/01/09/tomb-of-pharaohs-physician-explored-in-saqqara

Association of Medical Illustrators. (2025). A brief history of medical illustration. AMI. https://www.ami.org/medical-illustration/learn-about-medical-illustration

Backus, G. (2023, October 5). Changes in medicine during the 19th century. American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/changes-medicine-during-19th-century

Bergstrom, T. (2020, April 27). Marsilio Ficino’s consiglio contro la pestilentia. RBSC. https://sites.nd.edu/rbsc/marsilio-ficinos-consiglio-contro-la-pestilentia/#:~:text=Following%20the%20last%20of%20these,)%2C%20we%20might%20best%20avoid

Bhattacharya, A. (2022, October 7). Sushruta—the very first anatomist of the world. Indian Journal of Surgery, 84, 901-904. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-022-03578-y

Brenna, C. T. A. (2021). Post-mortem pedagogy: A brief history of the practice of anatomical dissection. Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, 12(1). https://www.rmmj.org.il/issues/48/articles/1152

Brown University. (2010). Religious interpretations of the causes of the plague. The Decameron Web. https://webhelper.brown.edu/decameron/plague/causes/religious.php

Dalton, K. (2020, June 29). Germ theory from antiquity to the antebellum period. N_ational Museum of Civil War Medicine_. https://www.civilwarmed.org/germ-theory-antebellum/#:~:text=A%20major%20advancement%20came%20in,now-famous%20Broad%20Street%20Pump.

Dray, D. (2023) Women in medical art. Surgeons' Hall Museums. https://surgeonshallmuseums.wordpress.com/2023/03/08/women-in-medical-art/#:~:text=During%20the%20war%2C%20thousands%20of,knowledge%20as%20widely%20as%20possible.

Gandhi, M. A., & Patil, B. K. (2024). Sushruta: the father of surgery and ancient medical innovations. Cureus, 16(9). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11527508

Gase, J. (2020, February 6). The battle against germs: World war II public health posters. The National Museum of Health and Medicine. https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/micrograph/index.cfm/posts/2020/the_battle_against_germs#:~:text=Due%20to%20these%20conditions%2C%20with,in%20producing%20public%20health%20posters

Green, J. (2021, March 18). Revisiting the miasma theory. The Dirt. https://dirt.asla.org/2021/03/18/the-miasma-theory-was-wrong-but-led-to-smart-sanitation/

Gross, C. G. (2021, June 11). A hole in the head: A history of trepanation. The MIT Press Reader. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/hole-in-the-head-trepanation/

Hoe, R. (1902). A short history of the printing press. Project Gutenberg.

Immerse. (2025). What does illustration mean? Immerse Education. https://www.immerse.education/beyond-syllabus/art-and-design/what-does-illustration-mean

Johns Hopkins University. (2011, July 18). A century of medical illustration. The JHU Gazette. https://gazette.jhu.edu/2011/07/18/a-century-of-medical-illustration

Jones, R. (2012). Leonardo da Vinci: anatomist. British Journal of General Practice, 62(599). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3361109

Kannadan, A. (2018). History of the miasma theory of disease. ESSAI, 16(18). https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol16/iss1/18

Kumar, A., & Kumar, B. N. (2020, January 31). The principles of surgical practice: Sushruta Samhita and its importance to present day surgery. Journal of Surgery 6(2). https://sciforschenonline.org/journals/surgery-open-access/article-data/JSOA207/JSOA207.pdf

Magee, P. (2021, February 1). Plague era woodcuts shed light on shared beliefs in action. Fugitive Leaves. https://histmed.collegeofphysicians.org/plague-woodcuts/

For the full list of references, contact hello@idh.fm

Matchbooks and matchboxes became influential artifacts in design and visual culture, beginning with early fire-starting tools in sixth-century China, all the way through the development of matches from simply functional to globally standardized packaging shaped by technological innovation. The Swedish safety match and the sliding-drawer box established the foundations of modern match design, while improvements in printing turned matchboxes into miniature canvases for illustration, typography, and branding. By the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, matchbooks evolved into pocket-sized billboards, showcasing advertisements for hotels, airlines, restaurants, and more. Their designs reflected broader movements like Art Deco and Modernism, capturing cultural identities across countries, from Soviet propaganda to Indian folk imagery and American corporate aesthetics. Although their popularity declined in the mid-twentieth century with the rise of lighters and anti-smoking campaigns, matchbooks have re-emerged as nostalgic design objects. Matchbooks ultimately shifted from ephemera to collectible artifacts, drawing on critic Arthur Danto’s ideas about collecting, matchbooks gained meaning as personal and cultural artifacts, valued for the stories they hold about people, places, and design. Today, boutique hotels, artists, and designers revive matchbooks as historic symbolism. This study shows that matchbooks reveal how design lives in ordinary objects. They demonstrate the power of small-scale design to communicate history and culture in ways that continue to resonate long after their original purpose has faded.

1827 – The First Friction Matches

1830s–1850s – Industrial Production Begins

1870s – Branded Labels on Matchboxes

1892 – The Paper Matchbook is Patented

1890s–1910s – Rise of Advertising Matchbooks

1920s–1930s – Golden Age of Matchbook Advertising

1940s – Wartime Utility

1950s–1960s – Midcentury Modern & Pop Culture

1970s–1980s – Iconic Branding & Collectibility

1990s – Decline Begins

2000s–Present – Retro Appeal & Niche Design

Adler, B. (2014). The Matchbook: From flame to miniature billboard. Pennsylvania Center for the Book. https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/matchbook-flame-miniature-billboard

Beauchamp, M. (2006). Striking images: Vintage Matchbook Cover Art. Chronicle Books.

Biener, L., Nyman, A. L., Kline, R. L., & Albers, A. B. (2004). Adults only: The prevalence of tobacco promotions in bars and clubs in the Boston area. Tobacco Control, 13(4), 403. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.2004.007468

Creative spark: Vintage matchbook art in pictures. (2017, May 20). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2017/may/20/creative-spark-vintage-matchbook-art-in-pictures-aaron-kasmin-sims-reed

Danto, A. C. (1991). From matchbooks to masterpieces: Toward a philosophy of collecting. Aperture, 124, 2–3. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24472389

Greene, R. (n.d.). Matchless beauties: The art of pin-up matchbook covers. Yoe Books.

Heller, S. (2003). Boxes of light. Print, 57(1), 97–98. 

Heller, S., Fili, L., & Nadel, D. (2006). Stylepedia : a guide to graphic design mannerisms, quirks, and conceits. Chronicle Books.

Heron, K. (2009, October 21) A New Old Freebie: Restaurant Matches Return. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/dining/21match.html

Jones, B. (2004). Matchbox cover design: The evolution of and the influences on the graphical design of matchboxes [PDF].

Kosinski, J. (2017). Antiques Peek: October 2017. Journal of Antiques and Collectibles. https://journalofantiques.com/columns/antiques-peek-october-2017/

Lee, A. G. (2024). We’re in a matchbook renaissance; As a younger generation takes up match collecting, matchbooks are taking on a new life as a design motif and an emblem of worldliness. The Wallstreet Journal. https://www.wsj.com/style/fashion/matches-matchbooks-collectors-tiktok-prints-kate-spade-110d6b07?eafs_enabled=false

Lewis, J. (1962). Printed ephemera; the changing uses of type and letterforms in English and American printing. W.S. Cowell; distributed by Faber and Faber, London.

Novin, G. (2012). Chapter 51: A history of matchboxes. A History of Graphic Design. https://guity-novin.blogspot.com/2012/02/chapter-51-history-of-matchboxes.html

Oatman-Stanford, H. (2014, October 24). Circling the globe with the mid-20th century’s most brilliant matchbox art. Collectors Weekly. https://medium.com/hunter-oatman-stanford/circling-the-globe-with-the-mid-20th-centurys-most-brilliant-matchbox-art-d3a82c14ee03

Promotions tied in with matchbooks. (1954). Women’s Wear Daily, 88(67), 3. 

Saeed, Y. (n.d.). Lives in a Matchbox: Gautam Hemmady's Collection of Matchbox Labels [Online exhibit]. Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/lives-in-a-matchbox-tasveer-ghar/nAUxYaf8n-hyWw?hl=en

Tres Bohemes. (2015, September 14). Czech matchbox graphics. Tres Bohemes.

Wagner Match. (2019, December 17). Phillumeny: Interesting facts about matchbox collecting. Wagner Match.

Woodcock, V. (2021). Lucky strikes: The art of the matchbox. FT.com. https://www.ft.com/content/92a45a71-c811-4dda-af85-f371b8dce667

The Hobo Code was a shared visual language used by itinerant workers, okies, bohemians, and some famous blues artists in America. In the late 1800s, people (usually men) hopped onto trains and headed into the American West looking for work wherever they could find it. These people, called hobos, developed and used a system of pictograms to leave notes for other hobos passing through. Whether it was to signal that water and food was available in an area, or to alert Hobos of police enforcement, this shared language strengthened a marginalized community. Not all hobos were men. The documentation is sparse, but there are some records of women hopping trains. As some of them were fleeing situations of domestic violence, for them, the hobo code was a lifeline for finding sanctuary in unfamiliar towns and cities. As more people took to traveling the train lines looking for work, a worker’s union emerged along with a publication and what were known as hobo colleges. During and after WWII, there were far fewer itinerant workers and the need for the hobo code declined, but it didn’t go away. It evolved into some of the train graffiti we see today.

1865 - Civil War ends and discharged soldiers are looking for work becoming the original itinerant laborers.
1869 - Transcontinental Railroad is completed by immigrant laborers which creates a source of transportation for transient workers (hobos and tramps).
1873 - The Panic of 1873 forces large amounts of stable workers onto the road in search of new jobs.
1880s - “Hobo” becomes a formal group to distinguish themselves from tramps.
1890 - The Hobo Code begins to spread across different parts of the west.
1900s - The term Hobohemia becomes a part of white hobo culture
1905 - Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) founded.
1909 - The Little Red Songbook was published by the IWW in Spokane Washington.
1910-1920 - New Immigration (European immigrants join migratory labor and add to hobo population).
1920s - African American hobos and itinerant works express hardship through music which leads to the start of the blues.
1929 - Stock market crashes leading to the Great Depression (Hobohemia Golden Age)
1930s - Dust Bowl storms displace midwest families and lead to more migration to the west.
1940s - World War II begins, allowing workers to find stable war industrial jobs marking the end of the hobohemian era.

Allsop, K. (1967). Hard travellin’; the hobo and his history. New American Library.

Clayton, O. (2023). Vagabonds, Tramps, and Hobos. In Vagabonds, Tramps, and Hobos: The Literature and Culture of U.S. Transiency 1890–1940 (pp. i–i). half-title-page, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dreyfuss, H. (1972). Symbol sourcebook : an authoritative guide to international graphic symbols (First edition.). McGraw-Hill.

Dyl, J. (2014). Transience, Labor, and Nature: Itinerant Workers in the American West. International Labor and Working Class History, 85(85), 97–117.

Hall, J. (2010). Sisters of the Road?: The Construction of Female Hobo Identity in the Autobiographies of Ethel Lynn, Barbara Starke, and “Box-Car” Bertha Thompson. Women’s Studies, 39(3), 215–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/00497871003595828

Hobo Communications: A Brief History of Hobos and Their Signs. (2021, August 4). National Security Agency/Central Security Service. https://www.nsa.gov/History/National-Cryptologic-Museum/Exhibits-Artifacts/Exhibit-View/Article/2718897/hobo-communications-a-brief-history-of-hobos-and-their-signs/

https://www.folkschool.org/author/cory. (2017, January 13). What’s a Hobo Nickel? JCCFS. https://www.folkschool.org/2017/01/13/whats-hobo-nickel/

NPR. (2016, June 11). Anthropologist Discovers 100-Year-Old Graffiti By “America’s Most Famous Hobo.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2016/06/11/481695146/anthropologist-discovers-100-year-old-graffiti-by-americas-most-famous-hobo

Liungman, C. G. (1991). Dictionary of symbols. ABC-CLIO.

Joffe-Block, J. (2025, November 8). Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/11/08/nx-s1-5585691/ice-facial-recognition-immigration-tracking-spyware

Volk, T. M. (2001). Little Red Songbooks: Songs for the labor force of America. Journal of Research in Music Education, 49(1), 33-48. https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/little-red-songbooks-songs-labor-force-america/docview/214489163/se-2

Wanderer, J. J. (2001). Hobo Signs: Embodied Metaphors and Metonymies. American Journal of Semiotics, 17(4), 131–146. https://doi.org/10.5840/ajs200117476

Elizabeth Friedlander (1903–1984) was a pioneering German-Jewish graphic designer, calligrapher, and typographer best known as the first woman to have a published typeface. Born in Berlin, she studied at the Berlin Academy under typographer Emil Rudolf Weiss, whose refined aesthetic shaped her early work. Friedlander began her career at Ullstein Publishing House, designing for Die Dame, a leading women’s magazine, before creating her groundbreaking “Elizabeth” typeface for the Bauer Type foundry. Denied work under Nazi rule in 1935, she fled Germany for Italy, where she designed book covers and illustrations for publishers like Mondadori. Still, the rise of fascism, again, endangered her life, prompting her escape to England in 1939. There, she was recruited to design for the British government’s wartime propaganda office, producing forged Nazi documents and counterpropaganda materials. After World War II, Elizabeth Friedlander's work continued to be a source of admiration and inspiration. She built a prolific freelance career, designing book covers, patterned papers, and calligraphic maps for Penguin Books, Thames & Hudson, and other major publishers. Her elegant borders and type designs were widely admired, and her calligraphic skill earned her commissions from institutions such as Sandhurst Military Academy. In the 1960s, Friedlander retired to Kinsale, Ireland, with her lifelong partner, Professor Alessandro Magri MacMahon, turning her creative focus to small crafts like leatherwork and maps. She continued designing for friends until her eyesight failed. Friedlander died in 1984, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and resilience.

1903 – Born in Berlin

1927 – Designed the Elizabeth typeface for Bauer Type Foundry

1928-1935 – Designed for Die Dame Magazine

1933 – Nazis rise to power

1933 – Italian Under-Secretary of State allows in refugees from allied Nazi Germany as long as they were politically inactive

1935 – Elizabeth’s permit to work as a designer is denied by the Nazi party and she is fired from her job at Die Dame magazine

1936 – Elizabeth flees Germany and settles in Milan

1936-1938 – Works for Mondadori publishing house

1937 – Paid 200 marks for her Elisabeth typeface

1938 – Italy passes racial laws. Elizabeth seeks to emigrate to the US

1939 – Elizabeth learns her visa application cannot be expedited. She obtains a Domestic Service permit for Britain.

1941 – Mynell hires Elizabeth for his advertising firm

1942 – Final attempt to emigrate to the US before settling in Britain. World War II begins.

1942 – Howe recruits Elizabeth to his black propaganda unit

1945 – WWII ends. Elizabeth chooses to become a naturalized British citizen

1946-1949 – Worked on “Britain in Pictures”

1948 – Begins working for Penguin Books, designing book covers and patterned papers. Designs the Flexocase.

1949 – Is finally paid for her Flexocase design

1951 – Chosen by the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, to inscribe the Roll of Honour for officers of the Armies of the Commonwealth who fell in WWII 

1951-1960 – Designed several of the covers for the “Penguin Classics” series

1961– Moved to Kinsale Ireland

1958 – Designs the “Freidlander Borders” for Monotype

1967-1972 – Becomes the official Sandhurst calligrapher 

1984 – Death and burial in Cork

Bauer Types. (n.d.). ELIZABETH FRIEDLANDER: THE FIRST WOMAN TO DESIGN A TYPEFACE. Bauer Types. https://bauertypes.com/elizabeth-friedlander-la-primera-mujer-que-diseno-tipografia

Ganeva, M. (2008). Women in Weimar Fashion: Discourses and Displays in German Culture, 1918-1933. Boydell & Brewer, Incorporated.

Kolesa, P. (2021, April 13). "ELIZABETH-ANTIQUA": A FILM ON ELIZABETH FRIEDLÄNDER [Video]. https://youtu.be/lY9FG9lcELY

Muraben, B. (2018, March 8). Elizabeth Friedlander: one of the first women to design a typeface. It's Nice That. Retrieved September 5, 2025, from https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/elizabethfriedlander-graphicdesign-internationalwomensday-080318

Paucker, P. (1998). New borders : the working life of Elizabeth Friedlander. Incline Press. https://doi.org/10.58066/j89j-mt96

The People's Graphic Design Arvchive. (2024, October 31). Penguin Books 25th Anniversary Designs by Elizabeth Friedlander. The People's Graphic Design Archive. https://peoplesgdarchive.org/item/15702/penguin-books-25th-anniversary-designs-by-elizabeth-friedlander

Rawsthorn, A. (n.d.). Story | Elizabeth Friedlander. Maharam. Retrieved September 5, 2025, from https://www.maharam.com/stories/rawsthorn\_elizabeth-friedlander

This episode examines the often-overlooked role of the mimeograph in the intertwined histories of print technology, graphic design, and social change. Emerging in the late nineteenth century through the innovations of Thomas Edison and Albert Blake Dick, the mimeograph offered an accessible, low-cost means of reproducing text and images—long before the advent of xerography or digital printing. Its simplicity and affordability placed the power of print into the hands of schools, churches, offices, and, crucially, grassroots organizations and independent creators. By the mid-twentieth century, mimeograph machines had become vital tools in the production of newsletters, pamphlets, and zines that fueled social movements and cultural revolutions. From the Civil Rights Movement’s underground newspapers to the literary explosion known as the Mimeo Revolution, the mimeograph democratized publishing and redefined the relationship between authorship, design, and distribution. Magazines such as The Floating Bear, Fuck You / A Magazine of the Arts, and The Yardbird Reader illustrate how writers and artists used the technology to challenge mainstream publishing, amplify marginalized voices, and experiment with form and content. Though ultimately replaced by photocopying and digital media, the mimeograph remains a critical link in the evolution of design and the politics of independent print culture.

1876 - Thomas Edison patents the electric pen and duplicating press

1881 - David Gestetner founds The Gestetner Cyclograph Company

1884 - Albert Blake Dick incorporates as a lumber business

1887 - The Edison Mimeograph Model 0 hits the market

1891 - Samuel O’Reilly patents the first electric tattoo machine

1898 - Neostyle Company introduces the first rotary mimeograph

1906 - Gestetner opens a manufacturing plant in London

1923 - Wilhelm Ritzerfeld invents the spirit duplicator

1929 - Gestetner hires Raymond Loewy to redesign the cyclostyle

1929-1930 - Yvor Winters publishes Gyroscope, the first mimeographed literary magazine

1942 - Chester Carlson patents xerography

1945 - WWII ends

1955 - US involvement in Viet Nam begins

1960 - The first xerox copier becomes commercially available

1961 - The Floating Bear #1 is published

1961 - Diane Di Prima and LeRoi Jones are arrested on obscenity charges

1962 - SDS Port Huron Statement is published

1962 - Ed Sanders publishes the first issue of Fuck You / a magazine of the arts

1969 - BSU at Oregon State publishes the first Scab Sheet

1971 - The Floating Bear publishes its final issue

1972 - Yardbird Reader v. 1 is published

1975 - Vietnam war ends

1976 - The final Yardbird Reader is published

1977 - Y-Bird v. 1 is published

1980 - Risograph duplicators are released in Japan

Alfred, R. (2008, August 8). Aug. 8, 1876: Run This Off on the Mimeo. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/2008/08/dayintech-0808-2/

Ashawnta_Jackson. (2024). Exploring the Yardbird Reader. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/exploring-the-yardbird-reader/

Clayman, A. (2025, January 9). A. B. Dick Company, est. 1884 - Made-in-Chicago Museum. Made-in-Chicago Museum. https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/ab-dick-company/

Digital Collection - service/instruction manuals – Mimeograph Revival. (2024, October 18). Mimeograph Revival. https://www.mimeographrevival.com/manuals/

Donley, K. (2014, November 22). stencil duplicator. MULTIMEDIAMAN. https://multimediaman.blog/tag/stencil-duplicator/

Edison’s electrical pen and duplicating press. (1871). Mimeograph Revival. https://www.mimeographrevival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Edison-Electrical-Pen-and-Duplicating-Press.1876-Expo.pdf

Einträge Archiv | Exploriso: Low-tech fine Art. (n.d.). Exploriso: Low-tech Fine Art. https://en.exploriso.info/exploriso/

Floating Bear Archive. (2006, October 3). Reality Studio. https://realitystudio.org/bibliographic-bunker/floating-bear-archive/

Gestetner Cyclostyle Office Duplication Machine Design by Raymond Loewy | Hagley. (n.d.). https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/gestetner-cyclostyle-office-duplication-machine-design-raymond-loewy

Hawley, H. (2006). Revaluing mimeographs as historical sources. RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage. https://rbm.acrl.org/index.php/rbm/article/viewFile/414/414

Helland, M. (2024, February 24). THE HISTORY OF THE MIMEOGRAPH — International Printing Museum. International Printing Museum. https://www.printmuseum.org/blog-3/history-of-the-mimeograph

Home | From a secret location. (2020, July 21). From a Secret Location. https://fromasecretlocation.com/

Independent Voices. (n.d.). JSTOR.org. https://www.jstor.org/site/reveal-digital/independent-voices/?so=item_title_str_asc&searchkey=1760415107268

Mimeograph machines. (n.d.). https://museumofprinting.org/blog/mimeograph-machines/

Our Own Devices. (2024, January 9). Gestetner Cyclostyle: the Original Office Copy Machine [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdBSYUbaAZg

Riordan, E. (2021, July 23). Spirit Duplicators: Early 20th century copier art, fanzines, and the Mimeograph Revolution – News & announcements. https://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/speccoll/2021/07/23/spirit-duplicators-early-20th-century-copier-art-fanzines-and-the-mimeograph-revolution/

Rubin, L. (2021, March 6). Women of the Mimeo Revolution: Diane DiPrima & Anne Waldman - Village Preservation. Village Preservation - Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. https://www.villagepreservation.org/2021/03/05/women-of-the-mimeo-revolution-diane-diprima-anne-waldman/

Smith, E. (2022, May 20). How Mimeographs Transformed Information Sharing in Schools. Technology Solutions That Drive Education. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2020/09/how-mimeographs-transformed-information-sharing-schools

The Mimeograph Revolution | verdant press. (n.d.). https://verdantpress.com/checklist/3110-2/

Waugh, K. (n.d.). The Mimeo Revolution. Poet’s House. https://digitalcollections.poetshouse.org/digital-collection/chapbook-collection/mimeo-revolution

Weber, G. (2021, May 3). How an obsolete copy machine started a revolution. Adventure. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/mimeo-mimeograph-revolution-literature-beat-poetry-activism

Yankelevich, M. (2020, February 3). “Power to the people’s mimeo machines!” or the politicization of small press aesthetics. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/featured-blogger/83551/power-to-the-peoples-mimeo-machines-or-the-politicization-of-small-press-aesthetics

Medieval heraldry, originally developed in 12th-century Europe, functioned as a complex system of visual identity. Initially created to distinguish individuals—particularly nobility—on the battlefield and in tournaments, heraldry evolved into a hereditary and legally significant tradition. These emblems, comprised of tinctures (colors), charges (symbols), and shield shapes, became early forerunners of modern branding and identity design. Although inspired by earlier forms such as seals and standards from antiquity, heraldry developed its own rules, vocabulary (blazon), and aesthetic logic, emphasizing contrast and clarity for distant visibility. Heraldic symbols adhered to strict conventions, such as the rule of tincture, and made extensive use of symbolic imagery—from lions and fleurs-de-lis to mythological creatures and geometric forms. Over time, the system expanded to include professionals, women, clergy, towns, and even fictional characters, thereby reinforcing the reach of heraldry across medieval culture. Scholars like Michel Pastoureau have recontextualized heraldry as a significant precursor to graphic and identity design, drawing parallels between medieval coats of arms and modern logos. Indeed, contemporary visual identities—such as university crests, sports team logos, and automotive emblems like Peugeot and Porsche—often draw directly from heraldic elements, both visually and symbolically. Heraldry’s enduring legacy highlights its importance not only as a historical artifact but as a foundational structure in the evolution of design, symbolism, and legal identity systems. Understanding heraldry thus offers critical insights into the roots of modern graphic communication.

Ancient Times (Pre-Medieval) - Seals Used Across Civilizations: Used in Ancient Greece, Rome, China, and Mesopotamia, etc. for legal and practical identity purposes.

1066 – Norman Conquest of England

1066 – Bayeux Tapestry: Shows lance flags with charges, a possible early example of European heraldry.

1100s - First appearance of heraldic systems, first used by noble combatants 

1180 - Women begin adopting arms, almond-shaped

1200s - Blazon Language Developed: Formalized system for describing coats of arms in writing.

1200 -  Members of the clergy adopting arms

1220 -  Patricians & Bourgeois adopting arms

1230 - Artisans begin adopting arms

1240 - Corporations begin adopting arms

1280s-1290s -  Towns begin adopting arms

13th & 14th centuries - Religious communities adopt arms

14th & 15th Centuries - Printed Heraldry Appears: Woodblock and engraving techniques introduced. Hatching methods used to represent tinctures in black-and-white printing.

1484 — The College of Arms was created in England

1696 - Armorial Général was created as a registry of arms for taxation in France

18th Century - Some scholars dismiss the study of heraldry as outdated or meaningless 

1722 - Alexander Nesbitt defends heraldry’s role in social identity.

1922 -  Porsche created its first logo using heraldic imagery 

Anonymous. (n.d.). The Manual of Heraldry; Fifth Edition : Being a Concise Description of the Several Terms Used, and Containing a Dictionary of Every Designation in the Science. Project Gutenberg.

Beerisyourfriend. (2013, March 13). Z is for zymurgical heraldry. BEER IS YOUR FRIEND.

https://beerisyourfriend.org/2013/05/26/z-is-for-zymurgical-heraldry/

Boutell, C., Fox-Davies, A. C., & Utting, R. B. (1914). The Handbook to English Heraldry. Project Gutenberg.

Carr-Gomm, S. (2005). The Hutchinson dictionary of symbols in art. Helicon.

Gallo, G. (2023, October 4). Trinacria: meaning and history of the Sicilian Triskele. Giuseppe Gallo - Designer, Architect, Researcher. https://www.giuseppegallo.design/design-and-communication/meaning-and-history-of-the-sicilian-triskele/

Heraldry. (2018). In P. Lagasse & Columbia University, The Columbia Encyclopedia (8th ed.). Columbia University Press. 

Jackson, A. (2025, April 26). Decoding Porsche logo History, Meaning, and Symbolism. Designhill. https://www.designhill.com/design-blog/decoding-porsche-logo/

Keen, M. (2003, 03). Heraldry and the medieval gentle woman. History Today, 53, 21-27. 

Pierce, R. K. (2025, January 6). University shield and seal | University Marketing & Communications. University Marketing & Communications. https://marcomm.washu.edu/university-shield-seal/

Pettengill, B. (2013, August 13). Logo design 101: The coat of arms, crest and shield. https://www.marketing-partners.com/conversations2/logo-design-101-the-coat-of-arms-crest-and-shield

Pastoureau, M. (1997). Discoveries: Heraldry. Harry N. Abrams.

Pastoureau, M. (2009). Black : the history of a color (English language edition.). Princeton University Press.

Pastoureau, M. (2014). Green : the history of a color. Princeton University Press.

Pastoureau, M. (2017). Red : the history of a color (J. Gladding, Tran.). Princeton University Press.

Pastoureau, M. (2018). Blue : the history of a color (M. Cruse, Tran.; First edition.). Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691251356

Pierce, R. K. (2025, January 6). University shield and seal | University Marketing & Communications. University Marketing & Communications. https://marcomm.washu.edu/university-shield-seal/

Sutherland, D. (2020). Arms and the Woman: the heraldry of women parliamentarians. In The Coat of Arms (pp. 61–90).
https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sutherland-paper.pdf

Thiry, S., & Duerloo, L. (2021). Heraldic Hierarchies : Identity, Status and State Intervention in Early Modern Heraldry. (1st ed.). Leuven University Press.

Woodcock, T., & Robinson, J. M. (1988). The Oxford guide to heraldry.

Cuban graphic design emerges as a vibrant and politically charged art form, reflecting the resilience and creativity of designers amidst challenging circumstances. Through a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of Cuban posters, this research illuminates the innovative techniques, visual languages, and ideological foundations that characterize the era’s influence on graphic design. The study not only sheds light on the intricate interplay of art, politics, and culture in Cuba but also highlights the far-reaching influence of Cuban designers on global visual communication. Art itself is profoundly influenced by politics and social events, serving as a mirror to societal changes and a medium for expressionism in all forms. The political climate and social movements shape the themes and messages conveyed in artworks, reflecting issues important at the time. Posters become tools for activism, challenging power structures and advocating for change. They capture the emotional and psychological impacts of social events, fostering empathy and awareness. Through this dynamic interplay, graphic design not only documents but also influences public perception and dialogue, highlighting its integral role in both reflecting and shaping the socio-political landscape. By unraveling the threads of history, politics, and creativity within Cuban graphic design, this paper offers valuable insights into impact it had on a worldwide scale. Additionally, this episode examines the transformative power of Cuban poster design in graphic communication, shaping societal narratives and challenging established norms through its messaging. Ultimately, this exploration of Cuban graphic design serves as a compelling case study, enriching our understanding of the intricate connections between design, society, and cultural evolution.

1902 - Carteles magazine founded; early example of poster design in Cuba, primarily focused on advertising.

1900s–1950s - Posters used for public communication due to low literacy rates; emphasis on commercial advertising.

1933 - Revolt of the Sergeants overthrows Cuban government; Fulgencio Batista appoints himself military commander and becomes de facto leader.

1940 - Batista is elected President of Cuba.

1944 - Batista completes term and moves to Florida.

1952 - Batista returns to Cuba, leads a military coup, cancels elections, and declares himself president/dictator.

1950s - Batista’s regime marked by corruption, censorship, and repression; Cuban society suffers from severe inequality.

1959 - Fidel Castro overthrows Batista, marking a dramatic political and cultural shift in Cuba.

1959 - Cuban graphic design shifts from commercial to social and political messaging—literacy, public health, and motivation campaigns.

1959 - ICAIC (Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos) founded by Saúl Yelin and Alfredo Guevara.

1960 - ICAIC opens its own screen-printing workshop, ushering in the “golden age” of Cuban poster design.

1963–1982 -  Antonio Reboiro works as a designer at ICAIC, opposing Socialist Realism and promoting creative freedom in revolutionary art.

1966 - OSPAAAL (Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa, and Latin America) founded after the Tricontinental Conference.

1969 & 1971 - René Mederos travels to Vietnam to document the war; creates vivid poster series from firsthand experience.

1960s–1970s -  OSPAAAL posters highlight international struggles, e.g., Lázaro Abreu’s “Solidarity with the African American People”; feature work by Emory Douglas of the Black Panther Party. Posters produced in multiple languages (Spanish, English, French, Arabic) and distributed via Tricontinental magazine. Posters focus on anti-imperialist solidarity, with themes supporting Vietnam, Black Americans, the Congo, and more.

1980s–2000s -  Political and technological changes mark the decline of the golden age of Cuban poster art.

Bardellotto, L., & De Mattio, P. (2016). Cinema in the Cuban graphics: posters from the Bardellotto Collection. Silvana.

Cant, A. (2012). “Land for those who work it”: a visual analysis of Agrarian reform posters in Velasco’s Peru. Journal of Latin American Studies, 44(1), 1–37.

Casals, M. (2020). Chilean! Is This How You Want to See Your Daughter? The Cuban Revolution and Representations of Gender and Family during Chile’s 1964 Anticommunist “Campaign of Terror.” Radical History Review, 136, 111–127.

Celina. (2023, July 31). The Art of the Revolution will be Internationalist. Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. https://thetricontinental.org/the-art-of-the-revolution-will-be-internationalist/

Corrigan, L. M. (2014). Visual rhetoric and oppositional consciousness: poster art in Cuba and the United States. Intertexts (Lubbock, Tex.), vol. 18, no. 1, 71–91. https://doi.org/10.1353/itx.2014.0006

Cushing, L. (2023). How Poster Art of the “Long 1960s” Fueled International Solidarity. Brown Journal of World Affairs, 29(2), 1–18.

Cushing, L. (2003). Revolución!: Cuban poster art. Chronicle Books. 

Dwyer, M. (2016, September 27). Step Inside Cuba's Oldest Printmaking Studio. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/cuban-lithography-printmaking-tradition-culturaltravel-180960612/

Fleming, D. (2017). Art of solidarity: Cuban posters for African liberation 1967–1989. Museum Worlds, 5(1), 224-226. https://doi.org/10.3167/armw.2017.050118

Mage, Wohlforth, & Robertson. (1960). The Cuban Revolution and Marxist theory. Marxists.org. https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/document/icl-spartacists/cuba/cuba-mt.html

Solidarity and design: An introduction to OSPAAAL · V&A. (n.d.). Victoria and Albert Museum. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/solidarity-and-design-an-introduction-to-ospaaal?srsltid=AfmBOorXvX_CHRG8XK75Sye76DTmDg2u1xbwDlILkYS9bmDCKhbFWEby

Turner, N. (2017) "Hollywood in Havana: Five Decades Of Cuban Posters Promoting U.S. Films." Riot Material. https://www.riotmaterial.com/hollywood-havana-five-decades-cuban-posters-promotingus-films/

Uriarte, L. F. (2005). Modernity and postmodernity from Cuba. Journal of Design History, 18(3), 245–255. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epi047

Underground newspapers of the 1960s and ’70s were central to the New Left and broader countercultural movements, serving as both platforms for dissent and vehicles of radical visual experimentation. Often dismissed by mainstream journalism due to their limited circulation, lack of professionalism, and overt bias, these publications were nonetheless vital expressions of political, social, and aesthetic resistance. Historian Bob Ostertag emphasizes the near inseparability of social movements and their press, yet notes the critical neglect of underground newspapers in historical scholarship. Emerging from earlier activist publications and enabled by accessible printing technologies like mimeograph and offset printing, underground newspapers eschewed editorial conventions, embracing experimental layouts, psychedelic imagery, and DIY production methods. Publications like The Los Angeles Free Press, Berkeley Barb, San Francisco Oracle, and East Village Other became iconic not just for their messages, but for their groundbreaking graphic design. These papers also served as training grounds for influential designers and illustrators such as Ron Cobb and Steven Heller, who valued the freedom of expression and anti-commercial ethos they offered. Movements beyond the New Left—including the Black Panther Party, Red Power, Chicano rights, Women’s Liberation, and Gay Liberation—each developed their own newspapers, forming a diverse ecosystem of radical print media. Through networks like the Underground Press Syndicate and Liberation News Service, these publications shared content and ideology, reinforcing solidarity across causes. The underground press is a rich, underappreciated chapter in both journalistic and design history—one where visual form and political function were deeply intertwined in the service of revolution.

1958 - The Realist was founded  by Paul Krassner

1960s - Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) founded as part of the New Left

1964 - Los Angeles Free Press founded

1965 - Watts Riots

1965 - Fifth Estate newspaper founded, Detroit; Berkeley Barb newspaper founded, Berkeley; East Village Other newspaper founded, NYC

1965 - The Underground Press Syndicate (UPS) founded

1966 -  San Francisco Oracle founded 

1966 - Album, The Electric Newspaper, released by The East Village Other 

1967 - Liberation News Service (LNS) founded

1968 -  San Francisco Oracle ceases publication

1968 - The Freep published the names, addresses, and home telephone numbers of eighty undercover narcotics agents.

1969 - last national convention of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

1969 - The Chicano Press Association was formed 

1970 - It Ain’t Me Babe was published by Berkeley Women’s Liberation

1970s - Freep purchased by Larry Flint 

1973 - The Underground Press Syndicate (UPS) dissolved

1980 - Berkeley Barb newspaper ceases publication

1981 - Liberation News Service (LNS) dissolved

2011 - facsimile edition of the San Francisco Oracle published

Guida, J. (2021). The East Village other. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/the-east-village-other/

Cobb, R. (2015). Cartoons. Roncobb.net

Cohen, A. (1990). The San Francisco Oracle: A Brief History. Serials Review, 16(1), 13–46.

Dreyer, T., Embree, A., Duncan, C., & Bishop, S. (2021). Exploring Space City!: Houston’s Historic Underground Newspaper.

East Village other. (n.d.). https://nyujournalismprojects.org/eastvillageother/

Embree, A., Dreyer, T., & Croxdale, R. (2016). Celebrating the Rag: Austin’s iconic underground newspaper. Lulu.com.

Fortin, J. (2020). Ron Cobb, 83, a Pioneer In Science Fiction Design. The New York Times, B7-.

Glessing, R. (1970). The Underground Press in America.

Heller, S. (2018, May 6). It was 50 Years Ago Today . . .. PRINT Magazine. https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/50-years-ago-today-1960s-design/

Heller, S. (2022). Growing Up Underground: A Memoir of Counterculture New York.

Kaplan, G. (2013). Power to the People: The Graphic Design of the Radical Press and the Rise of the Counter-Culture, 1964-1974. University of Chicago Press.

Kramer, D. J. (Ed.). (2023). Heads Together: Weed and the Underground Press Syndicate, 1965-1973. Edition Patrick Frey.

McMillian, J. (2011). Smoking Typewriters: The sixties underground press and the rise of alternative media in America. Oxford University Press.

Morley, M. (2019, March 7). The cost of free Love and the designers who bore It—Meet the women of psychedelic design. AIGA Eye on Design. https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/women-of-psychedelic-design/

Ostertag, B. (2007). People’s movements, people’s press: The Journalism of Social Justice Movements. Beacon Press.

TRR. (2020, September 7). The feminist fandom of Trina Robbins. The Revolution (Relaunch). https://therevolutionrelaunch.com/2020/08/02/the-feminist-fandom-of-trina-robbins/

In the aftermath of the Stonewall riots and amidst widespread societal hostility toward LGBTQ+ individuals, Drummer magazine emerged in 1975 as a bold act of resistance and cultural affirmation. Founded by John Embry and originally launched as a newsletter for the Homophile Effort for Legal Protection (H.E.L.P.), Drummer became a groundbreaking publication for gay men involved in leather and BDSM subcultures. Embry, joined by key figures like Jeanne Barney and later Jack Fritscher, used the magazine to amplify radical queer voices, confront law enforcement harassment, and explore taboo themes in sexuality and identity. Amid police raids, legal battles, and frequent censorship, Drummer served as both a creative outlet and a political statement. Fritscher’s tenure as editor from 1977–1979 marked the magazine’s heyday, transforming it into a hub for homoerotic art, fiction, and cultural commentary while expanding the image of gay masculinity through the lens of leather, kink, and alternative identities. Contributors like Robert Mapplethorpe, Tom of Finland, Judy Tallwing, and A. Jay helped shape the visual and ideological language of a community pushing back against mainstream repression. Despite internal tensions and external crackdowns, Drummer played a pivotal role in redefining gay identity beyond stereotypes, coining terms like “Bear,” documenting leather history, and celebrating gender diversity. Running until 1999, the magazine remains one of the most influential queer publications of the 20th century—an artifact of cultural defiance, artistic expression, and liberation politics that challenged both societal norms and gay assimilationist narratives. Its legacy continues to inspire queer publishing and sexual freedom movements today.

1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis
1963 – JFK assassinated
1986 – MLK assassinated
1969 – Stonewall Riots in NYC protesting police raids against the Stonewall Inn
1970 – Protest marches are held by LGBT people in NYC, SF, Chicago and LA and are considered the first pride parades in America
1972 – Watergate
1973- American Psychiatric Association declared homosexuality was not a mental illness
1974 – Nixon resigns
1978 – Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in CA is assassinated
1978 – Jim Jones shocked the world with the mass suicide of nearly 1,000 people in Jonestown, Guyana
1981 – Start of the AIDS crisis
1987 – First AIDS/HIV prevention drug approved by FDA, AZT (shown to markedly reduce transmission of HIV)
2003 – Lawrence v. Texas; struck down sodomy laws
2012 – Truvada, or PrEP, was approved for use by the FDA; this drug is for the prevention of the spread of HIV.
2015 – Gay marriage legal in USA

Zinn, H. (2003). A People’s History of the United States. Harper Collins. New York.

Allen Shapiro. lambiek.net. (2024, January 1). https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/shapiro_allen.htm

Blair, N., & Farber, J. (2023). Castro to Christopher: Gay streets of America 1979-1986. powerHouse Books.

Broverman, N. (2024, April 11). Gay fetish artist Rex has died-see some of his iconic work. Out Magazine. https://www.out.com/art/gay-fetish-artist-rex-died#rebelltitem1

Flanagan, M. (2017, September 24). BARchive :: When “drummer” came to town. Bay Area Reporter. https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=bartab&sc=leather-kink&id=249252

Fritscher, J. J., & Hemry, M. (2008). Gay San Francisco: Eyewitness drummer. Palm Drive Pub.

Fritscher, J. (2020). Gay pioneers: HOW DRUMMER magazine shaped gay popular culture 1965-1999. Palm Drive Publishing.

Fritshcher, J. (1989). Pentimento for Robert Mapplethorpe. Drummer, (133), 8–15. https://jackfritscher.com/PDF/Mapplethorpe/Drummer133_Pentimento-Mapplethorpe.pdf

Gates, A. (2025, January 10). Anita Bryant, whose anti-gay politics undid a singing career, is dead at 84. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/arts/music/anita-bryant-dead.html

Jones, C. (2017). When we rise: My life in the Movement. Hachette Books.

Meyer, R. (1990). Imagining Sadomasochism: Robert Mapplethorpe and the Masquerade of Photography. Qui Parle, 4(1), 62–78. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20685907

OKeeffe, K. (2019, February 23). The life, death and legacy of Robert Opel, the bisexual Oscar streaker. Advocate.com. https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/art/2014/03/26/life-death-and-legacy-robert-opel-oscar-streaker

Poole, C. (2020, May 13). Bill Ward (1927-1996). Guy Burch. https://www.guyburch.co.uk/?p=2662

Project, T. L. H. (2023, October 16). Jack Fritscher : Interview. THE LGBTQHP. https://www.lgbtqhp.org/post/jack-fritscher

US DEPT OF JUSTICE. (2019, March 7). Hate crime laws. Civil Rights Division. https://www.justice.gov/crt/hate-crime-laws

Willi Smith (1948–1987) was a trailblazing Black fashion designer celebrated for redefining casual fashion through his visionary "Street Couture." Born in Philadelphia, Smith showed early artistic promise, working as an illustrator and studying at the Philadelphia Museum of College Art. He attended Parsons School of Design on scholarships and apprenticed with Arnold Scaasi before working for brands like Talbott and Digits, where he gained industry recognition. In 1976, Smith co-founded WilliWear Ltd. with Laurie Mallet, establishing a brand that fused affordability, inclusivity, and creativity. WilliWear became synonymous with groundbreaking fashion shows, featuring collaborations with artists like Christo and Jeanne-Claude and performance art elements such as costumes for Trisha Brown Dance Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Smith’s designs, known for their vibrant patterns, deconstructed silhouettes, and unisex appeal, challenged the exclusivity of high fashion, earning him a Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie Award in 1983. Smith's influence extended beyond fashion, touching theater, dance, and public art. He designed workers’ uniforms for Christo’s large-scale installations and costumes for Spike Lee's School Daze and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Despite his success, Smith faced personal and professional challenges, including health struggles. Tragically, he died in 1987 from AIDS-related complications, leaving an indelible mark on the fashion world. Posthumously honored with exhibitions, memorials, and accolades like Willi Smith Day, his legacy remains a testament to his innovative spirit and commitment to democratizing fashion.

1948 – Willi Smith was born on February 29th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1963 – Smith attends Jules E. Mastbaum Technical High School in Philadelphia and begins his first job as an illustrator for Prudence and Strickler's dress shop.
1964 – Smith takes a class in fashion illustration at the Philadelphia Museum of College Art.
1965 – Designer Arnold Scaasi hired Smith as an apprentice.
1965 – Smith enrolled in the fashion designer program at Parsons School of Design.
1967 – Smith leaves Parsons and meets artist and future collaborations Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
1968 – Smith designs for fashion company Talbott, Bobbie Brooks, Mr. Thompson, and Personal Sportswear before joining Glenora Juniors.
1969 – Fashion executives Franklin Trigg and Irving Yanous create junior sportswear label Digits; Smith resigns from Glenora and becomes lead designer for Digits
1970 – Smith meets future WilliWear business partner Laurie Mallet; Digits forms the new lower price-point division Syllables, making Smith the lead designer.
1971 – Smith hires Mallet as his design assistant at Digits
1972 – Smith was nominated for the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie Award, and Digits presented its first runway show.
1973 – Smith begins designing for Butterick Patterns and designs costumes for dancer-choreographer Dianne McIntyre’s composition The Lost Sun.
1974 – Smith forms Willi Smith Designs, Inc. with his sister Toukie Smith and Rivera-Terreaux.
1976 – Smith and Mallet form WilliWear Ltd.
1978 – The first WilliWear runaway show takes place at Holy Solomon Gallery with a spring collection influenced by nautical uniforms and Southeast Asian dress; WilliWear opens a new showroom at 62 West 39th Street.
1979—Black designers Arthur McGee, Jeffrey Banks, Carl Davis, Jay Jaxon, Kevin Thompson, Robert Miller, and Smith are honored with a fashion show at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
1980 – WilliWear’s fall collection is presented at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre with Ailey dancers as models.
1981 – The Black Fashion Museum organizes the exhibition Bridal Gowns of Black Designers.
1982—Smith participated in a group exhibition at P.S. 1 with fashion designers Cathy Hardwick, Michele Lamy, Corrine Guibert, and Regina Kravitz and presented the installation Art as Damaged Good.
1982—Architecture and environmental arts studio SITE designs the WilliWear showroom at 209 West 38th Street.
1983 – Smith is awarded the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie Award for womenswear,.
1984 – Smith and Mallet establishes a new division of WilliWear called WilliWear Productions, selling mass-produced clothing designed by artist.
1985 – Dean Alexander begins to design WilliWear promotional graphics; Smith designs workers’ uniforms for Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s PontNeauf Wrapped in Paris, France.
1986 – WilliWear grosses more than $25 million
1987 – Working with costume designer Ruth E. Carter, Smith designs homecoming court gowns for Spike Lee’s film School Daze; Smith designs Mary Jane’s wedding dress for Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man.
1987 – Smith dies at Mount Sinai Hospital on April 17th from AIDS-related complications; Smith’s funeral is held at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on April 20; Parsons hold a memorial service in Smith’s honor.
1988—Mayor David Dinkins proclaims Feb. 23 Willi Smith Day;
1989 – Andre Walker Becomes the lead designer for WilliWear.
1990 – WilliWear closes its womenswear operations and files for bankruptcy.
1996 – T.J. Maxx releases a Willi Smith collection manufactured by Nash International under the license given by the Pressman family and Laurie Mallet.

Activism. (2016). Black Fashion Designers - The Museum at FIT. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/black-fashion-designers/?url=gallery-activism.

Barry, J. (2025). Judith Barry on Willi Smith and Polydisciplinary Magnetism – Art, Culture, and Technology (ACT). Mit.edu. https://act.mit.edu/2020/08/congratulations-to-the-class-of-2020/

Barry, J., Krishnamurthy, P., & Young, F. (2025). Polydisciplinary Magnetism — Willi Smith Community Archive. Cargo.site. https://willismitharchive.cargo.site/Polydisciplinary-Magnetism/

Bullock, M. (2019). Michael Bullock | WILLI SMITH. Michaelbullock.nyc. https://michaelbullock.nyc/volumes/journalism/space-explorer

Bullock, M. (2020). How SITE and The Late Fashion Designer Willi Smith Brought The Street Into The Showroom. Pinupmagazine.org. https://archive.pinupmagazine.org/articles/article-williwear-site-showroom-michael-bullock#15

Burholt, E. (2020, December 1). 1948-1987 – Willi Smith | Fashion History Timeline. Fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu. https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1948-1987-willi-smith/

Cameron, A. C. (2020, January 14). Willi Smith: Street Couture | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. https://www.cooperhewitt.org/publications/willi-smith-street-couture/

Comita, J. (2020, January 28). How Will Designer Willi Smith Be Remembered? W Magazine. https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/willi-smith-street-couture-alexandra-cunningham-cameron

Duncan, F. A. (2020, March 12). Willi Smith Glowing Up History. Cultured Mag. https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2020/03/12/willi-smith-glowing-up-history/

Elan, P. (2020, June 8). Willi Smith remembered: the designer who introduced streetwear to the catwalk. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/jun/08/willi-smith-williwear-african-american-streetwear-catwalk

Fashion — Willi Smith Community Archive. (2025). Cargo.site. https://willismitharchive.cargo.site/Fashion

Hill, R. P. (2021, February 1). Fashion Culture | Willi Smith: The Creative Intersection of an American Genius. E D G E. https://edgexpo.com/2021/02/01/fashion-culture-willi-smith-the-creative-intersection-of-an-american-genius/

Introduction. (2016). Black Fashion Designers - The Museum at FIT. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/black-fashion-designers/?url=gallery-activism.

Jacobs, L. (2021, Jun 14). Arts in review -- exhibition review: Street-smart and worldly wise. Wall Street Journal 

Lisby, D.-J. (2022, April 6). Willi Smith - The Fashion and Race DatabaseTM. Fashion and Race. https://fashionandrace.org/database/willi-smith/

Mayers, C. (2020, October 29). How designer Willi Smith originated the street and high fashion crossover. I-D.co; i-d.co. https://i-d.co/article/fashion-history-of-willi-smith-the-1980s-fashion-designer-behind-williwear/

Nylander, L. (2020, August 1). Willi Smith Is The Streetwear Genius You Need To Know About. British Vogue. https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/willi-smith

Pastor, J. (2013). WilliWear New Wave Graphics — Willi Smith Community Archive. Cargo.site. https://willismitharchive.cargo.site/WilliWear-New-Wave-Graphics

Pastor, J. (2020, June 15). Radical Retail | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2020/06/15/radical-retail/

Perkins, W. (2020). Willi Smith: Swervin’ in the Kingdom of Dreams — Willi Smith Community Archive. Cargo.site. https://willismitharchive.cargo.site/Willi-Smith-Swervin-in-the-Kingdom-of-Dreams

Shupe, D. (2020, July 19). Remembering Willi Smith. Deirdre. https://deirdreccc.com/remembering-willi-smith/

Singh, R. (2017, February 17). Fashion Flashback: Willi Smith. CFDA. https://cfda.com/news/fashion-flashback-willi-smith/

Steele, K. (2020). Willi Smith. Steeleindustry.com. http://www.steeleindustry.com/willi/index.html

Stoppard, L. (2021, February 25). Why the Visionary Designer Willi Smith Is More Relevant Than Ever. Aperture. https://aperture.org/editorial/why-the-visionary-designer-willi-smiths-work-is-more-relevant-than-ever/

Street, M. (2021, February 22). How Game-Changing Fashion Designer Willi Smith Reshaped the Way the World Dresses. Robb Report. https://robbreport.com/style/fashion/willi-smith-streetwear-1234597982/

'Style over status': Culture | as a new exhibition about streetwear pioneer willi smith opens in new york, curator alexandra cunningham cameron explains why his individuality deserves to be remembered [europe region]. (2020, Mar 07). Financial Times.

Tashjian, R. S. (2020, 04). Design Within Reach: Rachel Seville Tashjian on Willi Smith. Artforum International, 58.

Willi Donnell Smith | Encyclopedia.com. (2018). Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/fashion-biographies/willi-donnell-smith

Willi Smith | Parsons School of Design. (2020). Newschool.edu. https://www.newschool.edu/parsons/profile/willi-smith/

Willi Smith Community Archive. (n.d.). Willismitharchive.cargo.site. https://willismitharchive.cargo.site

This podcast episode delves into the critical role women have played in shaping the magazine industry through design, editorial leadership, and cultural influence. While season one spotlighted individual designers, this episode zooms out to explore the broader impact women have had on magazine evolution—from early European publications to today’s digital formats. It traces how magazines shifted from reinforcing traditional gender roles to becoming empowering platforms, thanks to figures like Sarah Josepha Hale, Cipe Pineles, Bea Feitler, and Ruth Ansel, who revolutionized both visual style and editorial voice. The episode also highlights the contributions of Black women in publishing, who created their own magazines to amplify underrepresented voices and foster community. Today, designers like Jessica Walsh, Gail Bichler, and Gail Anderson continue this legacy, using bold visuals and innovative technology to push boundaries and expand representation. Through storytelling, activism, and artistry, women have transformed magazines into platforms for cultural commentary and social change—proving that their creativity and leadership are essential to the industry’s past, present, and future.

1663-1668 - First magazine-like publication (Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen)

1693 - First magazine for women created (Athenian Mercury)

1731 - Term “Magazine” first used in the The Gentleman's Magazine

1770 - The Lady’s Magazine began

1830 - Godey’s Lady’s Book, an American magazine for women, was started by a man named Louis A. Godey

1832-1852 - The Ladies’ Cabinet was created and sold

1855 - Photolithography is invented

1870-1927 - The Woman’s Journal, which would eventually merge with The Woman Citizen,  was 

released in Boston

1885 - Good Housekeeping first published

1891-1894 - Ringwood’s Afro-American Journal of Fashion Magazines were published and distributed

1899 - The Saturday Evening Post printed the first full-page illustrated cover

1916-1925 - Half-Century Magazine was created and distributed

1920 - Women were granted the right to vote

1932-1935 - Cipe Pineless works as assistant art director for Conde Nast

1945 - Ebony Magazine was first published

1954 - Dorothy Dandridge was the first black woman on a mainstream magazine cover

1961 - Bea Feitler is hired at Harper’s Bazaar

1965 - Bea Feitler and Ruth Ansel release famous cover of Jean Shrimpton for Harper's Bazaar

1974 - Ruth Ansel becomes the first female art director and the New York Times Magazine

2008 AIGA medalist: Gail Anderson. (n.d.). AIGA. Retrieved July 20, 2025, from https://www.aiga.org/membership-community/aiga-awards/2008-aiga-medalist-gail-anderson

Burkhalter, N. (1996). Women’s magazines and the suffrage movement: Did they help or hinder the cause? Journal of American Culture, 19(2), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-734x.1996.1902_13.x

Clair, C. (1969). A chronology of printing. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

Ed.D., G. M. (2024, March 1). Women’s History Month: The Life of Dorothy Dandridge. Benicia Magazine. https://www.beniciamagazine.com/womens-history-month-the-life-of-dorothy-dandridge/

Ellis, E., Golden, C. P., & Fripp, C. B. (2005). Cipe Pineles: Two remembrances. RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press.

Eye Magazine. (n.d.). Eye Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2025, from https://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/reputations-gail-bichler

Ferguson, M. (1983). Forever feminine: Women’s magazines and the cult of femininity. Heinemann Educational Books.

Forster, L. (2015). Magazine movements: Women’s culture, feminisms and media form. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

history of publishing. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved July 20, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/additional-info

McCracken, E. (1993). Decoding Women’s Magazines: From mademoiselle to Ms.

Osei-Hwere, E., & Osei-Hwere, P. (n.d.). History of magazine publishing. Media Communication, Convergence and Literacy. Retrieved July 20, 2025, from https://oer.pressbooks.pub/mediacommunication/chapter/history-of-magazine-publishing/

Rooks, N. M. (2004). Ladies’ pages: African American women’s magazines and the culture that made them. Rutgers University Press.

Sperandio, A. T., & Bouadana, S. (2010). Ruth Ansel: art direction. Creative Review (London, England), 30(5), 28–36.

The Luupe. (n.d.). Jessica Walsh on Building Her Own Design Studio and Breaking Clichés. Retrieved July 20, 2025, from https://studio.theluupe.com/blog/jessica-walsh-on-building-her-own-design-studio-and-breaking-cliches

Thomson, E. M. (1994). Early Graphic Design Periodicals in America. Journal of Design History, 7(2), 113–126. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/7.2.113

Between 1557 and 1561, a group of women at the convent Santa Maria Maddalena alla Giudecca, known as The Convertite on Giudecca island in Venice ran one of the earliest female operated printing presses in early modern Europe. Unlike other women printers of the time – often widows inheriting their husbands’ shops – these women worked collectively from within an enclosed convent. They were not noblewomen or scholars, but former sex workers, concubines and social outcasts, admitted to the convent precisely because they did not meet society’s ideals of chastity. They lived in poverty and they laboured out of necessity. They printed at least twenty-five titles in Latin and the Venetian dialect, including works authored by medieval visionaries and unknown women. I make a case that these women used typography not just to reproduce words in print, but as a way to remake their subjectivity. Their printing practice was physical, spiritual, and deeply embodied. Their work reveals how books are shaped not only by ideas, but by rituals, and bodies. One of their prints still bears the trace of a single strand of hair – caught between type and paper – a quiet archival witness to their presence.

Almost entirely overlooked in mainstream design history, the Convertite’s press offers a radically different story; one where women laboured under restriction and violence, but still found ways to produce, preserve, and participate. Their story is not one of genius or invention, but of resilience, survival, and the printed works they left behind.

Content warning: this episode contains references to violence, sexual abuse and rape. Please take care while listening.

1542 – Fourteen women enter the newly founded Convertite convent in Giudecca, Venice

1551 – Nuns granted permission to profess vows under the Rule of St Augustine

1557 – Convertite nuns begin operating a printing press; 2 editions printed

1558 – 5 editions printed

1559 – 10 editions printed; some sold at the Alla Speranza bookshop in Campo Santa Maria Formosa

1560 – 7 editions printed 

1561 – 1 edition printed; marks the end of the press’s activity

1561 (6 Nov) – Rector Pietro Leon da Valcamonica sentenced to death by the Council of Ten for rape and abuse of more than 20 nuns

1561 (10 Nov) – Valcamonica executed in Piazza San Marco; printing operations cease

Early 1800s – Monastery suppressed by Napoleon and converted into a military prison

Mid-1800s – Building transformed into a women’s prison

2024 – Con i miei occhi, the Holy See’s pavilion for the 60th Venice Biennale, opens to the public at Casa di Reclusione Femminile, the former site of the Convertite convent

Apostolos-Cappadona, D. (2023). Mary Magdalene: A Visual History. Bloomsbury Publishing. 

Barbieri, E. (2011). Per monialium poenitentium manus”. La tipografia del monastero di Santa Maria Maddalena alla Giudecca, detto delle Convertite (1557-1561). La Bibliofilía, 113(3), 303-354. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26198930

Bartlett, R. (1994). Symbolic Meanings of Hair in the Middle Ages. Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 4, 43-60. https://doi.org/10.2307/3679214

Brown, P. F. (2004). Private Lives in Renaissance Venice: Art, Architecture, and the Family. Yale University Press. 

Bynum, C. W. (1991). Fragmentation and Redemption: Essays on Gender and the Human Body in Medieval Religion. Zone Books. https://www.zonebooks.org/books/53-fragmentation-and-redemption-essays-on-gender-and-the-human-body-in-medieval-religion

Chambers, D. S., Fletcher, J., Pullan, B. S., & America, R. S. (2001). Venice: A Documentary History, 1450-1630. University of Toronto Press. 

Chow, K.-w. (2007). Reinventing Gutenberg

Woodblock and Movable-Type Printing in Europe and China. In S. A. Baron, E. N. Lindquist, & E. F. Shevlin (Eds.), Agent of Change (pp. 169-192). University of Massachusetts Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5vk8sv.14

Elliott, D. (2010). Flesh and Spirit: The Female Body. In (pp. 13-46). https://doi.org/10.1484/M.BCEEC-EB.3.2618

Feher, M., Naddaff, R., & Tazi, N. (1989). Fragments for a History of the Human Body. Zone. 

Littau, K. (2006). Theories of Reading: Books, Bodies, and Bibliomania. Polity Press. 

McGough, L. (2010). Gender, Sexuality, and Syphilis in Early Modern Venice: The Disease that Came to Stay. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 

McGough, L. J. (1997). "Raised from the devil's jaws": A convent for repentant prostitutes in Venice, 1530-1670. Northwestern University. 

McKenzie, D. F. (1999). Bibliography and the sociology of texts. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511483226

McKenzie, D. F., McDonald, P. D., & Suarez, M. F. (2002). Making Meaning: "Printers of the Mind" and Other Essays. University of Massachusetts Press. 

Moreton, M. N. (2013). "Scritto di bellissima lettera": nuns' book production in fifteenth and sixteenth-century Italy. https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.l282y0od

Muir, E. (1997). Ritual in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge University Press. 

Peckham, M. (1971). Reflections on the Foundations of Modern Textual Editing. In J. Katz. (Ed.), Proof: The Yearbook of American Bibliographical and Textual Studies 1 (pp. 122-155). University of South Carolina Press. 

Richardson, K. (2021). Roma in the Medieval Islamic World. Roma in the Medieval Islamic World, 1-256. 

Vervliet, H. D. L. (2008). The Palaeotypography of the French Renaissance: Selected Papers on Sixteenth-century Typefaces. Brill.

Kustom Kulture is the name for a subcultural movement from the 1950s and 60s in America. This movement included souping up cars to create hot rods and customizing cars into unique one-of-a-kind creations. These custom cars were an identity for the, usually, men that drove them. This movement has been called a distinctly masculine movement and is said to have died out when Detroit car manufacturers started appropriating elements from both rods and customs into mainstream-designed cars. Yet this unique phenomenon produced many visual elements that are still popular today, including graphics such as flames, lettering, and demented-looking characters often called weirdos. Perhaps the king of the weirdos was a character known as Rat Fink, who represented the antithesis of Mickey Mouse, created by pinstriper, painter, and custom car maker Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. Other custom car legends include George Barris, Von Dutch, Dean Jefferies, and Robert William. While the phenomenon was indeed short-lived it has left a lasting impression on American culture and graphic design. Crab claw Flames, funky lettering, flying eyeballs, and demented characters are still popular today as are offshoots such as lowbrow art or pop-surrealism.

1925 - George Barris born

1929 - Kenneth Robert Howard, Known as Von Dutch born

1932 - Ed Roth Born

1933 - Dean Jeffries born

1948 - Von Dutch drew his first flying eyeball

1948 - Hot Rod Magazine is published

1950s-1960s - Flake Paint popularized

1953 - Barris Customs designs the Hirohata Merc

1953 - Car Craft Magazine is published

1955 - Dean Jeffries paints “Little Bastard” on James Dean’s Porsche Spyder

1961 - Beatnik Bandit designed by Roth

1963 - "There Goes (Varoom! Varoom!) That Kandy-Kolored (Thphhhhhh!) Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (Rahghhh!) Around the Bend (Brummmmmmmmmmmmmmm)…" by Tom Wolfe published in Esquire

1964 - Orbitron designed by Roth

1965 - Road Agent designed by Roth

1968 - Beatnik Bandit is cast as a model car (either by Hot Wheels or Revell)

1970s - Odd Rods stickers designed by B.K. Taylor debut

1992 - Kenneth Robert Howard, Known as Von Dutch dies

1994 - Juxtapoz magazine founded (by Robert Williams et al.)

2001 - Ed Roth Dies

2013 - Dean Jeffries Dies

2015 - George Barris dies

Adamson, G. (2021). Craft: an American History.

Bernsau, T. (2022, February 8). The Once-Lost Hirohata Merc built by Barris Kustom heads to auction. MotorTrend. https://www.motortrend.com/features/hirohata-merc-mecum-auctions-kissimmee-2022/

Bernsau, T. (2021, August 3). Traditional Hot Rod Flames: Details + Photo Gallery from Back to the ’50s. MotorTrend. https://www.hotrod.com/features/hot-rod-flames-back-to-the-50s/

DeWitt, J. (2002). Cool Cars, High Art: the rise of kustom kulture. 

Ganahl, P. (2003). Ed “Big Daddy” Roth: His Life, Time, Cars, and Art. Cartech.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/

Kuersteiner, K. (2012). Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, The Architect of Odd Rods. The Wrapper. https://thewrapper.tripod.com/RatFink.html

Kustomrama.com

Lowey, I., & Prince, S. (2014). The Graphic Art of the Underground.

Martinez, R. (2015, December 5). From Pop Surrealism to Lowbrow - Something Got Lost in Translation. Widewalls. https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/pop-surrealism-lowbrow

Parliament, I. C. (2008). Kustom Graphics: Hot Rods, Burlesque and Rock “n” Roll. Korero Books.

Parliament, I. C. (2010). Kustom Graphics 2: Hot Rods, Burlesque and Rock “n” Roll. Korero Books.

Roth, E., & Kusten, H. (1992). Confessions of a Rat Fink: The Life and Times of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth.

Surrealism Today. (2023, April 26). The Lowbrow Art Movement: Ultimate Guide to pop Surrealism - Surrealism Today. https://surrealismtoday.com/lowbrow-art-movement-pop-surrealism/#:~:text=Lowbrow%2C%20also%20known%20as%20pop,evocative%2C%20and%20often%20controversial%20works.

Jackie Ormes, an African-American cartoonist from Pennsylvania, was born on August 1st, 1911. Her father, William Winfield Jackson, owned and operated a printing business, and her mother, Mary Brown Jackson, was a homemaker.  As a teenager, Jackie published her first comics in her school’s yearbook as Monongahela High School’s Yearbook arts editor.  After graduating, she worked as a proofreader for the Pittsburgh Courier, an African American newspaper. This is also where she starts her first comic strip with “Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem.” After being with the Pittsburgh Courier, she moved to Chicago and became a journalist and special assignment reporter. She would later return to the Courier and make her most well-known comic strip, “Patty Jo `n’ Ginger. The strip was about a stylish and sarcastic little girl who offered commentary to political and sociological commentary to her older sister, Ginger. The comic strip was so popular that Ormes created and produced the Patty Jo dolls. The dolls were the first African American girl dolls to include an extensive wardrobe and break the norms of African American girl dolls being depicted from racist stereotypes. Jackie Ormes would also create her last comic strip, Torchy Brown, Heartbeats, for the Pittsburgh Courier. Toward the end of her career, she dedicated her time to giving back to the Chicago community and painting murals and portraits. Jackie Ormes's career is a trailblazer in vocalizing social and political injustices through the lens of being an African American woman.

1911 – Born Zelda Jackie Jackson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1929-1930 – Arts Editor for the Monogahela High School Yearbook
1930 – Graduated from Monongahela High School
1930-1937 – Worked for the Pittsburgh Courier
1937-1938 – Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem comic strip
1942-1945 – Worked for the Chicago Defender
1945-1945 – Candy comic strip
1945-1956 – Went back to work for the Pittsburgh Courier
1945-1956 – Patty Jo ‘n” Ginger comic strip
1947-1949 – Patty Jo doll series
1948-1958 – Investigated by the FBI
1950-1954 – Torchy Brown, Heartbeats comic strip
1956 – Retired from cartooning
1985 – Died in Chicago
2014 – Inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists
2018 – Inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Industry Hall of Fame

Ashawnta_Jackson. (2022). The groundbreaking work of Jackie Ormes. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/the-groundbreaking-work-of-jackie-ormes/

Blackartstory.org Editors. (2020, September 1). Profile: Jackie Ormes (1911-1985). Black Art Story. https://blackartstory.org/2020/09/01/profile-jackie-ormes-1911-1985/

Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist - biography from University of Michigan Press. (n.d.). https://www.jackieormes.com/

Jenkins, E. (2009). [Review of JACKIE ORMES: The First African American Woman Cartoonist, by N. Goldstein]. American Studies, 50(1/2), 218–219. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41057260

McGurk, C. (2013, February 22). Found in the collection: Jackie Ormes! (1911-1985) | Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Blog. https://library.osu.edu/site/cartoons/2013/02/22/found-in-the-collection-jackie-ormes-1911-1985/

Norris, K. (2008, July 29). Comics Crusader: Remembering Jackie Ormes. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2008/07/29/93029000/comics-crusader-remembering-jackie-ormes

Onion, R. (2013, August 13). Fifty Years Before Boondocks There Was Patty-Jo ‘n’ Ginger. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/08/patty-jo-n-ginger-the-ground-breaking-african-american-cartoon-of-the-1940s.html

Seaman, D. (2008, February 1). Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist. Booklist, 104(11), 22. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A174747902/LitRC?u=edmo56673&sid=summon&xid=fe888f06

Teutsch, M. (2018, January 8). Cartoonist Jackie Ormes’ commentary on Black life. AAIHS - African American Intellectual History Society. https://www.aaihs.org/cartoonist-jackie-ormes-commentary-on-black-life/

Woodford, J. (2208) Review of Jackie Ormes: A Great Cartoonist Finally Gets Her Due, by Nancy Goldstein. The Black Scholar 38, no. 2/3 , 54–60. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41069980.

Tove Jansson (1914–2001) was a pioneering Finnish artist whose multifaceted career spanned painting, illustration, cartooning, and literature. Best known internationally for her creation of the Moomins, whimsical troll-like characters who first appeared in books and later in globally syndicated comic strips, Jansson’s legacy bridges the divide between “high” fine art and “low” commercial illustration. Born into an artistic family, Jansson was deeply influenced by her mother, a prolific illustrator and graphic designer. Her early work, particularly for the satirical magazine Garm, sharpened her skills in political commentary and visual storytelling.

Despite Finland’s progressive stance on women’s rights, Jansson navigated a male-dominated art world and struggled with societal constraints around gender, sexuality, and artistic legitimacy. Her Moomin stories subtly coded themes of queer identity, feminist resistance, and nonconformity, often drawing from her own relationships and experiences. Characters like Thingumy and Bob, Too-ticky, and Sorry-oo represent fluid identities and hidden desires, reflecting Jansson’s own coded expressions of love and selfhood during a time when homosexuality was criminalized.

1914 – Born August 9th, in Helsinki Finland
1928 – Wrote and illustrated her first book
1929 to 1953 – Tove Jansson worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for the Swedish-language satirical magazine Garm
1930–1933 – studied at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm (Tekniska Konsthantverksskolan)
1933–1937 – studied at the Graphic School of the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts
1935 – starts making Moomintroll paintings
1938 – studied at L'École d'Adrien Holy and L'École des Beaux-Arts in Paris
1943 – first solo exhibit; first Moomin-like character featured in Garm Magazine
1945 – Her first story, The Moomins and the Great Flood, is published
1952 – Awarded Svenska Dagbladet’s Literary Prize
1954 – The world’s largest newspaper – London’s The Evening News – starts to publish the Moomin comic strip.
1958 – Awarded Prize by the Swedish Literature Society in Finland
1959 – The first Moomin theatre play, Moomins on Stage, premieres; The first Moomin television series, a puppet animation, is aired in Germany
1966 – She received the Hans Christen Andersen Award
1969 – The Swedish TV produces a series called Mumintrollet; Fuji TV Zuiyo Enterprises produces an animated Moomin series in Japan
1969-1973 – Serves on the board of Finnish Authors’ Society
1970 – the last Moomin novel, Moominvalley in November, is published
1974 – The Moomin Opera premieres in Helsinki
1976 – Awarded Polish Order of the Smile
1980 – Awarded “Dunce’s Hat” by the Finnish Comic Strip Society (together with her brother Lars)
1993 – The theme park Moominworld opens its doors in Naantali, Finland.
2001 – Died June 27th
2017 – The world’s only purpose-built Moomin Museum with original artwork opens at Tampere Hall
2019 – The new animated Moominvalley TV series premieres worldwide, blending animation techniques

Classon Frangos, M. (2021). Feminist and queer aesthetics in Tove Jansson’s Moomin comics. In K. Beers Fägersten, A. Nordenstam, L. Romu, & M. Wallin Wictorin (Eds.), Comic Art and Feminism in the Baltic Sea Region: Transnational Perspectives (1st ed., Vol. 1) (pp. 151-166). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003039402

Bergroth, Bardy, Aleksi, Reuter, Andrea, & Helsinki filmi , production company. (2020). Tove.

Forth, J. (2023, June 27). The secret message in Mymble’s name – queer themes in Tove Jansson’s life and work part 2. Moomin. https://www.moomin.com/en/blog/the-secret-message-in-mymbles-name-queer-themes-in-tove-janssons-life-and-work-part-2/#b9a205d3

Gravett, P. (2022). Tove Jansson: The Illustrators. Thames & Hudson.

Hahn, D. (Ed.). (2015). Moomin family. In The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press, Inc. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDgwNDMxNQ==?aid=103048

James, E. (2020). Tove Jansson’s Genius: The radical imagination that built the visionary world of the Moomins. The Yale Review, 108(2), 192–201. https://doi.org/10.1111/yrev.13648

Jones, W. G. (1984). Tove Jansson. Boston : Twayne Publishers.

Karjalainen, T. (2014). Tove Jansson: Work and Love. Particular Books.

Kira. (2025, June 24). Tove Jansson’s gay legacy – queer content on Moomin.com. Moomin. https://www.moomin.com/en/blog/tove-janssons-gay-legacy/#3433721a

Nikolajeva, M. (2015). jansson, tove (1914–2001). In J. Zipes (Ed.), The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press, Inc. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDgxMDQ2Mw==?aid=103048

Salisbury, M. (2017). The illustrated dust jacket, 1920-1970. Thames & Hudson.

Sicardi, A. (2019). Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes From Past and Present! Wide Eyed Editions.

Stonewall. (2024, September 25). A short history of the word ‘bisexuality.’ https://stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/short-history-word-bisexuality#:~:text=In%201859%2C%20anatomist%20Robert%20Bentley,sometimes%20in%20the%20same%20texts.

Tove Jansson. (2024, April 12). Tove Jansson • Author and artist who created the Moomins. https://tovejansson.com/

REFERENCES

Tucker, I. (Ed.)(2018). FF DOT: The pixel art of final fantasy. Dark Horse Books. 

Hendrix, G. (2017). Paperbacks from hell: The twisted history of ‘70s and ‘80s horror fiction. Quirk Books.

Chatziioannou, A. (2023). From ants to zombies: Six decades of video game horror. Bitmap Books.

Gianni, G. (2017). Gary gianni’s monstermen and other scary stories. Dark Horse Books.

Kochman, C. (Ed.)(2012). Mars attacks. Abrams ComicArts.

Vallejo, D. (2000). The art of rowena. Paper Tiger.

Voger, M. (2015). Monster mash: The creepy, kooky monster craze in America 1957-1972. TwoMorrows Publishing.

Jones, Stephen (2015). The art of horror: An illustrated history. Applause.

Allie, S. (Ed.)(2004). B.p.r.d.: The soul of venice and other stories. Dark Horse Comics.

Saunders, D. (2009). Rudolph belarski (1900-1983). Illustration, 7(27), 8–61.

McVittie, A. (2014). The art of alien:isolation. Titan Books.

Sadowski,G. (Ed.)(2017). Four color fear: Forgotten horror comics of the 1950s. Fantagraphics Books

Nourmand, T. & Marsh, G. (Eds.) (2006). Film posters: Horror. Evergreen.

Hodge, T. (2015). Vhs video cover art. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.

Weist, J. (2002). Bradbury: An illustrated life. William Morrow

Boyreau, J. (2002). Trash: The graphic genius of exploitation movie posters. Chronicle Books.

Salisbury, M. (2014). Alien the archive: The ultimate guide to the classic movies. TitanBooks.

Ferris, E. (2016). My favorite thing is monsters: Book one. Fantagraphics Books.

Morton, R. (2005). King kong, the history of a movie icon: from fay wray to peter jackson. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books.

Landis, J. (2011). Monsters in the movies: 100 years of cinematic nightmares. Dorling Kindersley Limited.

Ortiz, L. (2011). Jack Gaughan. Illustration, 9(33), 2–27.

(2009). Deco devolution: The art of the bioshock 2. 2k publishing.

Humphreys, G. (2019). Hung, drawn and executed: The horror art of graham humphreys. Korero Press Ltd.

Gammil, K. & Spurlock, J.D. (2005). Famous monster movie art of basil gogos. Vanguard

Tucker, I. (Ed.) (2021). The art of arkham horror. Dark Horse Books.

D’Agostino, N. (2020). Sex and horror volume four. Korero Press.

Hulse, E. (2021). The art of pulp fiction: An illustrated history of vintage paperbacks. Elephant Book Company

Rodriguez, S. (2021). The art of goosebumps. Dynamite.

Nolen-Weathington, E. (2010). Modern masters volume twenty-four: Guy davis. TwoMorrows Publishing

Brummett Echohawk was a war hero, an artist, a writer, and a public speaker, and he was also a member of the Pawnee tribe, born in Oklahoma in 1922. Though he is well known for his contributions to the art world, he is less known for his contributions to the history of illustration and commercial art, he turned to these outlets throughout his life to successfully augment his income. Brummett Echohawk considered himself a historical or classical artist, rather than an “Indian” artist, though his work often centered on his indigenatity. His first notoriety as an artist was for his war sketches from his time in Italy in World War II. Though these sketches were initially confiscated, they were later (mostly) returned and published in newspapers across the U.S. The success of his sketches cemented his interest in becoming an artist, and he made it his goal to attend the Chicago Institute of Art for formal instruction at what he believed to be the best art school in the nation. Though he lived in Chicago, New York, Detroit, and Dallas, he ultimately returned to Oklahoma. He refused to compromise his values and, therefore, painted only what he wanted to paint; he also spent a lot of time researching the historical themes for his paintings, which slowed down his production. These factors likely made it more necessary for him to supplement his income through the development of his comic strip “Little Chief,” which ran in the Tulsa World Newspaper beginning in 1954, as well as numerous illustrations for magazine and book publications as well as working as a commercial artist throughout his career.

TIMELINE

1829 - Te-ah-ke-kah-wah Who-re-ke-coo (He Makes His Enemies Ashamed), Brummett Echohawk’s Great-Grandfather is born in Nebraska, the traditional homeland of the Pawnee

1855 - Kutawakutsu Tuwaku-ah (Echo Hawk), Brummett Echohawk’s Grandfather is born in Nebraska 

1864 - Te-ah-ke-kah-wah Who-re-ke-coo, serves with the first company of Pawnee Scouts

1876 - Kutawakutsu Tuwaku-ah, then known as Tawihisi (Leader of the Group) signs on with the Pawnee Scouts, he earns the name Kutawakutsu Tuwaku-ah (Echo Hawk) as part of his efforts as a warrior during this time

1892 - Elmer Echohawk, Brummett Echohawk’s father, is born in Indian Territory

1907 - Elmer Echohawk, is sent by his parents to the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania 

1922 - Brummett Echohawk Born,  March 3, Pawnee Oklahoma

1939 - Brummett Echohawk joins the National Guard

1943-1944 - Serves in WWII, 45th Infantry Division (known as the Thunderbirds) 

1945-1948 - Attends Chicago Institute of Art, (education not funded by the GI Bill!)

1954 - Creates Comic strip “Little Chief”, for the Tulsa World 

1955 - Juror of the Tenth Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Indian Painting at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa

1969 -  Battlefield sketches included in the Faces of War exhibition at London’s Imperial War Museum

1977 - Brummett Echohawk began services as a member of the board at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa

1983 - Brummett Echohawk awarded the “Unknown Indian Award” by the Committee for the Preservation of the Unknown Indian, North Platte, Nebraska

1994 - actor featured in one episode of the television series Walker Texas Ranger

2001 - Cartoons from Little Chief were featured in “Little Chief the Comic Art of Brummett Echohawk,” an exhibition at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, Washington 

2006  -  Brummett Echohawk Dies, February 13, buried in Pawnee, Oklahoma

2008 - - Cartoons from Little Chief were featured in “Out Of: Sequence: Underrepresented Voice in American Comics,”  an exhibition at the University of Illinois Krannert Art Museum

REFERENCES

Brummett Echohawk - Gilcrease Museum. (n.d.). https://collections.gilcrease.org/creator/brummett-echohawk

Brummett Echohawk: An Artist’s Journey - Oklahoma State University. (2023, April 14). https://museum.okstate.edu/art/brummett-echohawk.html

Echohawk, B., & Ellenbarger, M. R. (2018). Drawing fire: A Pawnee, Artist, and Thunderbird in World War II. University Press of Kansas.

Culture - Pawnee Nation flag and seal. (n.d.). Pawnee Nation. https://pawneenation.org/pawnee-nation-flag-and-seal/

Gilcrease Museum. (2023, March 2). Joel Echohawk Reminisces about Brummett Echohawk [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u1HgSCHI2Q

Jones, R. (n.d.). OSU students present exhibition on Brummett Echohawk. Stillwater News Press. https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/osu-students-present-exhibition-on-brummett-echohawk/article_3b940cb6-ef84-11ed-b2fd-2796481b6b6b.html

OSU Museum of Art. (2023, May 18). Student Curator Talk - “Brummett Echohawk: An Artist’s Journey” [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6mWGFQEzm4

Wydeven, J., & Klaphake, C. (1984). Art and Eloquence. Nebraskaland, 62(1), 104–111.

Youngbull, K. M. (2015). Brummett Echohawk: Pawnee Thunderbird and Artist. University of Oklahoma Press.

REFERENCES

White, R. (2003). Prehistoric Art: The Symbolic Journey of Humankind. Harry N. Abrams Inc. 

Clottes, J. (2008). Cave Art. Phaidon Press Limited. 9780714845920

Neumayer, E. (1983). Prehistoric Indian Rock Paintings. Oxford University Press. 9780195613872

Ruspoli, M. (1987). The Cave of Lascaux: The Final Photographs. Harry N. Abrams Inc. 0810912678

Myron, R. (1964). Prehistoric Art. Pitman Publishing Corporation. 0273438611

Stokstad, M., & Cothren M. W. (2011). Art History: Ancient Art (4th ed.). Pearson Education. 0205744222 

Art Nouveau was a stylistic movement in the late nineteenth century characterized by highly ornate and decorated designs. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, Celtic manuscripts, The Arts and Crafts Movement, and the development of the lithograph, Art Nouveau, or New Art, was applied to everything from architecture to biscuit tins.

Though widely applied, posters that make up a great part of Art Nouveau history.The development of lithography meant posters could be large illustrations filled with bright colors and elaborate designs, even though they were advertisements for anything from events to consumer products. While Paris, France was Art Nouveau’s epicenter, it spread to England and eventually the United States. Along the way, several illustrators made a name for themselves and were pivotal to Art Nouveau’s popularity. Some of their posters were, and still are, collected as fine art.

REFERENCES

Cramsie, P. (2010). The Story of Graphic Design: From the Invention of Writing to the Birth of Digital Design. Abrams. 9780810972926

Eskilson, S.F. (2012). Graphic Design: A New History (2nd ed.). Laurence King Publishing. 9780300172607

Müller, J. (2017). The History of Graphic Design: Vol. 1 1890-1959. Taschen. 9783836563079

Selz, P., & Constantine, M. (1960). Art Nouveau: Art and Design at the Turn of the Century. The Museum of Modern Art. 0405015739

Duncan, A. (1994). Art Nouveau: World of Art. Thames & Hudson Inc. 0500202737

Capcom, a Japan-based maker of successful game properties, made a tremendous impact on the business of video games world wide, and helped usher in the current boom in Japanese-based visual media like manga and anime as much as fellow cultural exports like Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Speed Racer, and the Dragon Ball series. 

The art team behind the bulk of Capcom’s fighting game imagery began in the late 80s and lasted until the early 2000s. The team’s story includes an eccentric artist remembered almost as much for his habits as his skills and leadership, a draftsperson capable of taking stereotypes and rendering them with profound emotion, an up and coming artist possessed of an incredible work ethic and mammoth ability to produce images, and numerous other talented artisans all brought together to form the Capcom Design Team.

REFERENCES

Hendershot, S.. (2017). Undisputed street fighter: The art and innovation behind the game-changing series. Dynamite Entertainment

Dyer, S. (2022). The king of fighters: The ultimate history. Bitmap Books Ltd.

Lapetino, T. (2016). Art of Atari. Dynamite Entertainment

Leone, Matt (2020, July 7). Street fighter 1: An oral history. Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/7/21270906/street-fighter-1-oral-history-takashi-nishiyama

Hayashi, M. K., & Moylan, M. (2009). SF20: The Art of Street Fighter. Udon Entertainment Corp. 

Moore, G., & Hodgson, A. (2021). Street fighter memorial archive: Beyond the world. Udon Entertainment Corp.

Leone, Matt (2014, February 3). Street fighter 2: An oral history. Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/a/street-fighter-2-oral-history/

Hayashi, M.K. (2019). Darkstalkers: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment Corp.

Leone, Matt (2021, April 14). X-Men: Children of the Atom: An oral history. Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2021/4/14/22336505/x-men-children-of-the-atom-an-oral-history

Ferriere, G. & Zubkavich, J. (2005). Street Fighter: Eternal Challenge. Udon Entertainment Corp.

Famitsu Book Editorial Department (2001). Capcom Design Works. Enterbrain, Inc. 

Various (2020). UDON’s Art of Capcom . Udon Entertainment Corp.

TIMELINE

* A broad timeline spanning centuries is used to account for imprecise dates in the Ottoman Empire from multiple sources.

• 14th Century (1300s): The beginning of the Ottoman Empire. This period marks the initial blending of Islamic art with Byzantine and Persian styles, forming the basis for the unique Ottoman artistic and traditional geometric elements appearing as a symbol of Islamic art.
• 15th Century (1400s): Further development of the Ottoman style, with increased prominence in mosques and palaces in Istanbul.
• 16th Century (1500s): The peak of Ottoman art. 
• 1520-1566: Reign of Suleiman 
• 1548: The Şehzade Mosque completed with the best geometric 
• Suleymaniye Mosque (completed in 1557).
• 1570s-1598: The Qur'an's decoration is the primary artistic expression in the Ottoman Empire. 
• 1600: 1600: This period sees advancements in ceramics known as Iznik tiles, textiles, calligraphy, and manuscript illumination.
• 19th Century (1800s): The decline of the Ottoman Empire. Western influences begin to appear in Islamic art, introducing new styles and techniques.
• Early 20th Century (1900s-1922): The end of the Ottoman Empire

The Topic

A general view of the perspective on Islamic art that was shaped throughout the Ottoman Empire's peak, particularly during Sultan Suleiman's reign. Istanbul, Turkey, became known for its exceptional display of geometric symbolism in Islamic art. I want to explore the important mosques that displayed some of the most extraordinary works of art still known to the Islamic community.

REFERENCES

Kuban, D. (1987). The Style of Sinan’s Domed Structures. Muqarnas, 4, 72–97. https://doi.org/10.2307/1523097

Neci̇poğlu, G. (2007). Creation of a National Genius: Si̇nan and the Historiography of “Classical” Ottoman Architecture. Muqarnas, 24, 141–183. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25482458

Ersoy, A. (2007). Architecture and the Search for Ottoman Origins in the Tanzimat Period. Muqarnas, 24, 117–139. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25482457

Makdisi, U. (2002). Ottoman Orientalism. The American Historical Review, 107(3), 768–796. https://doi.org/10.1086/532495

Lewis, B. (1980). The Ottoman Empire and Its Aftermath. Journal of Contemporary History, 15(1), 27–36. http://www.jstor.org/stable/260456

AVCIOĞLU, N., & FLOOD, F. B. (2010). INTRODUCTION: Globalizing Cultures: Art and Mobility in the Eighteenth Century. Ars Orientalis, 39, 7–38. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23075922

Blessing, P. (2018). Presenting Islamic Art: Reflections on Old and New Museum Displays. Review of Middle East Studies, 52(1), 147–152. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26478488

Islamic Art. (1978). The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, 36(2), 3–48. https://doi.org/10.2307/3258866

Mehmed Ağa (Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, Ottoman architect, ca.1540-1622), & Ahmed I (Turkish patron, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1590-1617). (1609-1616). Sultan Ahmed Camii. https://jstor.org/stable/community.23089080

Mehmed Ağa (Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, Ottoman architect, ca.1540-1622), & Ahmed I (Turkish patron, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1590-1617). (1609-1616). Sultan Ahmed Camii. https://jstor.org/stable/community.23089076

The Ottoman Empire. (1968). The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, 26(5), 204–224. https://doi.org/10.2307/3258980

HOWARD, D. A. (1988). OTTOMAN HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE LITERATURE OF “DECLINE” OF THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES. Journal of Asian History, 22(1), 52–77. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41932017

Denny, W. B. (1983). Dating Ottoman Turkish Works in the Saz Style. Muqarnas, 1, 103–121. https://doi.org/10.2307/1523074

REFERENCES

Witwer, M. & Newman, K., Peterson, J., Witwer, S. (2018). Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana, A Visual History. Ten Speed Press.

Seeley, S. & Seeley, T. (2015). The Art of He-Man and The Masters of The Universe. Dark Horse Books.

Forster, B. & Sorenson, J. (2019). Transformers Legacy: The Art of Transformers Packaging. IDW Publishing.

Farago, A. (2014). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History. Insight editions.

Heller, S. & Mungia, R. (2021). SF20: Toys: 100 years of all-american toy ads. Taschen.

Voger, M. (2015). Monster mash: The creepy, kooky monster craze in America 1957-1972. TwoMorrows Publishing.

Fawcett, C. (2021). Rad plastic. Tkaf productions

Reed, W. (2001). The Illustrator in America 1860-2000. The Society of Illustrators Inc.

Hudson, G.. (2019).Illustration on British and North American Printed Ephemera, 1900-1910. In S.Doyle,  J. Grove, & W. Sherman (Eds.), History of Illustration (1st ed., pp. 198–214). Fairchild books.

Kane, B.M. (2019). Overview of Comics and Graphic Narrative, 1830-2012. In S.Doyle,  J. Grove, & W. Sherman (Eds.), History of Illustration (1st ed., pp. 198–214). Fairchild books.

Bio/ Background (intro)

• Directors: Ron Clements and John Musker 
• Intro (below)

Topic 1 Introduction

To my surprise, a number of people have never seen or heard of the movie “Treasure Planet.” In this  classic retelling of “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson,  the narrative was turned into an intergalactic adventure complete with cyborgs, space travel, and, of course, treasure. Disney’s “Treasure Planet” was one of two experimental movies in the year 2002. “Treasure Planet,” however, is notorious for its box office failure. The other experimental film, from a different in-house studio was “Lilo and Stitch,” which got way more attention and was well received by audiences. Now, this podcast is not a compare and contrast of the two experimental films of 2002, but I can’t help but take into consideration the alleged reasons why “Lilo and Stitch” swam but “Treasure Planet” sank. Both movies included obvious CGI, a wide variety of alien species, action-packed space travel, and family problems. I say this because a noticeable amount of articles claim the reason “Treasure Planet” bombed at the box office was because of the “high tech” CGI scenes. Amazingly after being scorned six feet into the grave of Disney’s backyard, 20 years later it gets dug up like a prized fossil.

Treasure Planet is based on the legendary novel “Treasure Island,” written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Instead of taking place in the Caribbean, it is set in outer space. The story begins with Jim Hawkins receiving a treasure map from a wounded alien by the name of Billy Bones in his mother’s inn. Rebellious Hawkins and passionate Dr. Delbert Doppler join a crew to find this elusive treasure hidden by the notorious pirate, Captain Nathaniel Flint. The crew of this ship seems to be of questionable authenticity as Hawkins meets the cook, Mr. Silver. Silver’s cyborg body with a robot arm reminds Hawkins of Billy Bones' warning about a cyborg. Eventually, the crew reveal themselves as pirates and launch a mutiny with Silver as their leader. The film carries multiple layers of character arcs journeys as the characters set out for Treasure Planet. This retelling of “Treasure Island” was, of course, given a sprinkle of “Disney magic” complete with striking animation, and memorable characters with flamboyant personalities. 

Topic 2 Who Made the Film?

The striking film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. These guys directed “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” and “Hercules.” According to the reflections on the Walt Disney Family Museum Website, Ron Clements was born and raised in Indiana. He was inspired to learn animation at the age of 9 after seeing “Pinocchio.” He worked his way from the scraping bottom of Disney to the director’s chair. John Musker was also an animator, storyboard artist, writer, director, and producer for 40 years for Disney Animation Studios. He studied under icons like Elmer Plummer and Bill Moore at CalArts in the 1970s. “He also studied alongside classmates who would become distinguished directors such as Brad Bird, Chris Buck, Tim Burton, John Lasseter, and Henry Selick.” His partnered credits with Clements are as follows, “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986), “The Little Mermaid” (1989), “Aladdin” (1992), “Hercules” (1997), “Treasure Planet” (2002), “The Princess and the Frog” (2009), and lastly, “Moana” (2016).

Gladstein writes in “The Bizarre Story of How Treasure Planet Got Made” that the two directors pitched “Treasure Planet” the same time as “The Little Mermaid” in Disney’s Renaissance Era (1989-1999). The studio was extremely reluctant to green light “Treasure Planet” until the dynamic duo, Clements and Musker, shoveled out genius big time money makers like “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.” Gladstein notes that the studio was so impressed with the consistency of success from these dudes that they finally said yes to “Treasure Planet.”  As an observer, I’m reading that basically “The Little Mermaid” and other MAJORLY lucrative films were just incredible proofs of concept to convince the big guys of letting “Treasure Planet” fly.

According to Jocelyn Buhlman on The Official Disney Fan Club Website, this was Clements and Musker's first sci-fi film, despite their love for science fiction. Buhlman quotes Clements explaining, “John and I are both sci-fi fans. The idea of making our pirate and taking his eye patch and turning it into a cyborg eye and taking his peg leg and making it mechanical—not only was it a science fiction thing, but it was an animation thing.” Buhlman also mentions how the two directors utilized the 3D technology used in “Tarzan” to create a camera effect on the action scenes and moving parts, “Beyond the wonders of Deep Canvas, Clements and Musker achieved the dynamic directorial style they desired by creating a whole new technology—virtual sets. A scene in “Tarzan” that most viewers can recognize that used a mix of hand drawn and computer animation is when Tarzan “slides” down mossy trees to get around in the jungle like sliding on wood floors with socks. The hand drawn element was added to Tarzan’s body as he moved around and the passing trees and jungle was the computer animation portion.

Buhlman speaks on how Clements explains the logistics of making “Treasure Planet’s” backgrounds, “‘They were actually dimensional sets made to look like 2-D backgrounds, but in truth they were 3-D, and we could move the camera around.’” This was a huge deal for animation. Let’s take another well known “classic” Disney hand drawn film for an example: “The Little Mermaid.” As previously mentioned, this enormously successful animated film was also directed by Clements and Musker. In this film, everything was hand drawn. And I do mean everything. Before understanding how and why animators turned to computer animation, we have to dive into the meaning of hand drawn animation and how much a labor of love it was. 

Hand drawn animation is formally known as cel animation. This process of animation and film making is labor intensive and requires massive numbers of animators to complete an ambitious film such as “The Little Mermaid.” Just like any other film, animation requires storyboarding, pitches, screenwriting, actors, directors, etc. The only difference is instead of using a camera to capture the movement of the story, artists have to draw it frame by frame. A frame is a single drawing. An animation is a collection of frames in a row that, ideally, “move” when viewed quickly. Ever heard of a flipbook? It’s the same concept: a stack of drawings just tiny changes from each other to make a seamless movement before the eye. According to Adobe, “Cel animation is one of the most traditional forms of animation and involves objects - usually characters - being hand-drawn on clear celluloid sheets and placed over painted backgrounds. These are known as animated cels or animation cels.” 

These celluloid sheets are drawn and painted on for all of the characters that moved in a scene. That is why the backgrounds in cel animated films seem set in place, because they quite literally are. This style of animation was completely hands on and traditional with paint, pencils, and more. These artists would create a pencil test (an animation drawn roughly in pencil) to test how the character moves and interacts with the other characters. Disney was known for using live, moving models in the studio to help artists understand the realistic movement of the body. Animators would take a day to grab a paper pad, some pencils, and an easel to complete quick drawings of the model called gesture drawings. They would do this to understand how anatomy works and better their animation skills. If you’re interested in seeing records of these, Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” and “Alice and Wonderland” have great films of the animators figure drawing in action. In “The Little Mermaid,” they also used models to understand how the main character, Ariel’s, hair moved underwater. According to Untitled Art Gallery, “The effect of Ariel's hair underwater was based on footage of Sally Ride when she was in space; and scenes of Sherri Lynn Stoner in a swimming pool were used in animating Ariel's swimming.” After the pencil tests were completed, they polished the frames by using clean line work. 

You might be wondering, “How did they color the drawn animations?” They had a whole team dedicated to painting, yes, painting each and every single frame. This was also why hand drawn animation’s characters appeared less rendered. Rendering takes time, and time was something these studios certainly were scarce of. Untitled Art Gallery also made an excellent point on the difficulties of backgrounds in cel animation: “A challenge in animating Ariel were the colors required to show her in various changing environments, both under the sea and on land. By the end of the film, the animators required a total of 32-color models; not including costume changes. The sea-green color of her fin was a hue specially mixed by the Disney paint lab, and the color was named "Ariel" after the character.” In hand drawn animation, every single scene you see that moves or has a number of moving parts is drawn and painted by hand, unlike computer animation. This was why the use of computer graphics was a huge leg up for animation. When Musker and Clements mentioned how monumental computer animation was to making “Treasure Planet’s” moving backgrounds, they meant it. Computer graphics in a hand drawn appearance saved months of work for these animators. Buhlman claims that Clements and Musker were successful and known for mixing 2D and 3D animation techniques.

The process of mixing 2D (hand drawn) and 3D (computer animated) techniques was very tricky to pull off. As I mentioned before, the characters from “Treasure Planet” were either hand drawn, hand drawn and computer mixed, or entirely computer (which was rare). Jim Hawkins was completely hand drawn, unlike Silver. Most of Silver’s body was hand drawn. The parts of him that were computer animated were his cyborg parts like his eye and arm. Both his eye and arm have mechanical shape-shifting movements that would be near impossible to animate by hand as smoothly. B. E. N., the robot, was entirely computer animated. The animators had to create Silver’s body by hand, and then match up computer animated cyborg parts to make his design cohesive. This took time and lots of money. Musker and Clement’s budget for this film was $140 million USD, so they must have known the beast of a project they were taking on.  

Clements and Musker also created an extremely diverse set of characters for “Treasure Planet.” Every character in this film had multiple design studies and framework done, so considering there were over 50 characters to animate, they were ambitious. This animation was set on no single characters, but they did have stars in their cast. Martin Short was cast as Ben, the robot that worked for the late pirate Captain Nathaniel Flint. Martin Short was known for his roles in “The Three Amigos” and  multiple other shows and films. Tony Jay was the compelling narrator. He voiced multiple iconic characters such as Frollo in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and The Magic Mirror in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” 

Topic 3 Why Did the Film Bomb?

Let’s talk about another movie that faltered just before “Treasure Planet” did, in 2001. “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” was a Disney film that was created by the people that designed the very successful “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. Drew Taylor, a Collider article author, writes about how their visions of this movie were similar to Musker and Clements. Taylor mentions how they meant for the movie to be an adventurous and action packed change of pace from the Broadway musical style they’d previously directed. They also planned the movie to be a live action film. Some critics today claim it did in fact, age like that forgotten bottle in the back of a dusty cabinet, others say it aged like milk. Just like “Treasure Planet,” “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” is packed with a thrilling quest, diverse characters, and stunning visuals. Also like “Treasure Planet,” Wise and Trousdale used computer animation mixed with hand drawn animation. They used computer animation on pieces like the submarine and the leviathan monster. When pitching the idea to multiple Disney animators and designers like John Sanford, according to Taylor, “As production got underway, they added a key member of the team: John Sanford, who served as the artistic supervisor for story. He was finishing work on Mulan at Disney’s Orlando satellite studio. Uninspired by the projects that he knew were in the pipeline, he called Trousdale and asked what he was working on. When Trousdale explained the project, Sanford knew he had to be a part of it. ‘It was unlike anything I’d ever heard of,’ Sanford said.” According to The Janitorium, “People just weren’t ready for a serious Disney film. Somehow it didn’t have the charm or the feeling of a Disney film – therefore it failed. While modern superhero films can be pushing the boundaries of PG-13 and still appeal to young kids, Atlantis was considered too edgy. And while Indiana Jones is still a lauded classic, Atlantis is panned for being just as simple and formulaic. I just can’t understand it. Sure, maybe the film wasn’t properly marketed, but neither was Hunchback – and that film still has its vocal fans and is arguably even darker of a Disney film.” Just like “Treasure Planet,” “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” started in excitement and promise, took sweat and tears to make, released into the wild theaters, and crashed at the box office. 

The building suspension and hard work made by Clements and Musker went right into the gravel, but why? According to Bobby Berstein on the Nerdmuch website, this cosmic ship should have soared, not sank, “Despite having a talented team of animators and voice actors, the film was a commercial and critical failure, grossing only $38 million domestically against a budget of $140 million.” Unfortunately, the movie sent Disney into debt.  Bernstein claims that the reasons the film utterly failed was because of competing films in the theater like “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” as well as “Die Another Day,” a lack of marketing, an unclear target audience, drastic swings away from  the “traditional” Disney style, a lack of emotional connection, and negative reviews. “While some reviewers praised the film’s visuals and action sequences, others criticized its pacing, lack of emotional depth, and departure from traditional Disney storytelling.”

In “Why Treasure Planet Became One of Disney’s Most Expensive Failures Ever,” Courtney Mason explains how the movie was so expensive to make. The blend of 2D and 3D animation techniques cost a pretty penny. Long John Silver’s character required both hand drawn animation and computer animation to bring his cyborg parts to life, as mentioned previously. Now, imagine the number of animators in a number of departments working on the hand drawn animation alone plus the cost of computer animators and advanced programs. This movie was a fusion between computer animation and hand drawn animation, and with fusions come problem solving and expenses. Most of the backgrounds and special effects were computer animated as well as characters like B.E.N. and parts of Silver. Everything else, including main and background characters, were hand drawn. The directors wanted to make this film majestic, adventurous, and grand like a Steven Spielburg movie. Mason notes that because of the advances in computer animation in Pixar films and the decline of hand drawn animation with its demand of countless workers and longer development cycles, “Treasure Planet” was outdated the day it was released. 

The wholesome and epic story was ahead of its time according to Cameron Gorman on Collider, “Sarah Hawkins (Laurie Metcalf), a put-upon inn owner, is reading a bedtime story to her son Jim. This ordinary scene of domesticity — something that would feel at home in its source material — is suddenly elevated when we see Jim's book. It's more of a hologram show than a traditional novel, the images moving and turning in their own little spaces.” The mix between old fashioned and technology is extremely creative and unique compared to previous Disney animated films, but failed epically in the box office. Gorman also conducts another reason why this film didn’t reach an audience: the main character was too old. If that’s so, I’d say that is completely unfair considering Cinderella was supposedly 19 years old, four years older than Jim Hawkins. Maybe if Disney put a crown on Jim and made him a ‘space prince’ with a love interest, it would’ve received more attention considering the audience at the time was conditioned to consume love stories and happy endings from Disney’s buffet.  

Topic 4 A Cinema Wrestling Match in Theaters 

You might be wondering, “Okay, so what if ‘Treasure Planet’ isn’t a traditional Disney film? So what if these points are valid, how did the film fall so hard then? It couldn’t have been that bad, right?” Yes, the technology was quickly evolving in animation studios, and yes, this film was not your average sing-song Disney delight. However, animators like John Musker and Ron Clements had to face what every filmmaker dreads: the theater competitions. Each film is fighting fist to fist, tooth and nail to earn that ticket. All movies stare each other down in the face across from each other in the filthy, carpeted halls of the movie theaters. Each poster is trying to persuade the consumer, screaming at them, to win over their interest for the sake of a good rating, excellent box office numbers, and maybe even another ticket. 

So Musker and Clement’s studio has shined up and polished off their beautiful creation and sent it off to the gritty audience. Mind you, “Treasure Planet” was released in 2002. Allow me to expand on the competition in 2002 theaters: “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” “Spider-Man,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones,” “Die Another Day,” “Men in Black II,” “Lilo and Stitch,” - must I go on? In the realm of movie lovers all over the world, these films I just mentioned were iconic when they came out. It seems as if almost anyone who dared to challenge these theater titans, were doomed to fail.  

Topic 5 Why Does it Have an Audience Today?

Like a zombie crawling out of a grave, “Treasure Planet” received the audience it deserves 20 years after it was released. The craftsmanship of the hand drawn mixed with computer animation is now seen as legendary. “Silver's cyborg animation, too, remains impressive,” Courtney Mason writes, “ The mechanics of his arm are quite hypnotizing and fascinating to watch. Morph stands out as Disney's signature cute sidekick, and does a wonderful job of being funny and adorable. The script ebbs and flows, with humor being provided by the only entirely CG character in the film, B.E.N. Superior to all, though, is the relationship between Jim and Silver.”

The New York Times wrote in December, 2022 that the film was grossly underappreciated with its striking visuals and relatable character traumas. The New York Times also mentioned how video games, other films, and a negative impression of the rebellious teenage main character could have contributed to the cold shoulder from the public. They expressed how monumental and unique it was to have Jim’s character to be the way it was, “Outside of its irreplicable conception, “Treasure Planet” also tapped into adolescent woes that powerfully spoke to many teens because it treated the flood of emotions young people grapple with as legitimate. The hero here was rough around the edges. For their intergalactic coming-of-age tale, the directors turned Hawkins into a rebellious 15-year-old with a braided rat tail who surfs the skies on a solar-powered board. His father left when he was a child and his loving but worried mother can’t seem to get through to him. To find himself and mature, this brooding heartthrob must leave on an epic quest.” The New York Times acknowledged how much of a relatable role model Jim Hawkins was instead of the trouble-making boy parents and critics saw. “Treasure Planet” also had a very complex and well-crafted relationship between two important characters, Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver. Silver filled that fatherly role that Hawkins was in desperate need of since his father left him at a young age. Silver saw Hawkins as a son and someone to take under his wing, to see the universe with. It was a beautiful complex relationship because Jim Hawkins was the hero, and Long John Silver was soon to be revealed as the leader of the pirates who would hijack the ship. The New York Times recognized this, “Though not a musical, “Treasure Planet” features a touching montage to the tune of the singer’s John Rzeznik’s “I’m Still Here,” a song written for the film, that bridges Hawkins’s abandonment trauma and his burgeoning relationship with Silver, a figure filling that paternal void.” Laura Kelly from Inkverse said something similar about the two character’s relationship, “The central relationship is the father-son bond that develops between John Silver and Jim, who finds encouragement from the pirate that he never received from his distant father. Throughout the story, become more responsible and confident, while Silver gains the capacity to care about another person. That aching search for validation — the need for a flawed role model to tell you how proud they are of you — comes across with a deep emotional maturity in Musker and Clements’s passion project, written with Rob Edwards.” Kelly also mentions how Disney was not a stranger to parental abandonment in story-telling, but the character showing resentment towards the parent is rare. Musker and Clements’ masterpiece was just ahead of its time. Their animated film “Treasure Planet” has managed to find its audience after twenty years like a relic that was forgotten, buried in the ground, and dug up decades later to be discovered as treasure. 

References 

• Gorman, Cameron. (2023, February 5). Why ‘Treasure Planet’ Was Such a Spectacular Sci-Fi Flop. Collider. https://collider.com/treasure-planet-failed/#:~:text=An%20Older%20Protagonist%20and%20Poor,Led%20to%20Treasure%20Planet's%20Failure&text=Despite%20its%20hard%20journey%20to,one%20of%20Disney's%20worst%20failures.  
• Mason, Courtney. (2022, July 23). Why Treasure Planet Became One of Disney’s Most Expensive Failures Ever. Screenrant. https://screenrant.com/treasure-planet-2002-disney-box-office-bomb-cost-reason/
• Bernstein, Bobby. (2023, March 9). Why Disney’s ‘Treasure Planet’ Failed Miserably. Nerd much?. https://www.nerdmuch.com/movies/treasure-planet-failed/
• Kelly, Laura. (2022, November 27). Treasure Planet Was a Box Office Failure, but 20 Years Later, it Found its Audience. Inverse. https://www.inverse.com/culture/treasure-planet-20-year-anniversary
• Aguilar, Carlos. (2022, December 28). ‘Treasure Planet’ at 20: Disney’s Failed Space Odyssey Deserved to Soar. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/movies/treasure-planet-disney.html
• Gladstein, Scott. (2017, March 21). The Bizarre Story of How Treasure Planet Got Made. Medium. https://medium.com/@scottgladstein/the-bizzare-story-of-how-treasure-planet-got-made-bfa184acdd18
• Buhlman, Jocelyn. (2017, November 27). D23 Celebrates 15 Years of ‘Treasure Planet’ with DirectorsRon Clements and John Musker. D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. https://d23.com/d23-celebrates-15-years-treasure-planet-directors-ron-clements-john-musker/
• (2022). Nine Old Mentors: Ron Clements and John Musker’s Reflections. The Walt Disney Family Museum. https://www.waltdisney.org/education/talks/nine-old-mentors-ron-clements-and-john-muskers-reflections
• (2019). The Little Mermaid, 1989. Untitled Art Gallery. https://www.untitledartgallery.com/the-little-mermaid#:~:text=%22The%20Little%20Mermaid%2C%22%201989%20was%20the%20final%20Disney%20film,villain%20a%20much%20bigger%20role. 
• (2024). Animation: Hand Drawn. Into Film. https://www.intofilm.org/films/filmlist/91
• (2024). Cel (Or Traditional) Animation Explained: Definition, Types, and Methods. Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/animation/discover/cel-animation.html
• Hall, Cameron Roy. (2023, January 21). Treasure Planet’s Animation Was Even More 3D Than it Seems. Slash Film. https://www.slashfilm.com/1168766/treasure-planets-animation-was-even-more-3d-than-it-seems/
• https://collider.com/disney-atlantis-the-lost-empire-history-explained/
• https://thejanitorium.home.blog/portfolio/dissecting-the-hate-against-atlantis-the-lost-empire/#:~:text=People%20just%20weren't%20ready,Atlantis%20was%20considered%20too%20edgy. 

Lynd Ward hits all my favorite aspects of the mercurial world of art and design. Here is the son of a leader of the Methodist Church whose work unabashedly depicts the underside of the Depression Era city and the undead creatures of gothic horror (often in the buff). His work embodies the height of graphic narrative and the depth of pulp chunkiness. The elite halls of the gallery and chummy confines of the childrens’ library nook. Comfortable with brush or knife, his work carries an expressionistic zeal to it that would go on to influence comic books, illustration and printmaking well into the 21st. Century. Mighty impressive for a man whose work primarily consisted of no more than 2 to 3 colors per image. 

TIMELINE

• Born 1905, second child to Harry Frederick Ward and Harriet May Kendall Ward, in Chicago Illinois- contract Tuberculosis, prompting move to Lonely Lake, Ontario. Stays sickly as a kid
• 1915. Begins interest in art by reading and copying Dore’s Bible. This is encouraged by mother with trips to art museums in Boston where the family has moved.
• 1922. Attends Teachers College at Columbia University. Meets wife, May McNeer there. 
• 1926. Graduates from Columbia and studied for a year in Leipzig at the Staatliche Akademie für Graphische Kunste und Buchgewerbe. Heavily influenced by working wood engraver Theodore Mueller
• 1927. Discovers the work of Frans Masereel- another major influence, and heads back to US to start working freelance in publishing
• 1928. Begins receiving commissions, working in a variety of formats
• 1929. Publishes Gods’ Man with Cape & Smith Publishing- comes out week of Wall Street Crash but sells more than 20 thousand copies.
• 1930. Publishes Mad Man’s Drum, loses first child after premature birth. Spends Winter in Paris and learns how to play the accordion.
• 1931. Essentially a superstar illustrator at this point, his wife quips that he works from 9 AM to midnight, Seven days a week (good god), apparently he kept this pace into his 60s. Co-founds the Equinox Press.
• 1932. Wild Pilgrimage published by Smith and Haas. (Insane output of work over a 4 year period)
• 1935. Helps found American Artists’ Congress
• 1936: Produces Song Without Words
• 1937. Named supervisor of the Graphic Arts Division of the New york Chapter of the Federal Arts Project. Vertigo is published.  The Haunted Omnibus Published
• 1938. Helps Hans Alexander Mueller and his wife flee Germany, and aids in him getting work, including writing Woodcuts & Wood Engravings: How I Make Them, a process that leads to the dissolving of Equinox. His most ambitious illustration project, over 500 drawings for an edition of Les Miserable is published. (Again, an insane amount of work for 10 years). 
• 1939. Became first Chairman of the Union of American Artists
• 1940. Abandons “woodcut novel” form. Contributes illustration to Psychology study/text Adolescent Fantasy…
• 1943. Illustrates Esther Forbes’s Johnny Tremain, which wins the 1944 Newberry Award and starts long working relationship with Hoghton Mifflin and children’s editor Mary Silva Cosgrave.
• 1945-152. Continues to win awards and rack up work for Houghton Mifflin and places like The Atlantic Monthly
• 1952. Writes and illustrates The Biggest Bear, which would win the Caldecott the following year. 
• 1962- Accepts mural commission from the United Methodist Church- takes 7 years.
• 1965. Nic of the Woods published
• 1966. Gods’ Man and Wild Pilgrimage republished, leading to renewed interest in work as part of the 1960s  counterculture scene.
• 1973. The Silver Pony published
• 1974 Storyteller Without Words Published by Abrams
• 1985 Dies.

REFERENCES

Ward, Lynd (2009). Vertigo: A novel in woodcuts. Dover Publications, Inc.

Ward, Lynd (1974). Storyteller without words; The wood engravings of Lynd Ward. Abrams.

Ward, Lynd (2010). Six novels in woodcuts. Library of America.

Ward, Lynd (1965). Nic of the woods. Houghton Mifflin.

Jones, Stephen (2015). The art of horror: An illustrated history. Applause.

José Guadalupe Posada was a Mexican illustrator who worked in lithography and engraving, he was a very prolific image maker who completed an estimated 20,000 illustrations in his lifetime, with themes ranging from Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead illustrations, political cartoons, popular illustrations, and daily life, as well as illustrations for “shocking” crime stories. He was also known to have created illustrations for a number of children’s books in the form of cheaply printed chapbooks with the printer Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, making them accessible to wide audiences. Yet despite his enduring legacy, his contributions are not often discussed in histories of graphic design, yet his story reveals a deep history of image making and mass production of images in Mexico, which includes the foundation of the Taller de Gráfica Popular, a collective founded by Leopoldo Méndez, Luis Arenal, and Pablo O’Higgins. Posada’s popular Day of the Dead icons, such as the Calavera Catrina, have captured the hearts and imaginations of many. Born in 1852 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, he made his way to Mexico City after a devastating flood upended his life. It is perhaps this move that allowed his work to be “discovered” by artists and historians after his untimely death in 1913. Though his work has been recognized by art historians, and he has been honored with a number of posthumous exhibitions of his work around the world, there is still work to be done to include his story in histories of graphic design. His images were geared to popular audiences, and a wide range of people had access to them and enjoyed them in his lifetime.

1852 - Born, February 2, Aguascalientes, Mexico
1860s - receives drawing instruction Municipal Academy of Drawing in Aguascalientes
1867 - Census records Posada as a Painter
1868 - Begins working with Trinidad Pedroza
1871 - First political Cartoon published in El Jicote
1872 - Pedroza and Posada move to León
1876 - Takes charge of Pedroza print shop
1888 - Moves to Mexico City
1888-90 - collaborates with the newspaper La Patria Ilustrada and the Revisita de Mexico
1910 - The Mexican Revolution begins
1913 - Died, January 20, Mexico City, Mexico
1920 - The Mexican Revolution ends
1937 - Taller de Gráfica Popular, collective founded by Leopoldo Méndez, Luis Arenal, and Pablo O’Higgins

Acosta, T. (2023, September 19). Dia de los Muertos: Its rich history, traditions and why not all Mexicans celebrate it. Arizona Republic. https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/holidays/2023/09/19/origin-of-day-of-the-dead/70489251007/

Aguilar Montes de Oca, R. I. (2016). The Day of the Dead: One Ritual, NewFolk Costumes, and Old Identities. Folklore (Tartu, Estonia), 66, 95.

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, October 19). León. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Leon-Mexico

Bunker, S. B. (2012). Creating Mexican consumer culture in the age of Porfirio Díaz. University of New Mexico Press.

Casillas, M. L. (2013). Posada & Manilla: Illustrations for Mexican Fairy Tales. RM.

Doyle, S., Grove, J., & Whitney, S. (Eds.). (2019). History of Illustration. Fairchild Books.

Frank, P. (1998). Posada’s Broadsides: Mexican popular imagery, 1890-1910. University of New Mexico Press.

Greenspan, J. (2018, August 31). 6 things you may not know about the Mexican Revolution. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-mexican-revolution

Kennedy, P. (2022, December 7). José Guadalupe Posada: Skulls, Skeletons and Macabre Mischief. Illustration Chronicles. https://illustrationchronicles.com/Jose-Guadalupe-Posada-Skulls-Skeletons-and-Macabre-Mischief

Lagasse, P., & Columbia University. (2018). Díaz, Porfirio. In The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press.

Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. (n.d.). Posada. https://www.posada-art-foundation.com/about-posada

Mexico. (n.d.). RSF. https://rsf.org/en/country/mexico

Recalls Disaster of 1888.; HUGE WATER WALL HITS LEON, MEXICO. (1926, June 25). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1926/06/25/archives/recalls-disaster-of-1888-huge-water-wall-hits-leon-mexico.html

Short biography — The Jean Charlot Foundation. (n.d.). The Jean Charlot Foundation. https://www.jeancharlot.org/short-biography

Taller de Gráfica Popular (Mexico City, Mexico) | The Art Institute of Chicago. (2001, July 4). The Art Institute of Chicago. https://www.artic.edu/artists/72887/taller-de-grafica-popular-mexico-city-mexico

Tyler, R. (1979). Posada’s Mexico. Library of Congress.

From its origins in the 1950s from the pages of books to software like MacDraw in the 1980s to CD Roms, and finally moving online in the 1990s, Clip Art’s evolution took place along with that of graphic design. Even though clip art was mostly created by unnamed designers and illustrators and sold in packages or libraries, there are many important figures we know of whose clip art contributed to the history of graphic design. Joan Shogren, an early computer art pioneer and clip art designer; Frank Fruznya, whose iconic clip art defined an era; and Sean Tejaratchi, whose cult hit zine series Crap Hound celebrates Clip Art and visually meditates on social issues. Ultimately, clip art is a misunderstood element of graphic design that holds an essential place in its history. Clip art in many ways paved the way for stock photo and stock illustration use that is common practice among designers today.

1928 – Tom Tierney born in Beaumont, Texas 
1928–  Dan X. Solo born
1932 – Joan Shogren born 
1941 – Dover Publications founded 
1947 – Jean Larcher born in Rennes, France 
1949 – Tierney graduates from the University of Austin in Texas, majoring in painting and sculpture 
1950s – Clip Art began to be produced in books for commercial sale, such as The Volk Corporation
1951 – Tierney serves in the US Military for 3 years
1952 – Frank Fruznya, prolific Clip Art illustrator, born in Illinois
1953 – Tierney movies to NYC to work as a fashion illustrator 
1954 – Art Chantry born 
1960s – Tom B. Sawyer created Clip Art for Harry Volk Jr’s Volk & Co’s “Clip Book of Line Art”series
1963 – Shogren designs set of rules to make the first computer art with Jim Larsen and Dr. Ralph Fessenden’s assistance at San Jose Univeristy in California 
1963 – “Cybernation” exhibition of early computer art featuring Shogren took place at the San Jose State Partna Book Store 
1962 – Solotype founded 
1965 – Larcher graduates after  studying  typographic art at the Paris Chaamber of Commerce 
1969 – Artist and illustrator Mitch O’Connell starts to freelance Clip Art illustration for Dynamic Graphics 
1970s – Dover begins publishing Clip Art books 
1970 – Sean Tejartchi born 
1973 –  Larcher begins freelance design work 
1974 –  Fruznya started to work for H&R; then was recruited to work for Dynamic Graphics 
1976 – Tierney publishes his first paper doll book, “Thirty from the 30s” which attracted the attention of Dover 
1979 – Peter Roizen and Heidi Roizen, brother and sister, co-found T/Maker 
1981 –  IBM introduces the first personal computer 
1983 –  Heidi Roizen takes over as president at T/Maker 
1983 – ImageWriter printer released
1983 – VCN ExecuVision published IBM’s first Clip Art library 
1984 – Shogren starts to work for T/Maker for ClickArt 
1984 – T/Maker releases ClickArt Publications digital Clip Art collection 
1984 –  Brad Fregger creates Clip Art for Activision 
1984 –  Nova Development founded 
1984 – MacPaint comes pre installed on Macintosh computers 
1985 – “The Year of the Computer” mass production of personal computers helps change the world 
1985 – LaserWriter printer is introduced
1986 –  Graphic Source published Clip Art Books 
1986 – Apple introduces the Macintosh Computer 
1986 – Mac Plus released 
1987 – MacPaint to longer pre installed on Macintosh computers
1987 –  T/Maker introduced first vector Clip Art made with Adobe Illustrator 
1988 – Adobe Systems released Adobe Illustrator 
1989 –  Company 3G Graphics published “Images with Impact!” 
1994 – Crap Hound first published 
1994 – Deluxe Corp buys remaining software lines from T/Maker, including ClickArt 
1996 – Zedcor was the first company to offer Clip Art images as part of an online subscription service
1996 – Microsoft began to include Clip Art in it’s built in libraries 
1996 – Animation Factory founded 
1998-2001 – T/Makers ClickArt library sold each year due to large mergers and acquisitions to companies like Mattel and The Learning Company
1998 – Crap Hound ceases publishing 
1999 – Animation Factory sold 
2003 – Fruznya quits Dynamic Graphics after anonymously being the Clip Art world’s star illustrator in the 80s and 90s 
2005 – Jupitermedia purchased Creatas, now owning all of Dynamic Grapahic’s clip art library 
2005 – Tejaratchi begins to publish Crap Hound again 
2009 –  Jupitermedia went out of business
2009 –  Fruzyna moves to Paradise, Michigan with his partner to paint 
2012 –  Solo passes away
2014 –  Tierney passes away 
2014 –  Microsoft discontinues it’s Clip Art library in favor of Bing Image Search 
2015 – Dat Boi, an Animation Factory asset, becomes an early internet meme 
2015 – Larcher passes away 

Arntson, Amy E. (1988). Graphic Design Basics. Saunders College Publishing. 

Borrell, J. (1988, January). Verbatim: An Interview With Heidi Roizen. MacWorld, 74–86. 

Boudrot, T. (1989, October). New Graphics Take the Rough Edges Off Clip Art. Electronic Learning, 9(2), 54–56. 

Brock, D. C. (2019, October 8). Slide logic: The emergence of presentation software and the Prehistory of PowerPoint. Computer History Museum. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://computerhistory.org/blog/slide-logic-the-emergence-of-presentation-software-and-the-prehistory-of-powerpoint/?key=slide-logic-the-emergence-of-presentation-software-and-the-prehistory-of-powerpoint

Chantry, A., & Rochester Monica René. (2015). Art Chantry Speaks: A Heretic's history of 20th-century graphic design. Feral House. 

Clip Art Images: Definition, history, examples and sources. blog.icons8.com. (2020, September 7). Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://blog.icons8.com/articles/clip-art-images/

Cretan, J. (2011). Macpaint.org: Clip Art Historical Gallery. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from http://www.macpaint.org/clipart.html

 Devroye, L. (n.d.). Dan X. Solo. Luc Devroye, School of Computer Science, McGill University. http://luc.devroye.org/solo.html

Eskilson, S. (2019). Graphic design: A New History. Yale University Press. 

Fregger, B. (2018, November). Joan Shogren Computer Art Pioneer. http://fregger.com/Joan/index.html

Garber, M. (2014, December 2). A Eulogy to Clip Art, in Clip Art. The Atlantic. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/12/a-eulogy-to-clipart-in-clipart/383322/

Grant-Marsh, S. (Ed.). (1994, September). Editors' Choice: The Best Products Featured in MacWorld. MacWorld, 201–221. 

Heller, S. (2012, May 25). Dan X. Solo, Type Revivalist, Dies. PRINT Magazine. https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/dan-x-solo-type-revivalist-dies/

Heller, S. (2022, June 6). The Daily Heller: Art Chantry Reconsidered in His Own Words. PRINT Magazine. https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-the-real-art-chantry-reconsidered/

Heid­­, J. (1987, August). Getting Started with Macintosh Graphics. MacWorld, 193–202. 

Historic Zinesters Talking. (2009, October 24). Crap Hound Zine -- Sean Tejaratchi. Slide Share. https://www.slideshare.net/StaffDay/crap-hound-zine-sean-tejaratchi

Leifpeng. (2008, June 19). Tom Sawyer and Harry Volk. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2008/06/tom-sawyer-and-harry-volk_19.html.

Lopez, G. (2016, May 27). Dat boi, explained. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2016/5/27/11789968/dat-boi-o-shit-waddup

Mak, A. (2022, March 29). A Reminder That GIFs Didn’t Always Move. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/technology/2022/03/the-history-of-gifs.html

Manely, D. (2016, December 2). History of clip art via Wikipedia. OldCuts. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.oldcuts.co/blogs/news/history-of-clip-art-via-wikipedia

Middleton, C., & Herriot, L. (2007). Instant graphics: Source and remix images for professional design. RotoVision. 

Original Apple Macintosh 18 Page Brochure (Dec 1983). DigiBarn ads: Original Apple Macintosh 18 Page Brochure (Dec 1983). (1998). Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.digibarn.com/collections/ads/apple-mac/index.htm.

Paper Doll Author Tom Tierney. (2022). Dover Publications. https://www.doverpublications.com/tomtierney/

Pot, J. (2014, December 5). Clip Art is gone! here's how to find free images instead. MUO. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/clip-art-gone-heres-find-free-images-instead/

 Sandberg-Diment, E. (1985, November 26). Personal Computers; Desktop Publishing Comes of Age . New York Times, p. 4. 

Sanders, S., & Larchuk, T. (2014, December 3). Microsoft says goodbye to clip art. NPR. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/12/02/368060012/microsoft-says-goodbye-to-clip-art

Sawyer, T. B. (n.d.). Illustration Artwork. Thomas B. Sawyer. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from http://thomasbsawyer.com/illustrationartwork.html

 Solenthaler, B. (2021, November). The Bart&Co.. historic clip art collection. Flickr. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/bartsol/sets/72157627595663028.

Smith, E. (2018, August 30). The history of Clip Art: They sold it in books. Tedium. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://tedium.co/2018/08/30/clip-art-history/

Sutton, B. (2014, December 4). In honor of the death of Clip Art, a brief illustrated history of Clip Art. Hyperallergic. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://hyperallergic.com/166533/in-honor-of-the-death-of-clip-art-a-brief-illustrated-history-of-clip-art/

Tejaratchi, S. (2014). Crap Hound (Vol. 5). Show & Tell Press. 

The Microsoft 365 Marketing Team, & Thomas, D. (2014, December 14). CLIP art is now powered by Bing Images. Microsoft 365 Blog. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2014/12/01/clip-art-now-powered-bing-images/

Tom Tierney Studios. (n.d.). Tom Tierney Studios. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://www.tomtierneystudios.com/

Vogt, P. J., & Goldman, A. (Hosts). (2016, April 14). Bbay King (No. 61) [Audio podcast episode]. In Reply all. Gimlet. https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/emhwx6/61-baby-king

Zantal-Wiener, A. (2017, August 27). Clip art through the years: A nostalgic look back. HubSpot Blog. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/clip-art-history

Most books, not all, but most, follow conventions of book design that have been in place for literally hundreds of years. With very few exceptions, it wasn’t until the 1960s when authors began to play around with story structure that there were any books that also played with the structure of the book itself. And it was later still that graphic design started adding another layer to the storytelling in popular literature. The colors, the typography, the page layouts all came to be used in service of the story. In House of Leaves, when the story starts getting really weird, so does the page layout. In The Illuminae Files, the pages look like reports, transcriptions, and electronic messages and include diagrams and drawings. These books, and the others like them, ask something extra of the reader, but give back an experience that may delight some and infuriate others. However readers feel about this type of weird book design, these books push the boundaries of book design into new and exciting territory.

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
theMystery.doc by Matthew McIntosh
The Black Locomotive by Rian Hughes
Only Revolutions by Mark Z. Danielewski
Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar
Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas
The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer
Parabola by Lily Hoang
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia
Maxwell’s Demon by Steven Hall

Aarseth, E. (1997). Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Abrams, J.J. & Dorst, D. (2013). S. New York: Mulholland Books.

CloudCuckooCountry. (2022, November 15). Ergodic Literature: The Weirdest Book Genre [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/tKX90LbnYd4?si=GYwECYZ4FdOzF9SO

Coe, J. (2011, October 28). Composition No. 1 by Marc Saporta - review. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/28/composition-no-1-saporta-review

Danielewski, M. Z. (2000). House of Leaves. New York: Pantheon Books.

Digital Humanities Initiative. (2019, March 14). Mark Z. Danielewski at SDSU Library, Standard Video [Video} YouTube. https://youtu.be/wwCp8Y6k_BI?si=s7zFZZOpPDuIXBrm

Forbidden Planet TV. (2021, July 29). Rian Hughes Stokes up the Black Locomotive [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/emge3qLMatM?si=WNWzNZgXrHwNA-mz

Hill. L. (2013, October 27). A Long Time Ago, in A Universe More Analog. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/books/j-j-abrams-and-doug-dorst-collaborate-on-a-book-s.html

Hughes, R. (2020). XX. New York: The Overlook Press.

Kaufman, A. & Kristof, J. (2015). Illuminae. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Kaufman, A. & Kristof, J. (2016). Gemina. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Kaufman, A. & Kristof, J. (2018). Obsidio. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Little Book Owl. (2015, December 15). Q&A w/ Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristof [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/jZ3_ulIEEe4?si=c6mXnEdBKTLaf5Ju

Roth, G. [VMSpod]. (2023, July 12). Virtual Memories #546 - Rian Hughes [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js0DYgMzKwQ

Roth, G. [VMSpod]. (2020, November 24). Virtual Memories #409 - Rian Hughes [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Iw_kuUqxyjM?si=8J9cEIZa2P5ToJHq

Star Sessions. (2014, May 18). J.J. Abrams & Doug Dorst Delve into S: A Multi-Layered Book Experience [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Adpb9Dn0PoM?si=lHXLynpj5Oj7fq07

Tales of the Ravenous Reader. (2018, April 11). Interview w/ Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristof | The Illuminae Files [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/gJl4eDRDM04?si=qetFYjnb9KIx6kOh

Talks at Google. (2016, August 11). The Familiar|Mark Z. Danielewski|Talks at Google [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/mw0bGiVDTMI?si=mn19emWU4ttp_CWh

Tyer, B. (2014, February 20). Untangling S., Doug Dorst’s Novel Within a Novel. Texas Observer. https://www.texasobserver.org/untangling-s-doug-dorsts-novel-within-novel/

Zambra, A. (2014). Multiple Choice. New York: Penguin Books.

The History of Tarot decks intersects with symbology, or the study of symbols as well as their history, mass production of text and images, and popular culture, all of which are fields of study in the history of graphic design, and yet this subject has not been included in mainstream histories of design. Is this a reflection of the mystical, romanticized history of the cards, and one that implies a connection to divination or fortune telling? It is also a history that connects with the history of alchemy, and science, as well as with religious studies, esoterism, and occult, and yet the cards themselves emerged from secular roots. Tarot cards are not quite viewed as art and yet not celebrated as graphic design. The cards began as a simple game in Renaissance Italy, only gaining their association with esoterism in the 1700s when they were falsely connected with Hermeticism, and instilled with a completely fabricated Egyptian heritage. This history grew to include a connection to secret societies. Some of the most well-known decks of the 20th century and beyond were illustrated by women, including Moina Mathers, Lady Freida Harris, and Pamela Colman Smith and yet they are more associated with the men who dictated their design. Tarot cards have continued to evolve, transitioning away from being viewed as a tool for fortune telling and toward a new age tool for self-reflection, introspection, and self-help.

1430s – Tarochi card game invented in Itlay
1450 – Visconti-Sforza deck made by Bonifacio Bembo
1491 – Sola-Busca deck made by Nicola di maestro Antonio
1770 – Jean Baptiste Alliette publishes  A Way to Entertain Oneself With Cards
1776 – Antoine Court de Gebelin associates Tarot with esoterism and the occult
1781 – Antoine Court de Gebelin publishes Le Monde Primitif or the Primeval World
1855  – Éliphas Lévi piublishes Transcendental Magic
1888 – Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn founded
1906 – Jugendstil Tarot Deck designed by Ditha Moser 
1907 – Images of the Sola Busca deck donated to the British Museum 
1910 – Waite & Pamela Coleman Smith collaborate on the Waite Colman Smith Deck historically known as the Rider Waite deck
1944 – Aleister Crowley writes The Book of Toth, cards and illustrations by Lady Frieda Harris
1973 – The Tarot of Witches deck is created by Scottish artist and illustrator Fergus Hall for the film Live and Let Die
1977 – The Waite Colman Smith Deck goes into mass production
1978 – The Fantod Pack, a Parody deck designed by Edward Gorey is published
1984 – Mary K. Greer writes Tarot for yourself
1984 – Salvador Dali produces his Tarot deck 
1992 –  HIV Tarot produced by artist Kim Abeles

Archetype. (2016). In J. L. Longe (Ed.), Gale Virtual Reference Library: The Gale encyclopedia of psychology (3rd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galegp/archetype/0?institutionId=1845

Auger, E. E. (2004). Tarot and Other Meditation Decks: History, Theory, Aesthetics, Typology. McFarland.

Boley, M. (2023, April 10). Oracle Decks: What They Are and How To Use Them - Mental Musings - Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/musings-with-meg/oracle-decks-what-they-are-and-how-to-use-them-c037251a7a84

Dummett, M. (2007). Six XV-Century Tarot Cards: Who Painted Them? Artibus et Historiae, 28(56), 15–26. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20067158

Farley, H. (2009). A cultural history of tarot : From entertainment to esotericism. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Farley. (2006). The evolution of the 'mother' in Tarot. Hecate, 32(2), 68–87.

Gerstler, A. (1994). Kim Abeles. www.artforum.com. https://www.artforum.com/print/reviews/199401/kim-abeles-54441

Grimoire. (2007). In U. McGovern (Ed.), Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. Chambers Harrap. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/chambun/grimoire/0?institutionId=1845

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. (2007). In U. McGovern (Ed.), Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. Chambers Harrap. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/chambun/hermetic_order_of_the_golden_dawn/0?institutionId=1845

Hundley, J., Fiebig, J., & Kroll, M. (2020). Tarot. Taschen.

Maille, P. (2021). The Cards: The Evolution and Power of Tarot.

Parkinson, N. (2013). The Colour Reference Library, Royal College of Art, London. Journal of Design History. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/ept004

Richman-Abdou, K. (2020). The spellbinding history of tarot cards, from a mainstream card game to a magical ritual. My Modern Met. https://mymodernmet.com/history-of-tarot-cards/

Roya, W. (2019). Debunking common myths about playing cards - Tarot & China. PlayingCardDecks.com. https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/debunking-common-myths-about-playing-cards-tarot-cards

Schechter. (2020). Tarot's Italian Roots: For Devotees Of This 600-Year-Old Esoteric Art, A Trip To Milan Is In The Cards. National Geographic, 237(2), 34.

Schneider, M. (2015, February 24). Edward Gorey’s ‘anxious, irritable’ tarot card set is predictably perfect. DangerousMinds. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/edward\_goreys\_tarot\_card\_set

tarot. (2007). In U. McGovern (Ed.), Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. Chambers Harrap. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/chambun/tarot/0?institutionId=1845

Waite, A(rthur) E(dward) (1857–1942). (2007). In U. McGovern (Ed.), Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. Chambers Harrap. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/chambun/waite_a_rthur_e_dward_1857_1942/0?institutionId=1845

Wintle, S. (2022, July 17). A Moorish Sheet of Playing Cards — The World of Playing Cards. The World of Playing Cards. https://www.wopc.co.uk/spain/moorish/a-moorish-sheet-of-playing-cards

Wintle, S. (2023, July 19). Mamluk Playing Cards — The World of Playing Cards. The World of Playing Cards. https://www.wopc.co.uk/egypt/mamluk

The history of graphic design has traditionally skewed toward designers from white hegemony. Where white men (and some women) tend to fill the pages, webpages, and galleries that celebrate design. As humanity evolves, we must realize the value of making space for more diverse voices in the design world. This episode elevates Black designers who have successfully fought against the forces of white supremacy and oppression to take back control of representation. Starting with Abolitionist broadsides, this episode examines how mostly white creators of broadsides, used to support the antislavery movement, were hindered by what we now call the “White Savior Complex” and that the tone of abolitionist imagery and vocabulary was marked by the perceived superiority of the white Northern audience. Next, we look to the famous “I AM A MAN” protest signs of the Civil Rights marches. These protest signs have endured and evolved into modern iterations as a piece of living history highlighting the fight for racial equality which continues to be an inspiration for art and design practices today.  The episode also takes a deep dive into the life and work of Archie Boston. Archie Boston is a graphic designer known for creating subversive, self-aware work in the advertising and design industry. The genius of his designs is that he often appropriates and retrofits racist imagery, similar to how Black vernacular has reclaimed certain racial slurs. Rounding out the discussion is a survey of current design collectives and groups of professional creatives such as the Design Justice Network. This episode discovers insightful parallels between Black representation in the Abolition era and today, clearly demonstrating that the best advocates for Black freedom and equality are Black people. Graphic design in the hands of Black activists becomes a powerful force for positive change and strengthening communities.

1943 – b Clewiston, Florida 
1961 – started attending Chouinard Art Institute
1964 – interned at Carson/Roberts
1965 – worked at Hixson And Jorgensen Advertising
1966 – became art director at Botsford Ketchum
1967 – started Boston & Boston Design with his brother Bradford
1969 – left Boston & Boston and rejoined Botsford Ketchum
1973 – started Archie Boston Design 
1977 – received master’s degree from the University of Southern California
1977 – started lecturing at California State University Long Beach (CSULB)
2001 – published Fly in the Buttermilk: Memoirs of an African American in Advertising Design & Design Education
2009 – published Lil' Colored Rascals in the Sunshine City

1830s – Abolitionist Broadsides, weaponized advocating to free slaves
1900 – WEB Du Bois and Black Data, Infographic Activism
1963 – March on Washington protest signs.
1966 – Boston and Boston advertisements, “Ku Klux Klan”, “For Sale”
1968 – I AM A MAN, Memphis Sanitation Strike
1980s – Archie Boston Graphic Design, “I don’t want to marry your daughter”
2016/2017 – Martin Typeface designed by Tré Seals inspired by I AM A MAN, Memphis Sanitation Strike posters
2021 – Black lives matter protest posters

Archie Boston Graphic Design files. (n.d.). Online Archive of California. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8183dtf/

Archie Boston papers, 1963-2018 and undated - Archives & Manuscripts at Duke University Libraries. (n.d.). David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/bostonarchie

Barrett, L. (2014, February 12). “Am I not a man and a brother?” : The political power of the image. The Black Atlantic. https://sites.duke.edu/blackatlantic/2014/02/10/am-i-not-a-man-and-a-brother-the-political-power-of-the-image/

Barry, N. (2022, January 4). Project 3, Phase 1: - Nouria Barry - Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/@nouriabarry/project-3-phase-1-e6fe0757b57b

Black Disabled Lives Matter Riso Poster with Stickers Pack Bundle — jenwhitejohnson.com. (n.d.). https://jenwhitejohnson.com/Black-Disabled-Lives-Matter-Riso-Poster-with-Stickers-Pack-Bundle

Boston, A. (2001). Fly in the buttermilk: Memoirs of an African American in Advertising, Design & Design Education.

Boston, A. (2009). Lil’ colored rascals in the Sunshine city.

Daniel, J. (2015, February 18). Four Corners – an interview with Archie Boston. Design Week. https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/september-2013/four-corners-an-interview-with-archie-boston/

Epplett, A. (2022). Abolitionist Broadsides and Anti-Slavery Imagery — Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture. Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture. https://cmsmc.org/publications/abolitionist-and-anti-slavery-imagery

Frederick Douglass Project: In the Classroom: the Abolitionist Movement Packet | RBSCP. (n.d.). https://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/2890

Gaiter, C. (n.d.). Strikethrough: Typography Messages of Protest for Civil Rights. https://archive.bipocdesignhistory.com/. https://archive.bipocdesignhistory.com/ST-General

Hayes, J. (2021). Africobra: Messages to the people.

Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography (HMCT). (2020, October 21). Archie Boston lecture [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe5EVDoySwc

Jan. 6, 1832: New England Anti-Slavery Society founded - Zinn Education Project. (2023, January 18). Zinn Education Project. https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/anti-slavery-society/

McDonald, A. (2019, September 12). New Exhibit: “No One Can Suppress Archie Boston” - The Devil’s Tale. Duke University Libraries. https://blogs.library.duke.edu/rubenstein/2019/09/12/new-exhibit-no-one-can-suppress-archie-boston/

Munro, S. (2021, July 27) Zoom Interview Archie Boston and the Author.

Rapp, A. (September 1, 2008). "Archie Boston's Design Journey". AIGA. Retrieved 2022-01-28. 

Reckdahl, K., & Rabut, A. (2020, March 12). This New Orleans artist challenges the way people see things. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/arts/bmike-artist-new-orleans.html

Toppins, A. (2020, August 18). Beyond the Bauhaus: I AM A MAN. AIGA Design Educators Community. https://educators.aiga.org/beyond-the-bauhaus-i-am-a-man/

George Herriman was a cartoonist, illustrator, and pioneer of the cartoon comics genre, and is perhaps most known for his long-running and wildly popular comic strip Krazy Kat. Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, and  John Jacob Astor, a wealthy business tycoon, were some of the famous fans of Herriman’s comics. Astor went so far as to name his dog Ignatz for the mouse that was Krazy Kat’s constant companion. Herriman’s work was not only popular but also influential and was said to have inspired cartoonists Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the strip Mutts, and Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes. There are even rumors that Walt Disney was inspired by Krazy Kat in his creation of Mickey Mouse, and visual similarities between the two characters are striking. Krazy Kat wasn’t just a goofy comic strip as it also provided social commentary containing themes of spirituality, surrealism, philosophy, literary allegories, the study of phrenology, as well as veiled commentary on racism. Although subtle, his allegories about racism reflect his opinion on the absurdity of social, economic, and political discrimination based on skin color. Many of the storylines in Krazy Kat were in fact hidden reflections of the artist’s own struggles, as a Creole man of mixed-race heritage, passing for white even at the time of his death. Herriman knew the consequences that would ensue if anyone found out about his racial ancestry, he intended his secret to die with him and not even his own daughters knew.

1880 – b New Orleans, Louisiana 
1890 – Herriman and family moved from Louisiana to LA; likely begins passing as white
1892 – Attended St. Vincent's Collegiate course 
1896 – 16, Herriman joined the St. Vincent Lyceum; Excelled at Honors English, penmanship, geography, languages 
1897 – Herriman worked at the first newspaper The Los Angeles Herald at 17 years old; Made first illustrations there. 
1901 – Herriman first meets William Randolph Hearst & works for Evening Journal New York American. 
1902 – Herriman married Mabel Lillian Bridge
1901-1922 –  Herriman moved across the country working for multiple printing agencies 
1911 – Krazy Kat & Ignatz's 1st official appearance under The Dingbat Family comics. 
1913 – Krazy Kat finally is a stand-alone comic strip for The Evening Journal. 
1922 – Permanent residence in LA under different papers for William Randolph Hearst from 1922 to his death. 
1944 – died in his sleep at the age of 64
1971 – Herriman’s racial identity is discovered by Arthur Berger

Bellot, G. (2017, January 19). The gender fluidity of Krazy Kat. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-gender-fluidity-of-krazy-kat

Fikes, R. (2021, January 19). George Joseph Herriman (1880-1944) https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/herriman-george-joseph-1880-1944/

Tisserand, M. (2016). Krazy: George Herriman, A life black and white. HarperCollinsPublishers 

Walker, T. (2020, February 20). Influential comic artist George Herriman. The Dream Foundry. https://dreamfoundry.org/2020/02/14/influential-comic-artist-george-herriman/

An indigenous cowboy-artist from small-town Oklahoma, Tommy Wayne Cannon was born to Caddo and Kiowa parents in the Fall of 1946. Growing up he attended school in Gracemont and took an interest in the arts. As an adolescent, Cannon was self-taught in the arts and entered his works in regional art competitions through the Southern Plains Indian Museum. His success in these competitions, as well as his proficiency in multiple mediums, won him a scholarship to the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was here that Cannon’s passion for art was met with an environment of tools and people that allowed for further exploration and refinement of his skills. In school, Cannon adopted his moniker “T. C.” Cannon, which is how he would be known professionally once his career began. The IAIA was not accredited as a College at the time, so Cannon enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute but was disappointed in the lack of community he had grown accustomed to at the IAIA. He dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, serving in combat in the late-stage offensives of the Vietnam War. Upon returning he attended Central State University (now UCO) in Edmond, Oklahoma where he met his wife, Barbara. Upon graduation, he produced work for a showcase alongside one of his IAIA mentors that toured the US and Europe. In preparation for his next showcase, solo at the Arbach Gallery in NYC, Cannon spent six years in his studio creating a large body of work. Tragically, just a few months prior to his showcase in May of 1978, Cannon was killed in a car accident in Santa Fe. He was only 31 years old.

1946 — Born in Lawton Oklahoma
1961 — Age of 15, sold his first works to the Southern Plains Indian Museum
1964 — Enrolled in the Institute of American Indian Arts
1965 — The Voting Rights Act assured Native Americans right to vote
1967 — Begins tour of Vietnam under the 101st Airborne; While away, Rosemary Ellison included him in a traveling exhibition
1968 — Returns from war
1972 — Finishes his degree at Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts
1972 — Included in, and toured with, a Smithsonian exhibit. Over the next six years he would go on to produce a large body of work in anticipation of his solo showcase.
1975 — Became Artist-in-Residence at Dartmouth.
1978 — Died in a car crash in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Aged 31 years old.
1978 — His showcase is posthumously  opened at the Arbach Gallery in New York
1988 — Inducted into the National Hall of Fame for Famous American Indians

101st Airborne Division - Army Unit Directory. (n.d.). Together We Served. https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=PublicUnit&type=Unit&ID=231#membersinthisunit

101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) :: FORT CAMPBELL. (n.d.). US Army. https://home.army.mil/campbell/index.php/101st

Action Painting & Gestural Painting | IAIA - Action/Abstraction Redefined. (n.d.). IAIA - Action/Abstraction Redefined. https://abstraction.iaia.edu/exhibition/action-gestural/?page=3

Color Field Painting movement Overview. (n.d.). The Art Story. https://www.theartstory.org/movement/color-field-painting/

Fauntleroy, G. (2018, July 16). Perspective: T.C. Cannon [1946–1978]. Western Art & Architecture. https://westernartandarchitecture.com/august-september-2018/perspective-t-c-cannon-1946-1978

Fritz Scholder | Biography. (n.d.). Fritz Scholder official Website. http://www.fritzscholder.com/biography.php

Kapplow, H., & Kapplow, H. (2018). The Bold Yet Too-Brief Art Career of T.C. Cannon. Hyperallergic. https://hyperallergic.com/446024/tc-cannon-peabody-essex-museum/

Krutak, L. (2018, January 23). Treasures Of The Iacb: T.C. Cannon, Who Shot The Arrow, Who Killed The Sparrow (1970). U.S. Department of The Interior. https://www.doi.gov/iacb/treasures-iacb-tc-cannon-who-shot-arrow-who-killed-sparrow-1970

Levy, M. (n.d.). TC Cannon. Medic in the Green Time. http://medicinthegreentime.com/tc-cannon/

Making History: Celebrating 60 years of IAIA and 50 years of MOCNA. (2022). Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). https://iaia.edu/making-history-celebrating-60-years-of-iaia-and-50-years-of-mocna/

New Mexico Red : T. C. Cannon : Color Field Paintings | IAIA - Action/Abstraction Redefined. (n.d.). IAIA - Action/Abstraction Redefined. https://abstraction.iaia.edu/exhibition/color-field/detail.php?artwork=t-c-cannon--new-mexico-red-1967

On Drinking Beer In Vietnam in 1967 , Edition 6-100 | Cannon, T. C. (Caddo/Kiowa). (n.d.). New Mexico Digital Collections. https://nmdigital.unm.edu/digital/collection/mcna/id/1154/

Pallant, C. (2015, March 4). The Essence of Forever. This Land Press - Made by You and Me. https://thislandpress.com/2015/03/04/the-essence-of-forever/

Purvis, R. (n.d.). SFAI and IAIA. ORBITS. https://matrix277.org/Object-61

Schjeldahl, P. (2019, April 8). T. C. Cannon’s Blazing Promise. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/15/t-c-cannons-blazing-promise-peter-schjeldahl

T.C. Cannon. (n.d.). Pierson Gallery, American Fine Art & Antiques – Tulsa, OK. https://piersongallery.com/t-c-cannon.html

TC Cannon. (n.d.). Windsor Betts. https://windsorbetts.com/artist/tc-cannon

T.C Cannon: At The Edge of America | PEM Native American Art. (n.d.). PEM | Peabody Essex Musuem. https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/t-c-cannon-at-the-edge-of-america

Watson, M. J. (n.d.). Cannon, Tommy Wayne. Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS. https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CA044

Waiting for the Bus (Anadarko Princess) by T.C. Cannon.

 (n.d.). Oklahoma Arts Council. 

https://www.arts.ok.gov/art_at_the_capitol/State_Art_Collection.php?c=sac&awid=177

Women have long been a part of bookmaking, design, and publishing, dating as far back as handmade illuminated manuscripts, created before the printing press. In the 18th and 19th centuries, women were known to run some very successful book binderies, including Jane Steel, Katherine Waghorn, Jane Aitken, and Lorina Watkins. Most often women took over when their husbands or fathers died. Other women supported their husbands' work by setting type, such as Bertha Goudy, wife of noted book and type designer Frederic Goudy. Women also became very successful book designers following the era of book reform known as the Arts & Crafts period which resulted in the Private Press Movement. The Private Press movement was concerned with making high-quality books that were beautiful expressions of book design and a departure from the low-quality mass-produced books emerging from the industrial age and the Victorian era. Women were gaining entry into the design world as part of the Arts & Crafts movement, schools associated with the movement were cropping up all over Europe and in the United States as well, and women were enrolling in these schools in numbers not seen before. Historians note the high number of women who matriculated from the Glasgow Arts & Crafts school surpassed the number of men. As such it makes sense that we would find women designers in the history of the Private Press movement. Designers such as Margaret Armstrong and Amy Sacker designed book covers and interior pages during the era. Primarily ignored in many histories of art and design is the history of bookbinding. However, this history is also tied to the Arts & Crafts and the Private Press movement, bookbinding was another avenue of paid labor for women.

10th Century – Ende, Spanish Illuminator of Manuscripts signs her work
18th Century –  women begin owning and operating bookbinderies; women and girls were also employed in large numbers folding and stitching pages
1839 – Jane Burden (Morris), born 
1859 – Jane Burden (Morris), marries William Morris
1863 – Alice Cordelia Morse, born 
1867 – Margaret Armstrong, born 
1867 – Amy Sacker, born
1879 – Alice Cordelia Morse attends the Cooper Union (segregated school for girls)
1880-1890 – Designing book covers becomes a professional practice
1885-1889 – Alice Cordelia Morse works for Tiffany & Co. designing stained glass; in 1889 she leaves Tiffany to begin a freelance career designing book covers
1889 – Jane Burden (Morris) designed the cover for Wilfrid Scawen Blunt’s In Vinculis
1890 – Armstrong’s first book cover design was for Sweet William by Marguerite Bouvet
1890-1940  – Margaret Armstrong's career as a book designer, produced some 270 book designs
1891 – Kelmscott Press founded by William Morris and Emery Walker
1901 – Amy Sacker received awarded a medal for designs at the Pan-American exposition
1893 – Morse chaired the Sub-Committee on Book-Covers, Wood Engraving, and Illustration of the Board of Women Managers for the Woman’s Building at the World’s Columbian Exposition
1897 – Society of Arts & Crafts in Boston founded, active members included Amy Sacker, Sarah Wyman Whitman, Julia DeWolf Addison, and Mary Crease Sears
1910 – Women begin to dominate the modern decorative movement
1914 – Jane Burden (Morris), dies
1918 – Le Corbusier and Amédée Ozenfant, announce a hierarchy of art and craft with women and craft at the bottom
1923 – Alice Cordelia Morse donates her book cover designs to the Metropolitan Museum Library 
1937 – Bookmaking on the Distaff Side, a book published by women printers
1944 – Margaret Armstrong, dies
1961 – Alice Cordelia Morse, dies
1965 – Amy Sacker, dies

This should not be considered a complete list of women in book design & bookbinding history, this is just a list of names uncovered for the research of this episode and intended to show that there is a wealth of names that could be included in histories of graphic design. This list focuses on women from the past, there is also a wealth of women designers who have worked more recently in book design, this too could become a future episode.

• Sarah Wyman Whitman (1842-1904)
• Helena de Kay (1848-1916)
• Katherine Adams (1862-1952)
• Alice Cordelia Morse (1863 – 1961)
• Margaret Armstrong (1867–1944)
• Elizabeth Corbet Yeats (1868-1940)
• Bertha Goudy (1869-1935)
• Bertha Stuart (1869-1953)
• Anna Simons (1871-1951)
• Amy Sacker (1872-1965)
• Annie French (1872-1965)
• Emma Redington Lee Thayer (1874-1973)
• Jessie Marion King (1875-1949)
• Anna Sipkena (1877-1933)
• Vanessa Bell (1879-1961)
• Magdalena Koll (1879-1962?)
• Wilhelmina Drupsteen (1880-1966)
• Marion Louise Peabody (1881-1937)
• Olga Rosanowa (1886-1918)
• Rie Cramer (1887-1977)
• Alice Greinwald-Clarus (1887-1925)
• Ljubow Popowa (1889-1924)
• Jo Daemen (1891-1944)
• Galina Tschitschagowa/Chichagowa (1891-1967)
• Olga Tschitschagowa/Chichagowa (1892-1956)
• Antonia Sofronowa (1892-1966)
• Nina Brodinsky (1892-1978)
• Olga Brodinsky (unknown, sister to Nina Brodinsky)
• Freda Lingstrom (1893-1989)
• Lou Loeber (1894-1983)
• Vavara Stepanova (1894-1958)
• Amy Richards (1896 - 1918)
• Eva Aschoff (1899-1969)
• Erika Giovanna Klien (1900-1957)
• Margarete Leins (1900-1995)
• Fré (Frederika Cohen (1903-1943)
• Grete Stern (1904-1999)
• Louise E. Jefferson (1908-2002)
• Jane Bissell Grabhorn (1911-1973)
• Muriel Cooper (1925 -1994)
• Elaine Lustig Cohen (1927-2016)
• Bea Feitler (1938-1982)

Battershill, C. (2022). Women and Letterpress Printing 1920-2020: Gendered Impressions. Cambridge University Press.

Breuer, G., & Meer, J. (2012). Women in Graphic Design 1890-2012. Jovis Verlag.

Dubansky, M., Frelinghuysen, A. C., & Dunn, J. M. (2008). The Proper Decoration of Book Covers: The Life and Work of Alice C. Morse.

Dubansky, M. (2009, May). Alice Cordelia Morse (1863–1961). The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mors/hd_mors.htm

Edna Beilenson, 71, graphic arts expert and book publisher. (1981, Mar 04). New York Times (1923-) Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/edna-beilenson-71-graphic-arts-expert-book/docview/121888575/se-2

Ethel Reed, Artist. (1896). Bradley, His Book, 1(3), 74–76. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20443160

Fanni, Fanni, Maryam, Flodmark, Matilda, Kaaman, Sara, Walkup, Kathy, Börjel, Ida, Baines, Jess, Wikander, Ulla, Humlesjö, Inger, Waaranperä, Ingegärd, Cartmail, Gail, Dobney, Megan, & Josefsson, Kira. (2020). Natural enemies of books.

Garrett, M., & Thomas, Z. (2019). Suffrage and the Arts: Visual Culture, Politics and Enterprise. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Goudy, F. (1939). Bertha M. Goudy: Recollections by one who knew her best. The Village Press.

Harlan, R. D. (1975). Review Article: Oral Histories of San Francisco Printing [Review of Book Printing with the Handpress; Brother Antoninus: Poet, Printer, and Religious; Artist and Printer; Comments on Some Bay Area Fine Printers; Recollections of the Grabhorn Press; The Colt Press; Fine Printing and the Grabhorn Press; The Grabhorn Press and the Grace Hoper Press; Fine Printers of the San Francisco Bay Area; Two San Francisco Bookmen; Recollections of San Francisco Printers; A Life in Printing; Literary San Francisco; Bookselling and Creating Books; Photoengraving, 1910-1969; The Schmidt Lithography Company; San Francisco Printers, 1925-1965; A Printed Word Has Its Own Measure; Untitled Interview; Printing and Book Design, by L. Allan, Dorothy Allan, Brother Antoninus (William Everson), Malette Dean, F. P. Farquhar, Edwin Grabhorn, Jane Grabhorn, Robert Grabhorn, Katherine Grover, Sherwood Grover, J. D. Hart, Warren R. Howell, Haywood Hunt, Lawton Kennedy, O. Lewis, D. Magee, Walter Mann, Max Schmidt, Jr., Herman Diedrichs, … A. Wilson]. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 45(2), 202–205. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4306509

In Full Bloom: Margaret Armstrong’s Decorated Publishers’ Bindings Revisited. (n.d.). metmuseum.org. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2022/in-full-bloom

Jaudon, & Kozloff, J. (1977). Art Hysterical Nations of Progress and Culture. Heresies, 4, 38.

Kirkham, P. (2002). Women Designers in the USA, 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference (2d Printing). Yale University Press.

Pankow, D. (n.d.). Fields of Gold | American Decorated Trade Bindings and Their Designers, 1890–1915 | Cary Graphic Arts Collection. RIT. https://www.rit.edu/carycollection/fields-gold

Tidcombe, M. (1996). Women Bookbinders, 1880-1920. Amsterdam University Press.

Women’s work. (n.d.). Brooklyn Museum. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/womens_work

Zonis, K. (2021, November 16). The Book-Cover Designs of Alice C. Morse | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2014/03/26/the-book-cover-designs-of-alice-c-morse/

If it seems like the underground comix scene was a raucous and raunchy boys club, that’s fairly accurate. However, there were plenty of women artists who reacted against the sexist depictions of women in comix, of which there was plenty. Their complaints about how women were being portrayed was seen to be just more censorship heaped on the male comix artists. Rather than just be quiet and go away, women like Trina Robbins, Willy Mendes, Linda Barry, Mary Fleener, and many others started drawing, bringing their own voices into the underground comix scene. Their experience in comix wasn’t all smooth sailing either. The women creating comix also insisted on absolute artistic freedom and the space to explore difficult topics, but it came at a price just like it did for the male comix artists. Undercover police, raids, and lawsuits while not necessarily the norm, seemed to be always looming. While some comix titles managed to run longer than others, the heyday of comix was all but over by the mid 1970s. However, the influence of underground comix is evident in the comics and graphic novels being published today that are willing to have serious discussions about equally serious topics.

1880s  – Comics began publication in American newspapers 
1895   – The Yellow Kid by Richard Outcault first published
1914   – Krazy Kat by Geroge Herriman first published 
1920s   – Tijuana Bibles began to be published 
1930s   – Comic book began in America 
1931   – Alice Schenker (born Alice Olsen) born in Racine, WI 
1933   – Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman
1936-1939   – The comic magazine format became popular
1936  – Victor Moscoso born in Spain 
1937  – Frank Stack born in Houston, TX
1938  – Gary Arlington born in San Jose, CA 
1938  – Trina Robbins born in Brooklyn, NY 
1939   – “She Saw The World’s Fair” published by Wesley Morse 
1939   – Harvey Pekar born in Cleveland, OH 
1939  – Richard “Grass” Green born in Fort Wayne, IN
1940-1950s   – Comic burnings became common in America 
1940  – Gilbert Shelton born in Houston, TX 
1940  – Manuel “Spain” Reodriguez born in Buffalo, NY 
1941  – Vaughn Bodé born in Utica, NY 
1941  – S. Clay Wilson (Steven Clay Wilson) born in Lincoln, Nebraska 
1941  – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson born in Texas 
1942   – Rand Holmes born in Nova Scotia 
1942  – Dan O’Neil born 
1943   – Joel Beck born in Ross, CA 
1943  – Robert Williaams born in Los Angeles, CA 
1944   – George Herriman dies 
1944  – Howard Cruse is born in Birmingham, AL 
1943  – Robert Crumb born in Philadelphia, PA 
1944  – Rick Griffin born in California 
1944   – Bill Griffith born 
1944   – Kim Deitch born in Los Angeles, CA 
1944   – Max Gaines establishes Educational Comics
1944   – Mervyn “Skip” Williamson born in San Antonio, TX 
1945  – Lee Mars born 
1947   – Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sued in NY Supreme Court to regain their rights to Superman; they lose the case and their jobs at DC Comics
1947   – Jay Lynch born in Orange, NJ 
1947   – Max Gaines dies in a boat crash; son William Gaines takes over EC Comics
1948   – Art Spiegelman born in Stockholm, Sweden 
1948  – Barbara “Willy” Mendes born 
1948  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb born in Long Beach, NY
1949  – Marry Wings born Mary Geller in Chicago, IL 
1950s   – Student Press Movement starts 
1950   – Educational Comics becomes Entertaining Comics under William Gaines 
1950  – Gary Panter born in Durant, OK 
1951  – Mary Fleener born
1952-1956   – Harvey Kurtzman is the editor of MAD Magazine 
1953  – Roberta Gregory born in Los Angeles, CA 
1954   – “Seduction of the Innocent” by psychiatrist Frederick Werthan published  
1954   – Comics Code Authority established 
1954  – Victor Moscoso starts at Cooper Union Art School in Manhattan 
1955   – William Gaines starts humor magazine, MAD Magazine 
1955  – Charles Burns born 
1956   – After being cited by the CCA, EC comics diverts resources to new title MAD Magazine 
1956  – Ralph Bakshi starts animating at Terrytoons 
1956   – Alice and Don Schenker marry 
1956  – Lynda Barry born in Richland Center, WI 
1957   – Harvey Kurtzmaan’s Trump magazine published
1957  – Peter Baagge born in New York 
1957-1960  – Spain Rodriguez studies at Silvermine Guild School of Art in New Canaan, CT 
1958   – Moe Moskowitz moves to Bay Are and opens bookstore 
1958  – Robert Crumb and his brother Charles publish satire magazine “Foo” 
1958-1962   – Frank Stack and Gilbert Shelton edit University of Texas at Austin’s newspaper, The Texas Ranger  
1959  – Victor Moscoso moves to San Francisco, CA 
1960s   – Underground comix movement started 
1960   – MAD Magazine had circulation of 1.4 million 
1960  – Rick Griffin met filmmaker John Severson at screening of Surf Fever movie 
1960   – Harvey Kurtzman starts Help! Magazine 
1960  – Phoebe Gloeckner born in Philadelphia, PA 
1960  – Alison Bechdel born in Beech Creek, PA 
1961   – Skip Williamson sells first comic to Help! Magazine 
1961  – Daniel Clowes born in Chicaago, IL 
1963   – In mainstream comics, Dell, DC and Marvel were the major publishers 
1963  – Rick Griffin starts working at Surfer Magazine as a cartoonist, debuting “Murphy” 
1963  – Rick Griffin is seriously injured as a passenger in a drunk driving accident 
1963  – Spain Rodriguez starts work at the Western Electric Company Plant
1963   – Jay Lynch moves to Chicago to become a cartoonist 
1956   – America gets involved in the Vietnam War 
1963   – March On Washington 
1963   – President John F. Kennedy assassinated 
1963  – Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique” is published
1964   – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson publishes “God Nose” 
1964  – After being promoted to director of cartoons at Terrytown, Ralph Bakshi left to run animation at Paramount Pictures 
1962   – Frank Stack  publishes “The Adventures of Jesus” 
1962   – Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb meet in Cleveland, OH and become friends and collaborators 
1965   – Birth of the Underground Press 
1965  – Rick Griffin picks up “Murphy” comics in Surfer after a pause 
1965   – Schenkers launch Print Mint inside of Moskowitz’s bookstore 
1965  – Spain Rodriguez spends summer in NYC creating cartoons for The Militant paper and joined anarchist group Resurgence Youth Movement 
1965  – Robert Williams starts working as Art Director for Ed “Big Daddy” Roth 
1965  – Robert Crumb starts taking LSD 
1965  – Julie Doucet born in Saint-Lambert Quebec, Canada 
1965-1966   – Mario Savia’s Free Speech Movement impacts Berkely’s campus 
1966  – After graduating from San Francisco Art Institute, Victor Moscoso joins faculty 
1966   – Art Spiegelman is Topps Bubblegum’s star artist 
1966  – Spain Rodriguez has his first cover in paper East Village Other 
1966  – Trina Robbins moved back to NYC from LA and worked for East Village Other as advisor and illustrator 
1966  – Rick Griffin joins Jook Savages and designs posters for their art shows in San Francisco
1966   – Kim Deitch moves to NYC and gets “Sunshine Girl” published in The East Village Other 
1966   – Joel Beck publishes “Lenny of Laredo”, “Marching Marvin” and “The Profit” 
1966   – Print Mint publishes their first comix, a reprint of Beck’s “Lenny of Laredo” 
1966  – NOW, of the National Organization for Women, was formed 
1966   – Underground Press Syndicate established by East Village Other editor Walter Bowart 
1966   – Weekly & monthly underground papers regularly publish Underground Comix 
1967  – Robert Crumb leaves Cleveland, OH, his job at Americana Greetings, and wife Dana to move to San Francisco, CA 
1967  – Gilbert Shelton’s “Wonder Wart Hog” published by Pete Millar 
1967  – Victor Moscoso and RIck Griffin begin to collaborate on posters and Zap Comics covers 
1967  – Rick Griffin commissioned for “Pow-Wow, a Gathering of the Tribes for a Human Be-In” held in Golden Gate Park’s polo grounds 
1967  – Art Spiegelman comes up with the idea for Wacky Packs working for Topps Bubblegum 
1967  – “Summer of Love” takes place in San Francisco for 9 months 
1967   – Bijou Funnies, initially The Chicago Mirror, founded by Skip WIlliamson and Jay Lynch in Chigaco, IL 
1967   – Art Spiegelman moves to San Francisco, CA 
1967  – “Cavalier” Magazine serializes Robert Crumb’s “Fritz the Cat” 
1967  – First drawings of Gilbert Shelton’s The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers appear on a flier for short student film “The Texas Hippies March on the Capitol” 
1967-1973   – Jay Lynch’s “‘Nard ‘n’ Pat” comic publication years 
1968   – Rand Holmes moves to Vancouver, Canada and works for Georgia Straight a weekly underground tabloid and starts “The Adventures of Harold Hedd” 
1968  – S. Clay Wilson moves to San Francisco and becomes friends with Robert Crumb, starts to contribute to Zap Comics 
1968  – First issue of Zap Comix by Robert Crumb released
1968  – “Keep on Truckin’” one page comix published in Zap Comix by Robert Crumb 
1968  – Robert Crumb sends for his wife Dana to join him in San Francisco 
1968  – Robert Crumb first sees S. Clay Wilson’s comix work 
1968  – Gary Arlington opens his comic book store in the Mission District in San Francisco, CA 
1968  – Spain Rodriguez’s cover for Feb 2nd issue of East Village Other creates legal issues over depiction of a sexual act 
1968   – Robert Crumb publishes “Zap” 
1968   – Skip Williamson’s “Snappy Sammy Smoot (1968-1996) makes its debut in Bijou Funnies 
1968  – Robert William’s controversial painting “Appetite for Destruction” is used as album art for the Guns ‘N’ Roses album of the same name 
1968  – “Yellow Dog” comix anthology started by Joel Beck and John Thompson 
1968-1973   – Skip Williamson’s Sammy Smoot character is played by Carl Reiner on the comedy TV show “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” 
1968-1975   – Considered the boom years of Underground Comix 
1968   – Apex Novelties ran by Don Donaahue starts publishing comix 
1968  – US Government outlaws LSD 
1968  – Robert Crumb starts “Snatch Comix” published by Apex Novelties 
1969   – Neil Armstrong lands on the moon
1969-1970  – “Odd Bodkins” by Dan O’Neil is published in the San Francisco Oracle 
1969  – Whitney Museum Exhibition “Human Concern/Personal Torment: The Grotesque in American Art” showed some of Robert Crumb’s work 
1969  – Roger Brand at the first comic convention panel for Underground Comix artists, declined to invite Trina Robbins 
1969   – Rip Off Press founded by Gilbert Shelton, Jack “Jaxon” Jackson, Dave Moriarty and Fred Todd 
1969   – Kim Deitch and Trinaa Robbins start dating 
1969  – Bill Griffith and Jay Kinney meet and start idea for “Young Lust” 
1969   – Vaughn Bode briefly edits “Gothic Blimp Works”; Kim Deitch begins to edit “Gothic Blimp Works” 
1969  – Print Mint is raided by police over “Zap Comix” fourth issue (featured “Joe Blow” incest comic by Robert Crumb) 
1969  – Schenkers arrested over violation of California Penal Code Section 311.2 (illegal distribution of pornography) due to publishing “Zap Comics” fourth issue 
1969  – S. Clay Wilson contributes to “Jiz Comics” under pseudonym Howard Crankwood 
1970s   – Graphic Novel format began
1970s  –Jack “Jaxon” Jackson creates historical narrative comix like “Comanche Moon”, “Los Tejanos”
1970  – Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s shop closes and Robert Williams ends his tenure as Art Director 
1970  – Chris Kirkpatrick, owner of New Yorker Book Store that sold Zap Comix, convicted 
1970   – Bill Griffith moves to San Francisco, CA
1970  – Trina Robbins and Kim Deitch’s daughter Casey born 
1970  – “It Ain’t Me Babe” the first women’s liberation newspaper, was published in Berkley 
1970   – Kitchen Sink Press ran by Denis Kitchen founded 
1970  – “Skull” published by Rip Off Press 
1970  – Many Underground Comix artists met and created The Cartoon Workers Union
1970  – Robert William released collected “Coochy Cooty Men’s Comics” published by Print Mint 
1970   – Last Gasp Eco Funnies ran by Ron Turner founded 
1970  – “Young Lust” by Bill Griffith and Jaay Kinney published by Company & Sons 
1970  – Robert Crumb meets with Ralph Bakshi and Steve Kraantz about making a movie out of his popular character Fritz the Cat  
1970  – “Abortion Eve” comic produced by Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevely 
1970  – Spain Rodriguez releases “Zodiac Mindwarp” (East Village Other) and “Subert” (Rip Off Press) 
1970  – Kim Deitch and Trina Robbins end their relationship
1971  – Gilbert Shelton’s Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers first released
1971  – Roberta Gregory attend CSU Long Beach and contributes “Feminist Funnies” to their newspaper 
1971  – S. Clay Wilson contributes to “Bent” (Print Mint) 
1971  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb grates with degree in fine art from University of Arizona 
1971  – “Ms Magazine” founded by Gloria Steinem and art directed by Bea Feitler 
1971   – Bill Griffith’s “Zippy the Pinhead” debuts in Real Pulp Comics #1 by Print Mint 
1971  – Dan O’Neil and the Air Pirates (Bobby London, Shary Flenniken, Gary Hallgren, and Ted Richards) create “Air Pirate Funnies” published by Last Gasp 
1971  – Lee Marr’s “Pudge” & “Girl Blimp” published 
1971  – Roberta Gregory sells her first comic to “Wimmen’s Comix” 
1971  – Disney filed suit in Northern District of California against the comic artists from the “Air Pirate Funnies” 
1971   – Rip Off Press moves from Mowry’s Opera House to 17th Street 
1971   – After moving back to NYC, Art Spiegelman once again returns to San Francisco, CA
1972   – “The Adventures of Harold Hedd” released in first collected volume, the second volume out the following year
1972  – “Tits ‘n’ Clits” All women comix anthology by Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevely published first issue (Nanny Goat Productions) 
1972  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb has comix debut in “Wimmen’s Comix” #1 with “Goldie a Neurotic Woman” 
1972  – Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb meet at a San Francisco party 
1972  – “Fritz the Cat” movie directed by Ralph Bakshi released 
1972  – 2 all women’s comix anthologies started “Wimmen’s Comix” (Trina Robbins, Last Gasp) and “Tit’s &  Clits” (Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevelyl, Nanny Goat Productions)
1972  – Disney granted it’s injunction against Dan O’Neil and the other comic artists from “Air Pirate Funnies”; found guilty of copyright infringement and trade disparagement 
1972  – “Bizzare Sex” started published by Denis Kitchen of Kitchen Sink Press 
1972  – Print Mint hits 1 million issues of “Zap Comix” sold 
1973   – Rand Holmes travels to San Francisco, CA to get the second volume of “The Adventures of Harold Hedd” published by Last Gasp 
1973  – Bill Griffith’s “A Sour Look at the Comix Scene, or Out of the Inkwell and Into the Toilet” runs in The San Francisco Phoenix 
1973  – Undercover cop buys first issue of “Tits ‘n’ Clits” at San Francisco Bookstore Fahrenheit 451; owners charged with selling pornography and Farmer and Cheverly are forced to hide from law enforcement for 2 years 
1973  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb moves onto Robert Crumb’s farm property as his girlfriend 
1973  – “Come Out Comix” by Mary Wings self-published 
1973  –  Year of the Crash of Comix 
1973  – Rick Griffin is a born again Christian 
1973  – Gilbert Shelton’s The Fabulous Furry Freak Brother’s comics had sold 400,000 copies; eventually selling 45 million copies to date in 16 different languages 
1972   – Haavery Pekar’s first story “Brilliant American Maniacs Series No. 1 Crazy Ed” published in “People’s Comics” with art by Robert Crumb 
1972   – Justin Green publishes “Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary” 
1972   – Art Spiegelman publishes first 3 pages of Maus 
1973  –Supreme Court’s  Miller v. California decision  rules that vendors can be jailed and retroactively fined for selling obscene materials, cannot plead ignorance to contents 
1974   – Jay Lynch has a one week tenure as editor at Hustler Magazine
1974  – Lynda Barry attends Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA 
1974   – Art Spiegelman self publishes “Ace Hole” and “Midget Detective” 
1974  – Marvel releases “Comix Book” 
1974  – S. Clay Wilson contributes to “Pork” (Co-Op Press) 
1974  – “The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat” directed by Ralph Bakshi released 
1975   – The Schenkers working partnership with Bob and Peggy Rita dissolves and Print Mint slows down production and distribution 
1975  – “Felch Comics” by Keith Green
1975  – Vietnam War ends, American troops withdraw from Saigon 
1975  – Victor Moscoso starts attending Yale 
1975  – Bill Griffith and Art Spiegelman create “Arcade” comix anthology 
1975   –  Vaughn Bodé dies at age 33 
1976   – Harvey Pekar self publishes “How I Quit Collecting Records and Put Out a Comic Book with the Money I Saved” with art by Robert Crumb 
1976  – “Wet Satin” erotic satirical all-women’s comics anthology published by Kitchen Sink Press 
1976  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb moves off of the Crumb farm commune 
1976  – Mary Wing’s “Dyke Shorts” is self-published 
1976  – Roberta Gregory creates “Dynamite Damsels” (Self-published) 
1976  – Copyright Act becomes law 
1976  – Lee Marrs “The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp” featured the first openly bisexual character in comics 
1967  – Larry Fuller creates “Gay Heartthrobs” 
1976   – Harvey Pekar’s “American Splendor #1” published 
1976  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Diane Noomin start “Twisted Sisters” 
1976-1077  – Punk scene emerges
1971  – Howard Cruse’s “Barefootz” first published 
1977   – Kitchen Sink Press reprints Joel Becks comics under title “Joel Beck’s Comics & Stories” 
1977  – Gary Panter moves to Los Angeles, CA 
1977  – S. Clay Wilson releases comix with his most popular character “The Checkered Demon” (Last Gasp) 
1977  – Gilbert Shelton’s character Fat Freddy’s cat from “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” gets its own spin off comic 
1977  – Robert Crumb divorces Dana
1978  – Gilbert Shelton moves to San Francisco, CA from Austin, TX 
1978  – First graphic novel “A Contract With God” by Will Eisner is published by Baronet Press 
1978  – Dan O’Neils appeal in the case of Dismney and the Air Pirates does not rule in O’Neil’s favor 
1978  – Gilbert Shelton makes “Shakedown Street” album cover for The Grateful Dead 
1978  – Paul Mavrides starts to collaborate on “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” 
1979  – Gilbert Shelton and wife/agent Lora move to Europe 
1979  – The Supreme Court declines to take Dan O’Neil’s appeal case against Disney 
1979  – Robert William publishes “The Lowbrow Art of Robt. Williams” 
1979  – Mary Wings creates drug awareness book “Are Your Highs Getting You Down?” with a California Arts Council Grant 
1979  – Denis Kitchen approaches Howaard Cruse about making “Gay Comix”
1979  – Rip Off Press ends
1979  – Art Spiegelman starts to teach at the School of Visual Arts in NY
1980  – First issue of “Gay Comix” (Kitchen SInk Press) released, edited by Howard Cruse 
1980  – “Raw” comics anthology created by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly 
1980-1991   – Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman serialized 
1981  – “Wimmen’s Comix” takes a 6 year hiatus 
1981  – Daniel Clowes and his friends create “Psycho Comics” 
1981  – Robert Crumb starts comix magazine “Weirdo” published by Last Gasp 
1981  – Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb’s daughter Sophie is born; they move to Southern France
1982  – Last issue of “Bizzare Sex” released 
1982  – Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez create “Love and Rockets” published by Fantagraphics 
1983  – “Dykes to Watch Out For” by Alison Bechdel first published 
1984  – Mary Fleener self publishes her first comic “Hoodoo” 
1984  – Robert Crumb passes editorship of “Weirdo” to Peter Bagge 
1985   – Print Mint, since renamed Reprint Mint, is sold by the Schenkers 
1985  – Mary Wings “She Came Too Late” lesbian detective novel published 
1985  – Topps Bubbglegum starts Garbage Pail Kids cards 
1986   – Doubleday publishes the first of it’s two collected volumes of Harvye Pekar’s “American Splendor” with the next coming out the following year 
1986  – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson publishes “Illustrated History of Ranching in Texas” 
1986  – Peter Bagge resigns as editor at “Weirdo”; Aline Kominsky-Crumb takes over 
1987  – Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb marry 
1988  – “Dirty Plotte” by Julie Doucet was first self-published 
1988  – Roberta Gregory self publishes “Winging It” and “Sheila and the Unicorn” 
1989   – Jack “Jaxon” Jackon publishes “Rip Off Pres: The Golden Era #21” 
1989  – Daniel Clowes first issue of “Eightball” 
1989  – Roberta Gregory moves to Seattle and begins to work at Fantagraphics Books 
1990   – Art Spiegelman receives a Guggenheim Fellowship to work on Maus’ second volume 
1990  – Peter Bagge first publishes “Hate” (Fantagraaphics) 
1991   – American Splendor’s once a year regular release stops with issue fifteen 
1991  – Rick Griffin dies after motorcycle accident 
1991  – Roberta Gregory’s “Naughty Bits” issue one self published 
1991  – “Dirty Plotte” published by Drawn & Quarterly 
1991  – Julie Doucet moves to NYC for one year and makes “My New York Diary” 
1992   – Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman wins a Pulitzer Prize 
1992  – “Wimmen’s Comix” publishes it’s last issue 
1993   – Don Schenkers dies
1994  – Robert Williams first published “Juxtapoz Arts & Culture” Magazine
1995  – “Stuck Rubber Baby” by Howard Cruse published 
1995  – “Black Hole” by Charles Burns first published by Fantagraphics 
1995  – “Crumb” documentary about Robert Crumb by Terry Zwigoff is released 
1996  – Mary Fleener’s “Life of the Party” released  
1998  – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson creates “Lost Cause” 
1999   – Joel Beck dies 
2001-2003  – Roberta Gregory’s popular character Bitchy Bitch from “Naughty Bits” starred in the animated cartoon “Life’s a Bitch” on Comedy Network (Canada) and Oxygen Network (US) 
2001  – Daniel Clowes “Eightball” story “Ghost World” is made into a movie of the same name 
2002   – Rand Holmes dies 
2002  – Phoebe Gloeckner’s “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” published by Frog Books 
2003   – “American Splendor” the award winning movie about Harvey Pekar’s life starring Paul Giamatti is released 
2005  – “Black Hole” by Charles Burns released as graphic novel by Fantagraphics 
2006  –Jack “Jaxon” Jackson dies 
2006  – “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel published 
2010   – Harvey Pekar dies 
2015  – “Fun Home” the Broadway Musical wins a Tony for best musical 
2015  – “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” by Phoebe Glockner made into a movie with the same name 
2017   – Skip Williamson and Jay Lynch die within a week and a half of each other 
2019  – Howard Cruse dies 
2020   – Alice Schnker dies 
2021  – Streaming channel Tubi releases 8 episode show “The Freak Brothers” based on Gilbert Shelton’s “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” 
2021  – Spain Rodriguez dies 
2021  – S. Clay Wilson dies 
2022  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb dies 

About. Robert Williams Official Site. (2022). Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://www.robtwilliamsstudio.com/about

Beat Staff. (2016, May 11). Interview: Roberta Gregory on Mother Mountain, wimmen's comix, & bitchy bitch. Comics Beat. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-roberta-gregory-on-mother-mountain-wimmens-comix-bitchy-bitch/

Bernsau, T. (2021, January 20). Car Toons for car guys. MotorTrend. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.motortrend.com/features/0908rc-the-car-toons-of-pete-millar/

Chakraborty, P. (2021). "Sex and the Aesthetics of the Vulgar: Reading the Creative Paradox in the Works of Robert Crumb." Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry, 07(02), 120–148. https://doi.org/10.35684/jlci.2021.7206

Chute, H. (2006, season-04). Decoding Comics. Modern Fiction Studies, 52(4), 1014–1027. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26286682

Chute, H. (2019). Why Comics?: From Underground to Everywhere (Reprint). Harper Perennial.

Costello, B., & Gremins, B. (2021). The Other 1980s: Reframing Comics’ Crucial Decade. Louisiana State University Press.

Dalzell, T. (2020, February 20). Remembering Alice Schenker, whose Print Mint on Telegraph Avenue sparked the 1960s poster revolution. Berkeleyside. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.berkeleyside.org/2020/02/20/remembering-alice-schenker-whose-print-mint-on-telegraph-avenue-sparked-the-1960s-poster-revolution

Danky, J. P., & Kitchen, D. (2009). Underground classics: The transformation of comics into Comix. Abrams.

Dauber, J. (2022). American Comics: A History. W. W. Norton & Company.

Doherty , B.  (2023). Dirty pictures: How an underground network of nerds, feminists, misfits, geniuses, bikers,... Potheads, printers, intellectuals, and art school. Harry N. Abraams.

Ebert, R. (2005, November 20). Crumb Movie Review & Film Summary (1995): Roger Ebert. Crumb movie review & film summary (1995) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-crumb-1994

Elam, E. (2013, February 15). Gilbert Shelton in Conversation. T_he Comics Journal ._ Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.tcj.com/gilbert-shelton-in-conversation/

Estren, M. J. (2012). A History of Underground Comics. Ronin Publishing, Inc.

Frank, P. (2018, June 19). Mary Wings just wanted an orgasm when she created the First Lesbian Comic Book. HuffPost. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mary-wings-created-first-lesbian-comic-book\_n\_5b23d937e4b0d4fc01fdd783

Freeman, J. (2017, November 3). Exclusive: Gilbert Shelton reveals some Fabulous furry freak brothers secrets, new collection extracts_! downthetubes.net._ Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://downthetubes.net/exclusive-gilbert-shelton-reveals-some-fabulous-furry-freak-brothers-secrets-new-collection-extracts/

Gabilliet, J., Beaty, B., & Nguyen, N. (2013). Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books(Illustrated). University Press of Mississippi.

Garcia, E. (2017). The Hernandez Brothers: Love, Rockets, and Alternative Comics (Latinx and Latin American Profiles)(1st ed.). University of Pittsburgh Press.

Gary Panter. Lambiek Comiclopedia . (2022, July 22). Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/panter.htm

Gomez, B. (2017, March 29). She changed comics: Roberta Gregory interview. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://cbldf.org/2017/03/she-changed-comics-roberta-gregory-interview/

Gregory, R. (2009). My Creative History. Roberta Gregory . Retrieved December 26, 2022, from http://www.robertagregory.com/Robertagregory/Robertas\_History.html

Griffith, B. (2002). A Bill Griffith Bibliography: (Out of Print & Hard to Find) Covers & Contents . A Bill Griffith bibliography. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.zippythepinhead.com/pages/biblio.html

Griffith, B. (2003). Still asking the unanswerable question, 'are we having fun yet?'. Still Asking the Unanswerable Question, ‘Are We Having Fun Yet?’ Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://imagetextjournal.com/still-asking-the-unanswerable-question-are-we-having-fun-yet/

Groth, G. (2011, February 9). An interview with Victor Moscoso. The Comics Journal. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.tcj.com/an-interview-with-victor-moscoso/

Hatfield, C., & Beaty, B. (2020). Comics studies: A guidebook. Rutgers University Press.

Hatfield, C. (2005, August 2). Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature (Illustrated). University Press of Mississippi.

Jean-Paul, J., & Cruse, H. (2021). Stuck Rubber Baby. CASTERMAN.

Jennings, J., Duffy, D., Woods, A. A., Wimberly, R., Greene, S., Richardson, A., Love, J., Love, R., & Knight, K. (2020, March 31). Black Comix Returns. Magnetic Press.

Julie Doucet. _Lambiek Comiclopedia. (_2022, June 20). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/d/doucet.htm

Kaplan, A. (2010). From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books. Jewish Publication Society.

Knuddle, K. (2022, October 4). Jay Lynch. Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/l/lynch.htm

Knuddle, K. (2022, September 27). Robert Williams. Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/williams\_r.htm

Knuddle, K. (2022, September 27). Skip Williamson. Lambiek Comiclopedia . Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/williamson\_skip.htm

Lambiek. (2022, January 20). Joel Beck. Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/beck\_joel.htm

Mary Fleener. Lambiek Comiclopedia. (2021, February 13). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/f/fleener\_mary.htm

Mietkiewicz, H. (2011, June 11). Holmes, Rand (1942-2002). THE JOE SHUSTER AWARDS Canadian Comics Awards, News & Links. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://joeshusterawards.com/hof/hof-rand-holmes-1942-2002/

Milligan, M. (2021, October 19). Tubi grooves into Adult Toons with debut original 'The Freak Brothers'. Animation Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.animationmagazine.net/2021/10/tubi-grooves-into-adult-toons-with-debut-original-the-freak-brothers/

Fox, M. S. (2013). Zap Comix. Underground Comix Joint. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://comixjoint.com/zapcomix.html

Of the Golden Age comics houses, EC was the greatest; Weird! Incredible! Mad! (2020, September 23). The Economist. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A681897193/OVIC?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=cd9e73a6

Olsza, M. (2020). Feminist (and/as) alternative media practices in women's underground comix in the 1970s 1. Polish Journal for American Studies, 14, 21-37,139. Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/feminist-as-alternative-media-practices-womens/docview/2473439187/se-2

Pagano, K. (2012, August 18). Mary Fleener lives art on the edge. North Coast Current. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.northcoastcurrent.com/north-coast-beat/2012/08/mary-fleener-lives-art-on-the-edge/

Panter, G. (2007). Biography . Gary Panter. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from http://www.garypanter.com/site/index.php/about/biography/

Pencil, S. (2020). Rated Savx: The Savage Pencil Skratchbook. Strange Attractor Press.

Pilcher, T., & Kannenberg Jr., G. (2008). Erotic comics : a graphic history from Tijuana bibles to underground comix. The Ilex Press Limited.

Prescott, G. (2017, March 21). About: Life of the Party: An Interview with Mary Fleener. Art & Illustration by Mary Fleener. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from http://www.maryfleener.com/about/

Rand Holmes. Lambiek Comiclopedia. (2021, January 16). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/h/holmes\_rand.htm

Roberta Gregory. Lambiek Comiclopedia. (2021, January 1). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/g/gregory.htm

Robbins, T. (1999). From girls to grrrlz : a history of [women’s] comics from teens to zines. Chronicle Books.

Rosenkranz, P. (2008, May 20). Rebel Visions: The Underground Comix Revolution 1963 - 1975 (Reprint). Fantagraphics Books.

Sabin, R. (2001). Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels (Revised ed.). Phaidon Press.

Seigal, B. (1997, January 8). Life of the party : Cartoonist Mary Fleener draws on a zest for life and an appreciation for the world's everyday zaniness. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-08-ls-16304-story.html

Seves, P. R. (2018). Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground (1st ed.). Schiffer.

Smith, H. (2021, February 10). S. Clay Wilson, who helped launch the underground comix movement, dies at 79. The Washington Post Online.

Szasz, F. M. (2013, September 15). Atomic Comics: Cartoonists Confront the Nuclear World (1st ed.). University of Nevada Press.

Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels. (2011). Reference Reviews; Harlow, 25(6), 52–53.

Wanzo, R. (2018, June 1). The Normative Broken: Melinda Gebbie, Feminist Comix, and Child Sexuality Temporalities. American Literature, 90(2), 347–375. https://doi.org/10.1215/00029831-4564334

Wiggins, R. (2010, March 3). Me and Gilbert Shelton: A Memoir [web log]. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramsey-wiggins-me-and-gilbert-shelton.html.

Williams, P. (2020, January 17). Dreaming the Graphic Novel: The Novelization of Comics (None). Rutgers University Press.

Comix, spelled with an x at the end instead of c, is a uniquely American movement and brings to mind eccentric, explicit, and subversive comics aimed at an adult audience. Having roots in the explicit Tijuana Bibles of the 1920, the lurid horror comics produced by EC, and the later wackiness of MAD Magazine, Comix creators defied censorship laws and American moral standards to create their unique artistic visions and thrived as a part of the Counterculture movement of the 1960s. In some respects, comix were a reaction against what the artists saw as the over-sanitized mainstream comics that did nothing innovative or interesting. While comix creators came from all over the US, the hotbed for comix innovation happened in San Francisco. Many cite the first issue of Robert Crumb’s anthology “Zap” as the birth of underground comix as a movement and the number of comix grew rapidly after that. The complete artistic freedom comix artists insisted on came at a price as they pushed up against censorship with their themes of sexism, racism, violence, and questionable morality. Comix artists, publishers and the shops selling comix titles faced police raids and lawsuits, some of which lasted for years. Pushing up against censorship (and good taste) comix proved that comics could be more than just superheroes saving the day.

1880s  – Comics began publication in American newspapers 
1895   – The Yellow Kid by Richard Outcault first published
1914   – Krazy Kat by Geroge Herriman first published 
1920s   – Tijuana Bibles began to be published 
1930s   – Comic book began in America 
1931   – Alice Schenker (born Alice Olsen) born in Racine, WI 
1933   – Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman
1936-1939   – The comic magazine format became popular
1936  – Victor Moscoso born in Spain 
1937  – Frank Stack born in Houston, TX
1938  – Gary Arlington born in San Jose, CA 
1938  – Trina Robbins born in Brooklyn, NY 
1939   – “She Saw The World’s Fair” published by Wesley Morse 
1939   – Harvey Pekar born in Cleveland, OH 
1939  – Richard “Grass” Green born in Fort Wayne, IN
1940-1950s   – Comic burnings became common in America 
1940  – Gilbert Shelton born in Houston, TX 
1940  – Manuel “Spain” Reodriguez born in Buffalo, NY 
1941  – Vaughn Bodé born in Utica, NY 
1941  – S. Clay Wilson (Steven Clay Wilson) born in Lincoln, Nebraska 
1941  – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson born in Texas 
1942   – Rand Holmes born in Nova Scotia 
1942  – Dan O’Neil born 
1943   – Joel Beck born in Ross, CA 
1943  – Robert Williaams born in Los Angeles, CA 
1944   – George Herriman dies 
1944  – Howard Cruse is born in Birmingham, AL 
1943  – Robert Crumb born in Philadelphia, PA 
1944  – Rick Griffin born in California 
1944   – Bill Griffith born 
1944   – Kim Deitch born in Los Angeles, CA 
1944   – Max Gaines establishes Educational Comics
1944   – Mervyn “Skip” Williamson born in San Antonio, TX 
1945  – Lee Mars born 
1947   – Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sued in NY Supreme Court to regain their rights to Superman; they lose the case and their jobs at DC Comics
1947   – Jay Lynch born in Orange, NJ 
1947   – Max Gaines dies in a boat crash; son William Gaines takes over EC Comics
1948   – Art Spiegelman born in Stockholm, Sweden 
1948  – Barbara “Willy” Mendes born 
1948  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb born in Long Beach, NY
1949  – Marry Wings born Mary Geller in Chicago, IL 
1950s   – Student Press Movement starts 
1950   – Educational Comics becomes Entertaining Comics under William Gaines 
1950  – Gary Panter born in Durant, OK 
1951  – Mary Fleener born
1952-1956   – Harvey Kurtzman is the editor of MAD Magazine 
1953  – Roberta Gregory born in Los Angeles, CA 
1954   – “Seduction of the Innocent” by psychiatrist Frederick Werthan published  
1954   – Comics Code Authority established 
1954  – Victor Moscoso starts at Cooper Union Art School in Manhattan 
1955   – William Gaines starts humor magazine, MAD Magazine 
1955  – Charles Burns born 
1956   – After being cited by the CCA, EC comics diverts resources to new title MAD Magazine 
1956  – Ralph Bakshi starts animating at Terrytoons 
1956   – Alice and Don Schenker marry 
1956  – Lynda Barry born in Richland Center, WI 
1957   – Harvey Kurtzmaan’s Trump magazine published
1957  – Peter Baagge born in New York 
1957-1960  – Spain Rodriguez studies at Silvermine Guild School of Art in New Canaan, CT 
1958   – Moe Moskowitz moves to Bay Are and opens bookstore 
1958  – Robert Crumb and his brother Charles publish satire magazine “Foo” 
1958-1962   – Frank Stack and Gilbert Shelton edit University of Texas at Austin’s newspaper, The Texas Ranger  
1959  – Victor Moscoso moves to San Francisco, CA 
1960s   – Underground comix movement started 
1960   – MAD Magazine had circulation of 1.4 million 
1960  – Rick Griffin met filmmaker John Severson at screening of Surf Fever movie 
1960   – Harvey Kurtzman starts Help! Magazine 
1960  – Phoebe Gloeckner born in Philadelphia, PA 
1960  – Alison Bechdel born in Beech Creek, PA 
1961   – Skip Williamson sells first comic to Help! Magazine 
1961  – Daniel Clowes born in Chicaago, IL 
1963   – In mainstream comics, Dell, DC and Marvel were the major publishers 
1963  – Rick Griffin starts working at Surfer Magazine as a cartoonist, debuting “Murphy” 
1963  – Rick Griffin is seriously injured as a passenger in a drunk driving accident 
1963  – Spain Rodriguez starts work at the Western Electric Company Plant
1963   – Jay Lynch moves to Chicago to become a cartoonist 
1956   – America gets involved in the Vietnam War 
1963   – March On Washington 
1963   – President John F. Kennedy assassinated 
1963  – Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique” is published
1964   – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson publishes “God Nose” 
1964  – After being promoted to director of cartoons at Terrytown, Ralph Bakshi left to run animation at Paramount Pictures 
1962   – Frank Stack  publishes “The Adventures of Jesus” 
1962   – Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb meet in Cleveland, OH and become friends and collaborators 
1965   – Birth of the Underground Press 
1965  – Rick Griffin picks up “Murphy” comics in Surfer after a pause 
1965   – Schenkers launch Print Mint inside of Moskowitz’s bookstore 
1965  – Spain Rodriguez spends summer in NYC creating cartoons for The Militant paper and joined anarchist group Resurgence Youth Movement 
1965  – Robert Williams starts working as Art Director for Ed “Big Daddy” Roth 
1965  – Robert Crumb starts taking LSD 
1965  – Julie Doucet born in Saint-Lambert Quebec, Canada 
1965-1966   – Mario Savia’s Free Speech Movement impacts Berkely’s campus 
1966  – After graduating from San Francisco Art Institute, Victor Moscoso joins faculty 
1966   – Art Spiegelman is Topps Bubblegum’s star artist 
1966  – Spain Rodriguez has his first cover in paper East Village Other 
1966  – Trina Robbins moved back to NYC from LA and worked for East Village Other as advisor and illustrator 
1966  – Rick Griffin joins Jook Savages and designs posters for their art shows in San Francisco
1966   – Kim Deitch moves to NYC and gets “Sunshine Girl” published in The East Village Other 
1966   – Joel Beck publishes “Lenny of Laredo”, “Marching Marvin” and “The Profit” 
1966   – Print Mint publishes their first comix, a reprint of Beck’s “Lenny of Laredo” 
1966  – NOW, of the National Organization for Women, was formed 
1966   – Underground Press Syndicate established by East Village Other editor Walter Bowart 
1966   – Weekly & monthly underground papers regularly publish Underground Comix 
1967  – Robert Crumb leaves Cleveland, OH, his job at Americana Greetings, and wife Dana to move to San Francisco, CA 
1967  – Gilbert Shelton’s “Wonder Wart Hog” published by Pete Millar 
1967  – Victor Moscoso and RIck Griffin begin to collaborate on posters and Zap Comics covers 
1967  – Rick Griffin commissioned for “Pow-Wow, a Gathering of the Tribes for a Human Be-In” held in Golden Gate Park’s polo grounds 
1967  – Art Spiegelman comes up with the idea for Wacky Packs working for Topps Bubblegum 
1967  – “Summer of Love” takes place in San Francisco for 9 months 
1967   – Bijou Funnies, initially The Chicago Mirror, founded by Skip WIlliamson and Jay Lynch in Chigaco, IL 
1967   – Art Spiegelman moves to San Francisco, CA 
1967  – “Cavalier” Magazine serializes Robert Crumb’s “Fritz the Cat” 
1967  – First drawings of Gilbert Shelton’s The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers appear on a flier for short student film “The Texas Hippies March on the Capitol” 
1967-1973   – Jay Lynch’s “‘Nard ‘n’ Pat” comic publication years 
1968   – Rand Holmes moves to Vancouver, Canada and works for Georgia Straight a weekly underground tabloid and starts “The Adventures of Harold Hedd” 
1968  – S. Clay Wilson moves to San Francisco and becomes friends with Robert Crumb, starts to contribute to Zap Comics 
1968  – First issue of Zap Comix by Robert Crumb released
1968  – “Keep on Truckin’” one page comix published in Zap Comix by Robert Crumb 
1968  – Robert Crumb sends for his wife Dana to join him in San Francisco 
1968  – Robert Crumb first sees S. Clay Wilson’s comix work 
1968  – Gary Arlington opens his comic book store in the Mission District in San Francisco, CA 
1968  – Spain Rodriguez’s cover for Feb 2nd issue of East Village Other creates legal issues over depiction of a sexual act 
1968   – Robert Crumb publishes “Zap” 
1968   – Skip Williamson’s “Snappy Sammy Smoot (1968-1996) makes its debut in Bijou Funnies 
1968  – Robert William’s controversial painting “Appetite for Destruction” is used as album art for the Guns ‘N’ Roses album of the same name 
1968  – “Yellow Dog” comix anthology started by Joel Beck and John Thompson 
1968-1973   – Skip Williamson’s Sammy Smoot character is played by Carl Reiner on the comedy TV show “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” 
1968-1975   – Considered the boom years of Underground Comix 
1968   – Apex Novelties ran by Don Donaahue starts publishing comix 
1968  – US Government outlaws LSD 
1968  – Robert Crumb starts “Snatch Comix” published by Apex Novelties 
1969   – Neil Armstrong lands on the moon
1969-1970  – “Odd Bodkins” by Dan O’Neil is published in the San Francisco Oracle 
1969  – Whitney Museum Exhibition “Human Concern/Personal Torment: The Grotesque in American Art” showed some of Robert Crumb’s work 
1969  – Roger Brand at the first comic convention panel for Underground Comix artists, declined to invite Trina Robbins 
1969   – Rip Off Press founded by Gilbert Shelton, Jack “Jaxon” Jackson, Dave Moriarty and Fred Todd 
1969   – Kim Deitch and Trinaa Robbins start dating 
1969  – Bill Griffith and Jay Kinney meet and start idea for “Young Lust” 
1969   – Vaughn Bode briefly edits “Gothic Blimp Works”; Kim Deitch begins to edit “Gothic Blimp Works” 
1969  – Print Mint is raided by police over “Zap Comix” fourth issue (featured “Joe Blow” incest comic by Robert Crumb) 
1969  – Schenkers arrested over violation of California Penal Code Section 311.2 (illegal distribution of pornography) due to publishing “Zap Comics” fourth issue 
1969  – S. Clay Wilson contributes to “Jiz Comics” under pseudonym Howard Crankwood 
1970s   – Graphic Novel format began
1970s  –Jack “Jaxon” Jackson creates historical narrative comix like “Comanche Moon”, “Los Tejanos”
1970  – Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s shop closes and Robert Williams ends his tenure as Art Director 
1970  – Chris Kirkpatrick, owner of New Yorker Book Store that sold Zap Comix, convicted 
1970   – Bill Griffith moves to San Francisco, CA
1970  – Trina Robbins and Kim Deitch’s daughter Casey born 
1970  – “It Ain’t Me Babe” the first women’s liberation newspaper, was published in Berkley 
1970   – Kitchen Sink Press ran by Denis Kitchen founded 
1970  – “Skull” published by Rip Off Press 
1970  – Many Underground Comix artists met and created The Cartoon Workers Union
1970  – Robert William released collected “Coochy Cooty Men’s Comics” published by Print Mint 
1970   – Last Gasp Eco Funnies ran by Ron Turner founded 
1970  – “Young Lust” by Bill Griffith and Jaay Kinney published by Company & Sons 
1970  – Robert Crumb meets with Ralph Bakshi and Steve Kraantz about making a movie out of his popular character Fritz the Cat  
1970  – “Abortion Eve” comic produced by Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevely 
1970  – Spain Rodriguez releases “Zodiac Mindwarp” (East Village Other) and “Subert” (Rip Off Press) 
1970  – Kim Deitch and Trina Robbins end their relationship
1971  – Gilbert Shelton’s Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers first released
1971  – Roberta Gregory attend CSU Long Beach and contributes “Feminist Funnies” to their newspaper 
1971  – S. Clay Wilson contributes to “Bent” (Print Mint) 
1971  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb grates with degree in fine art from University of Arizona 
1971  – “Ms Magazine” founded by Gloria Steinem and art directed by Bea Feitler 
1971   – Bill Griffith’s “Zippy the Pinhead” debuts in Real Pulp Comics #1 by Print Mint 
1971  – Dan O’Neil and the Air Pirates (Bobby London, Shary Flenniken, Gary Hallgren, and Ted Richards) create “Air Pirate Funnies” published by Last Gasp 
1971  – Lee Marr’s “Pudge” & “Girl Blimp” published 
1971  – Roberta Gregory sells her first comic to “Wimmen’s Comix” 
1971  – Disney filed suit in Northern District of California against the comic artists from the “Air Pirate Funnies” 
1971   – Rip Off Press moves from Mowry’s Opera House to 17th Street 
1971   – After moving back to NYC, Art Spiegelman once again returns to San Francisco, CA
1972   – “The Adventures of Harold Hedd” released in first collected volume, the second volume out the following year
1972  – “Tits ‘n’ Clits” All women comix anthology by Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevely published first issue (Nanny Goat Productions) 
1972  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb has comix debut in “Wimmen’s Comix” #1 with “Goldie a Neurotic Woman” 
1972  – Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb meet at a San Francisco party 
1972  – “Fritz the Cat” movie directed by Ralph Bakshi released 
1972  – 2 all women’s comix anthologies started “Wimmen’s Comix” (Trina Robbins, Last Gasp) and “Tit’s &  Clits” (Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevelyl, Nanny Goat Productions)
1972  – Disney granted it’s injunction against Dan O’Neil and the other comic artists from “Air Pirate Funnies”; found guilty of copyright infringement and trade disparagement 
1972  – “Bizzare Sex” started published by Denis Kitchen of Kitchen Sink Press 
1972  – Print Mint hits 1 million issues of “Zap Comix” sold 
1973   – Rand Holmes travels to San Francisco, CA to get the second volume of “The Adventures of Harold Hedd” published by Last Gasp 
1973  – Bill Griffith’s “A Sour Look at the Comix Scene, or Out of the Inkwell and Into the Toilet” runs in The San Francisco Phoenix 
1973  – Undercover cop buys first issue of “Tits ‘n’ Clits” at San Francisco Bookstore Fahrenheit 451; owners charged with selling pornography and Farmer and Cheverly are forced to hide from law enforcement for 2 years 
1973  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb moves onto Robert Crumb’s farm property as his girlfriend 
1973  – “Come Out Comix” by Mary Wings self-published 
1973  –  Year of the Crash of Comix 
1973  – Rick Griffin is a born again Christian 
1973  – Gilbert Shelton’s The Fabulous Furry Freak Brother’s comics had sold 400,000 copies; eventually selling 45 million copies to date in 16 different languages 
1972   – Haavery Pekar’s first story “Brilliant American Maniacs Series No. 1 Crazy Ed” published in “People’s Comics” with art by Robert Crumb 
1972   – Justin Green publishes “Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary” 
1972   – Art Spiegelman publishes first 3 pages of Maus 
1973  –Supreme Court’s  Miller v. California decision  rules that vendors can be jailed and retroactively fined for selling obscene materials, cannot plead ignorance to contents 
1974   – Jay Lynch has a one week tenure as editor at Hustler Magazine
1974  – Lynda Barry attends Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA 
1974   – Art Spiegelman self publishes “Ace Hole” and “Midget Detective” 
1974  – Marvel releases “Comix Book” 
1974  – S. Clay Wilson contributes to “Pork” (Co-Op Press) 
1974  – “The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat” directed by Ralph Bakshi released 
1975   – The Schenkers working partnership with Bob and Peggy Rita dissolves and Print Mint slows down production and distribution 
1975  – “Felch Comics” by Keith Green
1975  – Vietnam War ends, American troops withdraw from Saigon 
1975  – Victor Moscoso starts attending Yale 
1975  – Bill Griffith and Art Spiegelman create “Arcade” comix anthology 
1975   –  Vaughn Bodé dies at age 33 
1976   – Harvey Pekar self publishes “How I Quit Collecting Records and Put Out a Comic Book with the Money I Saved” with art by Robert Crumb 
1976  – “Wet Satin” erotic satirical all-women’s comics anthology published by Kitchen Sink Press 
1976  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb moves off of the Crumb farm commune 
1976  – Mary Wing’s “Dyke Shorts” is self-published 
1976  – Roberta Gregory creates “Dynamite Damsels” (Self-published) 
1976  – Copyright Act becomes law 
1976  – Lee Marrs “The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp” featured the first openly bisexual character in comics 
1967  – Larry Fuller creates “Gay Heartthrobs” 
1976   – Harvey Pekar’s “American Splendor #1” published 
1976  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Diane Noomin start “Twisted Sisters” 
1976-1077  – Punk scene emerges
1971  – Howard Cruse’s “Barefootz” first published 
1977   – Kitchen Sink Press reprints Joel Becks comics under title “Joel Beck’s Comics & Stories” 
1977  – Gary Panter moves to Los Angeles, CA 
1977  – S. Clay Wilson releases comix with his most popular character “The Checkered Demon” (Last Gasp) 
1977  – Gilbert Shelton’s character Fat Freddy’s cat from “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” gets its own spin off comic 
1977  – Robert Crumb divorces Dana
1978  – Gilbert Shelton moves to San Francisco, CA from Austin, TX 
1978  – First graphic novel “A Contract With God” by Will Eisner is published by Baronet Press 
1978  – Dan O’Neils appeal in the case of Dismney and the Air Pirates does not rule in O’Neil’s favor 
1978  – Gilbert Shelton makes “Shakedown Street” album cover for The Grateful Dead 
1978  – Paul Mavrides starts to collaborate on “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” 
1979  – Gilbert Shelton and wife/agent Lora move to Europe 
1979  – The Supreme Court declines to take Dan O’Neil’s appeal case against Disney 
1979  – Robert William publishes “The Lowbrow Art of Robt. Williams” 
1979  – Mary Wings creates drug awareness book “Are Your Highs Getting You Down?” with a California Arts Council Grant 
1979  – Denis Kitchen approaches Howaard Cruse about making “Gay Comix”
1979  – Rip Off Press ends
1979  – Art Spiegelman starts to teach at the School of Visual Arts in NY
1980  – First issue of “Gay Comix” (Kitchen SInk Press) released, edited by Howard Cruse 
1980  – “Raw” comics anthology created by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly 
1980-1991   – Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman serialized 
1981  – “Wimmen’s Comix” takes a 6 year hiatus 
1981  – Daniel Clowes and his friends create “Psycho Comics” 
1981  – Robert Crumb starts comix magazine “Weirdo” published by Last Gasp 
1981  – Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb’s daughter Sophie is born; they move to Southern France
1982  – Last issue of “Bizzare Sex” released 
1982  – Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez create “Love and Rockets” published by Fantagraphics 
1983  – “Dykes to Watch Out For” by Alison Bechdel first published 
1984  – Mary Fleener self publishes her first comic “Hoodoo” 
1984  – Robert Crumb passes editorship of “Weirdo” to Peter Bagge 
1985   – Print Mint, since renamed Reprint Mint, is sold by the Schenkers 
1985  – Mary Wings “She Came Too Late” lesbian detective novel published 
1985  – Topps Bubbglegum starts Garbage Pail Kids cards 
1986   – Doubleday publishes the first of it’s two collected volumes of Harvye Pekar’s “American Splendor” with the next coming out the following year 
1986  – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson publishes “Illustrated History of Ranching in Texas” 
1986  – Peter Bagge resigns as editor at “Weirdo”; Aline Kominsky-Crumb takes over 
1987  – Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb marry 
1988  – “Dirty Plotte” by Julie Doucet was first self-published 
1988  – Roberta Gregory self publishes “Winging It” and “Sheila and the Unicorn” 
1989   – Jack “Jaxon” Jackon publishes “Rip Off Pres: The Golden Era #21” 
1989  – Daniel Clowes first issue of “Eightball” 
1989  – Roberta Gregory moves to Seattle and begins to work at Fantagraphics Books 
1990   – Art Spiegelman receives a Guggenheim Fellowship to work on Maus’ second volume 
1990  – Peter Bagge first publishes “Hate” (Fantagraaphics) 
1991   – American Splendor’s once a year regular release stops with issue fifteen 
1991  – Rick Griffin dies after motorcycle accident 
1991  – Roberta Gregory’s “Naughty Bits” issue one self published 
1991  – “Dirty Plotte” published by Drawn & Quarterly 
1991  – Julie Doucet moves to NYC for one year and makes “My New York Diary” 
1992   – Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman wins a Pulitzer Prize 
1992  – “Wimmen’s Comix” publishes it’s last issue 
1993   – Don Schenkers dies
1994  – Robert Williams first published “Juxtapoz Arts & Culture” Magazine
1995  – “Stuck Rubber Baby” by Howard Cruse published 
1995  – “Black Hole” by Charles Burns first published by Fantagraphics 
1995  – “Crumb” documentary about Robert Crumb by Terry Zwigoff is released 
1996  – Mary Fleener’s “Life of the Party” released  
1998  – Jack “Jaxon” Jackson creates “Lost Cause” 
1999   – Joel Beck dies 
2001-2003  – Roberta Gregory’s popular character Bitchy Bitch from “Naughty Bits” starred in the animated cartoon “Life’s a Bitch” on Comedy Network (Canada) and Oxygen Network (US) 
2001  – Daniel Clowes “Eightball” story “Ghost World” is made into a movie of the same name 
2002   – Rand Holmes dies 
2002  – Phoebe Gloeckner’s “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” published by Frog Books 
2003   – “American Splendor” the award winning movie about Harvey Pekar’s life starring Paul Giamatti is released 
2005  – “Black Hole” by Charles Burns released as graphic novel by Fantagraphics 
2006  –Jack “Jaxon” Jackson dies 
2006  – “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel published 
2010   – Harvey Pekar dies 
2015  – “Fun Home” the Broadway Musical wins a Tony for best musical 
2015  – “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” by Phoebe Glockner made into a movie with the same name 
2017   – Skip Williamson and Jay Lynch die within a week and a half of each other 
2019  – Howard Cruse dies 
2020   – Alice Schnker dies 
2021  – Streaming channel Tubi releases 8 episode show “The Freak Brothers” based on Gilbert Shelton’s “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” 
2021  – Spain Rodriguez dies 
2021  – S. Clay Wilson dies 
2022  – Aline Kominsky-Crumb dies 

About. Robert Williams Official Site. (2022). Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://www.robtwilliamsstudio.com/about

Beat Staff. (2016, May 11). Interview: Roberta Gregory on Mother Mountain, wimmen's comix, & bitchy bitch. Comics Beat. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-roberta-gregory-on-mother-mountain-wimmens-comix-bitchy-bitch/

Bernsau, T. (2021, January 20). Car Toons for car guys. MotorTrend. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.motortrend.com/features/0908rc-the-car-toons-of-pete-millar/

Chakraborty, P. (2021). "Sex and the Aesthetics of the Vulgar: Reading the Creative Paradox in the Works of Robert Crumb." Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry, 07(02), 120–148. https://doi.org/10.35684/jlci.2021.7206

Chute, H. (2006, season-04). Decoding Comics. Modern Fiction Studies, 52(4), 1014–1027. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26286682

Chute, H. (2019). Why Comics?: From Underground to Everywhere (Reprint). Harper Perennial.

Costello, B., & Gremins, B. (2021). The Other 1980s: Reframing Comics’ Crucial Decade. Louisiana State University Press.

Dalzell, T. (2020, February 20). Remembering Alice Schenker, whose Print Mint on Telegraph Avenue sparked the 1960s poster revolution. Berkeleyside. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.berkeleyside.org/2020/02/20/remembering-alice-schenker-whose-print-mint-on-telegraph-avenue-sparked-the-1960s-poster-revolution

Danky, J. P., & Kitchen, D. (2009). Underground classics: The transformation of comics into Comix. Abrams.

Dauber, J. (2022). American Comics: A History. W. W. Norton & Company.

Doherty , B.  (2023). Dirty pictures: How an underground network of nerds, feminists, misfits, geniuses, bikers,... Potheads, printers, intellectuals, and art school. Harry N. Abraams.

Ebert, R. (2005, November 20). Crumb Movie Review & Film Summary (1995): Roger Ebert. Crumb movie review & film summary (1995) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-crumb-1994

Elam, E. (2013, February 15). Gilbert Shelton in Conversation. T_he Comics Journal ._ Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.tcj.com/gilbert-shelton-in-conversation/

Estren, M. J. (2012). A History of Underground Comics. Ronin Publishing, Inc.

Frank, P. (2018, June 19). Mary Wings just wanted an orgasm when she created the First Lesbian Comic Book. HuffPost. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mary-wings-created-first-lesbian-comic-book\_n\_5b23d937e4b0d4fc01fdd783

Freeman, J. (2017, November 3). Exclusive: Gilbert Shelton reveals some Fabulous furry freak brothers secrets, new collection extracts_! downthetubes.net._ Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://downthetubes.net/exclusive-gilbert-shelton-reveals-some-fabulous-furry-freak-brothers-secrets-new-collection-extracts/

Gabilliet, J., Beaty, B., & Nguyen, N. (2013). Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books(Illustrated). University Press of Mississippi.

Garcia, E. (2017). The Hernandez Brothers: Love, Rockets, and Alternative Comics (Latinx and Latin American Profiles)(1st ed.). University of Pittsburgh Press.

Gary Panter. Lambiek Comiclopedia . (2022, July 22). Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/panter.htm

Gomez, B. (2017, March 29). She changed comics: Roberta Gregory interview. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://cbldf.org/2017/03/she-changed-comics-roberta-gregory-interview/

Gregory, R. (2009). My Creative History. Roberta Gregory . Retrieved December 26, 2022, from http://www.robertagregory.com/Robertagregory/Robertas\_History.html

Griffith, B. (2002). A Bill Griffith Bibliography: (Out of Print & Hard to Find) Covers & Contents . A Bill Griffith bibliography. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.zippythepinhead.com/pages/biblio.html

Griffith, B. (2003). Still asking the unanswerable question, 'are we having fun yet?'. Still Asking the Unanswerable Question, ‘Are We Having Fun Yet?’ Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://imagetextjournal.com/still-asking-the-unanswerable-question-are-we-having-fun-yet/

Groth, G. (2011, February 9). An interview with Victor Moscoso. The Comics Journal. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://www.tcj.com/an-interview-with-victor-moscoso/

Hatfield, C., & Beaty, B. (2020). Comics studies: A guidebook. Rutgers University Press.

Hatfield, C. (2005, August 2). Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature (Illustrated). University Press of Mississippi.

Jean-Paul, J., & Cruse, H. (2021). Stuck Rubber Baby. CASTERMAN.

Jennings, J., Duffy, D., Woods, A. A., Wimberly, R., Greene, S., Richardson, A., Love, J., Love, R., & Knight, K. (2020, March 31). Black Comix Returns. Magnetic Press.

Julie Doucet. _Lambiek Comiclopedia. (_2022, June 20). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/d/doucet.htm

Kaplan, A. (2010). From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books. Jewish Publication Society.

Knuddle, K. (2022, October 4). Jay Lynch. Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/l/lynch.htm

Knuddle, K. (2022, September 27). Robert Williams. Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved December 27, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/williams\_r.htm

Knuddle, K. (2022, September 27). Skip Williamson. Lambiek Comiclopedia . Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/williamson\_skip.htm

Lambiek. (2022, January 20). Joel Beck. Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/beck\_joel.htm

Mary Fleener. Lambiek Comiclopedia. (2021, February 13). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/f/fleener\_mary.htm

Mietkiewicz, H. (2011, June 11). Holmes, Rand (1942-2002). THE JOE SHUSTER AWARDS Canadian Comics Awards, News & Links. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://joeshusterawards.com/hof/hof-rand-holmes-1942-2002/

Milligan, M. (2021, October 19). Tubi grooves into Adult Toons with debut original 'The Freak Brothers'. Animation Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.animationmagazine.net/2021/10/tubi-grooves-into-adult-toons-with-debut-original-the-freak-brothers/

Fox, M. S. (2013). Zap Comix. Underground Comix Joint. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://comixjoint.com/zapcomix.html

Of the Golden Age comics houses, EC was the greatest; Weird! Incredible! Mad! (2020, September 23). The Economist. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A681897193/OVIC?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=cd9e73a6

Olsza, M. (2020). Feminist (and/as) alternative media practices in women's underground comix in the 1970s 1. Polish Journal for American Studies, 14, 21-37,139. Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/feminist-as-alternative-media-practices-womens/docview/2473439187/se-2

Pagano, K. (2012, August 18). Mary Fleener lives art on the edge. North Coast Current. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.northcoastcurrent.com/north-coast-beat/2012/08/mary-fleener-lives-art-on-the-edge/

Panter, G. (2007). Biography . Gary Panter. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from http://www.garypanter.com/site/index.php/about/biography/

Pencil, S. (2020). Rated Savx: The Savage Pencil Skratchbook. Strange Attractor Press.

Pilcher, T., & Kannenberg Jr., G. (2008). Erotic comics : a graphic history from Tijuana bibles to underground comix. The Ilex Press Limited.

Prescott, G. (2017, March 21). About: Life of the Party: An Interview with Mary Fleener. Art & Illustration by Mary Fleener. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from http://www.maryfleener.com/about/

Rand Holmes. Lambiek Comiclopedia. (2021, January 16). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/h/holmes\_rand.htm

Roberta Gregory. Lambiek Comiclopedia. (2021, January 1). Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/g/gregory.htm

Robbins, T. (1999). From girls to grrrlz : a history of [women’s] comics from teens to zines. Chronicle Books.

Rosenkranz, P. (2008, May 20). Rebel Visions: The Underground Comix Revolution 1963 - 1975 (Reprint). Fantagraphics Books.

Sabin, R. (2001). Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels (Revised ed.). Phaidon Press.

Seigal, B. (1997, January 8). Life of the party : Cartoonist Mary Fleener draws on a zest for life and an appreciation for the world's everyday zaniness. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-08-ls-16304-story.html

Seves, P. R. (2018). Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground (1st ed.). Schiffer.

Smith, H. (2021, February 10). S. Clay Wilson, who helped launch the underground comix movement, dies at 79. The Washington Post Online.

Szasz, F. M. (2013, September 15). Atomic Comics: Cartoonists Confront the Nuclear World (1st ed.). University of Nevada Press.

Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels. (2011). Reference Reviews; Harlow, 25(6), 52–53.

Wanzo, R. (2018, June 1). The Normative Broken: Melinda Gebbie, Feminist Comix, and Child Sexuality Temporalities. American Literature, 90(2), 347–375. https://doi.org/10.1215/00029831-4564334

Wiggins, R. (2010, March 3). Me and Gilbert Shelton: A Memoir [web log]. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramsey-wiggins-me-and-gilbert-shelton.html.

Williams, P. (2020, January 17). Dreaming the Graphic Novel: The Novelization of Comics (None). Rutgers University Press.

During the 1960s, the Chicano Movement or "El Movimiento" gave way for Chicano artists, designers, and printmakers to emerge. The Chicano Movement united Chicanos, Americans of Mexican heritage who chose that label, in a new shared identity to fight for social and political empowerment. One of the creatives that made their mark in support of this movement was Yolanda Margarita López, a feminist painter, printmaker, educator, and film producer. She was best known for her works focusing on the experiences of Mexican-American and Chicana women, often challenging the harmful ethnic stereotypes associated with them. López is most known for the Guadalupe series, where she reimagines Our Lady of Guadalupe in the image of the everyday Chicana woman. López was essential to the case of Los Siete de La Raza, or The Seven of the Hispanic Community. In this case, seven Latino youths were falsely accused of killing police officer Joseph Brodnick in San Francisco on May 1st, 1969. The political art and design work she produced in support of the seven falsely accused helped rally the San Francisco community together in support and led to the acquitting of the seven youths. López, through her activism, challenged stereotypes of Chicana women and advocated for the Latino community as well as other marginalized communities over the course of her creative career.  

1942 – Born on November 1 in San Diego, CA
1968 – Third World Liberation Strikes
1969 – Los Siete de La Raza
1971 – Enrolled at San Diego State University
1975 – Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in painting and drawing
1977 – ¿A Donde Vas, Chicana?
1978 – Start of Guadalupe Series
1979 – University of California, San Diego, receiving a Master of Fine Arts
2021 – Yolanda dies of complications from Liver Cancer 

Daly, C.-S. (2021) Yolanda López, artist who painted the iconic Virgen de Guadalupe series, dies at 79, Mission Local. Available at: https://missionlocal.org/2021/09/yolanda-lopez-artist-who-painted-the-iconic-virgen-de-guadalupe-series-dies-at-79/ (Accessed: November 27, 2022). 

Davalos, K.M. (2008) Yolanda M. López. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press. 

Duke Human Rights Center at the Franklin Humanities Institute (no date) Chavez, the UFW and the "wetback" problem, News RSS. Available at: https://humanrights.fhi.duke.edu/chavez-ufw-and-wetback-problem/ (Accessed: November 27, 2022). 

Genial generating engagement and new initiatives for ... - exploratorium (no date). Available at: https://www.exploratorium.edu/sites/default/files/Genial\_2017\_Terms\_of\_Usage.pdf (Accessed: November 28, 2022). 

Seth Combs Oct. 10, 2021 5:15 A.M.P.T.F.T.S.more sharing optionsS.C.extra sharing options F.T.L.I.E.C.L.U.R.L.C.P. (2021) The art and activism of Yolanda López, Tribune. Available at: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/story/2021-10-10/the-art-and-activism-of-yolanda-lopez (Accessed: November 27, 2022). 

¡Printing the revolution!: The rise and impact of Chicano graphics, 1965 to now (no date) ¡Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now | Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Available at: https://www.cartermuseum.org/exhibitions/printing-revolution-rise-and-impact-chicano-graphics-1965-now (Accessed: November 27, 2022).

There is a rich history of Black films and filmmaking in the United States that stems from the history of segregation, which created a need for separate films for separate audiences. Since mainstream Hollywood ignored Black audiences, Black filmmakers took the lead in making all Black or “colored” cast films for their audiences. These films have become known as race films. The goal was to shoot films for and about Black folks that were positive and uplifting, to counteract the stereotyped portrayals of mainstream movies. The era of race films dates from roughly 1912-1950 when following World War II movie theaters began to desegregate, Black culture began to be subsumed by white culture, and Black music, dancing, and other performances began to be seen as profitable by Hollywood studios.  Much like mainstream white movies, Black films were advertised and marketed to Black audiences through film posters. In many cases where the original films were not well preserved, all that remains as evidence of these films are posters.

1912-1950 – Race films were made by Black filmmakers and producers with “All colored cast”
1915 – Deeply racist film, The Birth of a Nation is screened, protests of which leads to the formation of the NAACP
1919 – The Homesteader, first film written by Black Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux
1923  – The Bull-dogger is filmed in Oklahoma by the Norman Manufacturing Company staring Black rodeo performer Bill Pickett
1943 – Some of the first mainstream Hollywood films for Black audiences include Stormy Weather and Cabin in the Sky
1948 – The Betrayal, last film written by Black Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux
1953 – Movie theaters desegregated, resulting from a U.S. Supreme court ruling to desegregate restaurants, though many southern states would hold out for at least another decade. 
1971 – Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, the first Blaxploitation film premieres, written and directed by Black filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles
1984 – Art Sims designs film poster for Steven Speilberg’s The Color Purple
1992 – John Duke Kisch published a book on his collection of Black film posters called A Separate Cinema
1995 – Art Sims designs controversial film poster for Spike Lee’s Clockers
1995 – Edward Mapp donates a substantial collection of Black film posters to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences collection in the Margaret Herrick Library
2000 – Art Sims designs a controversial film poster for Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, depicting racist stereotypes, which audiences pushed back on, until they realized that designer and filmmaker were Black and the stereotypes were intentionally satirical.
2000-2011  – The Mapp Collection, donated to Indiana University by Dr. Edward Mapp of New York City, consists of two series: Film Publicity, 1930-2002 and Films, 1934-2004.
2005 –  Portions of Mapp's collection of Black-cast film posters toured the country with the Smithsonian’s Traveling Exhibition Service as Close Up in Black: African American Film Posters.
2020 – John Kisch’s Collection was purchased by The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art 

Art Sims visionary designer of spike lee's movie posters gets NY honor at the AIGA national design center May 19th. (2010, May 17). PR Newswire https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/art-sims-visionary-designer-spike-lees-movie/docview/288129084/se-2

Caro, M. (1995, Sep 13). `CLOCKERS' AD CAMPAIGN GETTING A NEW LOOK: [NORTH SPORTS FINAL, CN EDITION]. Chicago Tribune (Pre-1997 Fulltext) Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libproxy.uco.edu/newspapers/clockers-ad-campaign-getting-new-look/docview/283992830/se-2

Collins, S. (1996, Feb 08). Leaving a paper trail; african americans spent many years at the periphery of hollywood in films with all-black casts. some posters the academy recently acquired are the only surviving chronicle of much of this history.: [home edition]. Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext) Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libproxy.uco.edu/newspapers/leaving-paper-trail-african-americans-spent-many/docview/293272302/se-2

Cripps, M. T. &. (2022, October 19). Close-Up in Black: African-American Films Posters from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Apparent First Edition). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Edward Mapp Collection, 1937-2011 - Archives online at Indiana University. (n.d.). https://archives.iu.edu/catalog/VAC1069

Kisch, J., Nourmand, T., Lee, S., Gates, H. L., & Doggett, P. (2014, September 18). Separate Cinema: The First 100 Years of Black Poster Art (First Edition). Reel Art Press.

Laski, B. (1995, September 18). U switches ‘Clockers’ art after ‘Anatomy’ lesson. Variety. https://variety.com/1995/scene/markets-festivals/u-switches-clockers-art-after-anatomy-lesson-99130142/

McCluskey, A. T. (2003). Director’s Notes: Imaging Blackness, 1915-2002: Exhibit Documents Black Hollywood through Film Posters. Black Camera, 18(2), 1–2. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27761620

Machemer, T. (2020, January 16). George Lucas' New Museum Acquires Major Archive of African American Film History. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/george-lucas-museum-acquires-huge-archive-african-american-cinema-180973999/

Mapp, E., & McCluskey, A. T. (2003). An Interview with Dr. Edward Mapp: A Passion for Collecting Black Film. Black Camera, 18(2), 1–10. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27761621

Martin, M.. (2018). GALLERY: Poster Art as Cultural Labor in the Cinematic Archive of Claire Denis. Black Camera, 10(1), 144–155. https://doi.org/10.2979/blackcamera.10.1.08

Octane, & Octane. (2021). Celebrating America’s Pioneer Black Graphic Designers: Art Sims (1954 – Present) | Octane Design Studios. Octane Design Studios | #MoreThanGraphics. https://lexoctane.com/?p=15067

Pearce-Doughlin, S., Goldsmith, A., & Hamilton, D. (2013). Colorism. In P. L. Mason (Ed.), Encyclopedia of race and racism (2nd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galerace/colorism/0?institutionId=1845

PrintMag. (2013, December 11). Spike Lee’s Other Poster Design Bamboozle: Saul Bass. PRINT Magazine. https://www.printmag.com/graphic-design/spike-lee-s-other-poster-design-bamboozle-saul-bass/

Reid, M. A. (2005, March 17). Black Lenses, Black Voices: African American Film Now (Genre and Beyond: A Film Studies Series) (Edition Unstated). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Richburg, C. (2016, March 27). Art Sims Talks Creating Iconic ‘New Jack City’ Movie Poster, Film’s 25th Anniversary. EURweb. https://eurweb.com/2016/03/27/art-sims-talks-creating-new-jack-city-movie-poster/

Schaefer, S. (1995, September 8). Poster Imposter. EW.com. https://ew.com/article/1995/09/08/poster-imposter/

Shivers, K. (2000, Mar 22). Sims shows how a picture is worth a box office hit. Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libproxy.uco.edu/newspapers/sims-shows-how-picture-is-worth-box-office-hit/docview/369327904/se-2

Smith, I. H. (2018, October 3). Selling the Movie: The Art of the Film Poster. University of Texas Press.

Stevens, I_._ (2020, June 3) I turn my back on you: black movie poster art | The pictures | Sight & Sound. British Film Institute. https://www2.bfi.org.uk/explore-film-tv/sight-sound-magazine/sight-sound-articles/features/pictures/i-turn-my-back-you-black

Type Directors Club. (2020, December 2). Kelly Walters - Ain’t dat a shame [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8sLYAFnCdE

Web Editor. (2022, February 2). The Activists who Desegregated Arlington’s Movie Theaters. https://library.arlingtonva.us/2022/02/02/the-activists-who-desegregated-arlingtons-movie-theaters/#:~:text=Finally%2C%20in%201953%2C%20a%20U.S.,to%20local%20theaters%20as%20well.

Wilson, M., & Benson, O. (2014). Colorism. In S. Thompson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of diversity and social justice. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/rowmandasj/colorism/0?institutionId=1845

Edward Gorey was probably best known as an author and illustrator of more than 100 books in his lifetime. Collector's items today, his books have become icons in and of themselves, darkly humorous and humorously dark. The books defied genres and publishers sometimes had a hard time determining how to market them. They were illustrated yes, but the dark and sometimes gruesome tales certainly weren’t children's books. This contribution was undoubtedly significant, but this was not the limit of his career, which included designing book covers, sets, and costumes for theater and ballet (including the Tony award-winning designs for Dracula in 1977), and the illustrations for animations for the PBS Mystery! series, a shortened version of which can still be seen today. Gorey’s book cover designs are often identifiable by his hand-lettered titles, which he claims he did because he didn’t know much about type. Additionally, Gorey was an icon of fashion in the New York scene, he and his extensive collection of fur coats were the subjects of multiple articles on the New York Fashion scene. Yet despite his numerous contributions, he is not mentioned in design or illustration history books, is his absence from the design history canon a result of gatekeeping? Was it because he mostly designed book covers for inexpensive paperback books rather than glamorous hardcovers? Or Possibly because his own work was described by critics as “macabre”, “gothic”, or even “campy”. Or was it because of his association with the LGBT community? Many have speculated about his sexual orientation, even though Gorey was not “out” and he preferred ambiguity only going so far as to admit to an interviewer that he supposed he was gay, but didn’t “identify with it much”.

1925 – b Chicago, Illinois, as Edward St. John Gorey
1942 – was accepted to Harvard
1942 – Drafted into the Army, served stateside during WWII at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah, deferred college entrance
1946 – Begins at Harvard, education is paid for by the G.I. Bill, majoring in French Literature
1953– Hired at Anchor /Doubleday as a book cover designer, moves to NYC
1953 – Publishes first book of his own, The Unstrung Harp
1962 – Founds the Fantod Press to publish his own books
1962-63 – Hired as an art director at Bobbs-Merrill, publisher
1963 – Begins working as a Freelance book designer and illustrator, begins living part-time at the cape
1963 – Publishes abecedary, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, along with The Insect God and The West Wing
1977 – Designs sets and costumes for Broadway revival of Dracula, wins a Tony award for both
1980 – Creates illustrations for animated introduction to PBS Mystery!
1983 – Resolves to leave the city (NYC), moves permanently and full-time to the Cape
2000 – d Gorey dies at age 75
2002 – Edward Gorey’s home at the cape becomes a museum, The Edward Gorey House

Borrelli-Persson, L. (2021, October 30). Celebrating Edward Gorey, Style Icon. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/celebrating-edward-gorey-style-icon

Brottman, M. (2005) High theory/low culture. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Curwen, T. (2004, Jul 18). ART; light from a dark star; before the current rise of graphic novels, there was Edward Gorey, whose tales and drawings still baffle -- and attract -- new fans.: [HOME EDITION]. Los Angeles Times Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.libproxy.uco.edu/newspapers/art-light-dark-star-before-current-rise-graphic/docview/422042911/se-2?accountid=14516

Dery, M. (2018). Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey (Illustrated ed.). Little, Brown and Company.

Dery, M. (2020, January-February). Edward Gorey's Gothic Nonsense. The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, 27(1), 18+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A616752005/LitRC?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=f73cab8e

Devers, A. N. (2011, January 5). The Coats of Edward Gorey. The Paris Review. https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/01/04/the-coats-of-edward-gorey/

Dubner, S. (2022, May 20). The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into. Freakonomics. https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-university-of-impossible-to-get-into/

Gottlieb, R. (2018, December 31). Superb Oddities: Robert Gottlieb Reviews a Biography of Edward Gorey. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/books/review/edward-gorey-mark-dery-born-to-be-posthumous.html

Green, J. (2020, April 1). The Gay History of America’s Classic Children’s Books. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/t-magazine/gay-children-book-authors.html

Gussow, M. (2000, April 17). Edward Gorey, Artist and Author Who Turned the Macabre Into a Career, Dies at 75. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/17/arts/edward-gorey-artist-and-author-who-turned-the-macabre-into-a-career-dies-at-75.html

Heller. (1999). “Book Covers, Edward Gorey”. Design Literacy (continued) : understanding graphic design.

Heller, S. (1999, Jan 06). Edward Gorey's cover story: [toronto edition]. National Post Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/edward-goreys-cover-story/docview/329355783/se-2?accountid=14516

Kurutz, S. (2018, November 1). The Granddaddy of Goth. New York Times, D1(L). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A560663228/OVIC?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=4e2ba0c0

Myers, Q. (2020, March 30). Why Did We Grow Up Thinking a Piercing in the Right Ear Was Gay? MEL Magazine. https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/gay-piercing-right-ear-left-ear-history

Nadel, A. (2019). The Lavender Scare. The Journal of American History (Bloomington, Ind.), 106(3), 845–847. https://doi.org/10.1093/jahist/jaz663

Petermann, E. (2018). The child's death as punishment or nonsense? Edward Gorey's "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" (1963) and the cautionary verse tradition. Bookbird, 56(4), 22. doi:https://doi.org/10.1353/bkb.2018.0062

Schneider, R. (2020). Start of a Decade: "Camp Leaders" The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, 27(1), 4–4.

Seufert, C. [Christopher Seufert]. (2020, May 8). Dick Cavett Interviews Edward Gorey, Nov. 30, 1977 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cng3K8FGj28

Sontag, S. (2018). Notes on Camp. Penguin Classics.

Sontag, S. (2018). One Culture and The New Sensibility. In Notes On Camp (pp. 34–55). Penguin Classics.

Spark Admissions. (2021, June 8). Exploring Ivy League Acceptance Rates. https://www.sparkadmissions.com/blog/ivy-league-acceptance-rates-just-how-hard-is-it-to-get-in/

Stonewall UK. (2022, July 19). Convictions and cautions for gross indecency. Stonewall. 

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/information-and-resources/criminal-law/convictions-and-cautions-gross-indecency#:%7E:text=The%20Criminal%20Justice%20and%20Public,were%20deleted%20from%20the%20statutes

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The Black Panther Party was founded during the turbulent times of the sixties that saw many changes in America. Newton at first led the party with an ideology called their Ten Point Program, and with the idea that arming Black communities was essential for their protection and survival. Through community assistance programs and armed community patrols to prevent police brutality, the Black Panther Party sought to protect and uplift their communities, stepping in where the government had failed them.  In order to promote their party’s ideals, generate revenue, and recruit new members, the Party began publishing the Black Panther newspaper. It grew from 4 pages to 32, adding color and better design under the direction of Emory Douglas who was the Black Panthers’ Minister of Culture and the paper’s editor. Douglas’s skills as a graphic designer and illustrator produced the imagery that would define not only the Black Panther Party but the entire Black Power movement. The success of the paper grew, had distribution across the United States, and later reached other countries as well. Internal strife among leadership and members, as well as extensive government interference, led to the crumbling of the Black Panther Party. With it went their iconic newspaper that for over a decade was a visual record of the Black Panther Party, the Black Power movement, and the struggle for civil rights.

1827 – Freedom’s Journal first published
1936 – Robert George Seale was born in Liberty, Texas
1942 – Huey Percy Newton is born in Monroe, Louisiana 
1943 – Emory Douglas was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan
1960 – Emory Douglas started studying Graphic Design at City College of San Francisco 
1963 – Martin Luther King Jr delivers “I Have A Dream” speech
1965 – Lowndes County Freedom Organization was founded by Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Alabama
1966 – Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale met in Oakland, CA, and founded The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense
1966 – BPP developed survival programs 
1967 – California Governor Ronald Regan signed Mulford Act 
1967 – Sale and Newton established the BPP first headquarters in Oakland, CA
1967 – Black Panther Intercommunal News Service
1967 – Newton was shot and jailed after a standoff with a police officer
1967 – Emory Douglas met Newton and Seale and joins the BPP
1967 – David Hilliard, BPP chief of staff, first arrested for selling the Newspaper
1968 – Kerner Commission publishes findings on potential race war; faults white institutions
1968 – Martin Luther King Jr assassinated, race riots erupt across USA 
1968 – Newton was convicted of manslaughter for killing a police officer 
1970 – FBI memo says circulation for BPP Newspaper was 139,000 a week
1970 – Newton was released due to his conviction being overturned on appeal
1971 – Newton shifts BPP focus to community programs, leadership is challenged by other part members 
1971 – Newton expels 21 members, the “panther 21” over rumors of kidnapping and fratricide; also expels Eldridge Cleaver over suspicions of assassination through letters
1971 – Cleaver’s followers tied up Sam Napier in NY distribution office for the BPP newspaper and shot him, set fire to office
1974 – Netwon fled to Cuba on accusations of murdering a prostitute, Elaine Brown takes over as leader of BPP
1974 – End of BPP
1977 – Newton returns to California to stand trial for the murder of a prostitute
1978 – Jonina Abron takes over as editor of BPP Newspaper 
1980 – Last year BPP Newspaper is published 

Alkebulan, P. (2012). Survival pending revolution: The history of the Black Panther Party. The University of Alabama Press. 

Berry, A. H., Collie, K., Laker, P. A., Noel, L.-A., Rittner, J., & Walters, K. (2022). The black experience in design: Identity, Expression & Reflection. Allworth Press. 

bperki8. (n.d.). R/communism - A complete archive of the Black Panther Party's newspapers from beginning to end. reddit ; r/communism. Retrieved June 2, 2016, from https://www.reddit.com/r/communism/comments/4m7axa/a\_complete\_archive\_of\_the\_black\_panther\_partys/

Carroll, F. (2017). Race News: Black journalists and the fight for racial justice in the Twentieth Century. University of Illinois Press. 

Carroll, F. J. (2011). Race News: How black reporters and readers shaped the fight for racial justice, 1877-1978 (thesis). Fred Carroll, Ann Arbor, MI. 

Duncan, M. (2016). Emory Douglas and the art of the black panther party. Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, 5(1), 117–135. https://doi.org/10.2979/spectrum.5.1.06

Fagan, B. (2018). The Black Newspaper and the Chosen Nation. The University of Georgia Press. 

FEARNLEY, A. M. (2018). The Black Panther Party's publishing strategies and the financial underpinnings of activism, 1968–1975. The Historical Journal, 62(1), 195–217. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0018246x18000201

Freedom Archives (n.d.). Black Panther Party Community News Service. Freedom Archives Search Engine. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://search.freedomarchives.org/search.php?view\_collection=90&page=1

G., L. B. H. (1974). Perspectives of the Black Press, 1974. Mercer House Press. 

Harris, J. C. (2000). Revolutionary black nationalism: The Black Panther Party. The Journal of Negro History , 85(3), 162–174. 

Hilliard, D. (2008). The Black Panther Party: Service to the people programs. University of New Mexico Press. 

Hilliard, D. (2007). The black panther: Intercommunal News Service. Atria Books. 

Hilliard, D. (2002). This side of glory: The autobiography of David Hilliard and the story of the Black Panther Party. Chicago Review Press. 

Jackson, T. (2016). Pioneering cartoonists of color. University Press of Mississippi. 

Jeffries, J. L. (2011). On the ground. Univ. Press of Mississippi. 

Jennings, B. X. (2019, May 22). Remembering the Black Panther Party newspaper, April 25, 1967- September 1980. San Francisco Bay View. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from http://sfbayview.com/2015/05/remembering-the-black-panther-party-newspaper-april-25-1967-september-1980/

Kifner, J. (1998, May 2). Eldridge Cleaver, Black Panther Who Became G.O.P. Conservative, Is Dead at 62. New York Times, pp. 8–8. 

Michaeli, E. (2018). The defender how the legendary Black Newspaper Changed America: From the age of the pullman porters to the age of obama. Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

Morgan, J.-A. (2020). The Black Arts Movement and the Black Panther Party in American Visual culture. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. 

Ng, D. (2007, October 18). Art; So you want a revolution? Check out Emory Douglas' art for the Black Panthers. LA Times.

Ongiri, A. A. (2010). Spectacular blackness the cultural politics of the Black Power movement and the search for a black aesthetic. University of Virginia Press. 

Psaltis, A.-A. (2018). ARTPOLITICAL environment: Richard Bell and Emory Douglas’s Burnett Lane mural. Electronic Melbourne Art Journal, (10). https://doi.org/10.38030/emaj.2018.10.1

Scott, V. H. F. (2021). Art, global maoism and the Chinese Cultural Revolution. (J. Galimberti & N. De Haro Garcia, Eds.). MANCHESTER UNIV PRESS. 

Shames, S., & Seale, B. (2016). Power to the people: The world of the black panthers. Abrams. 

Smethurst, J. E. (2006). The Black Arts Movement: Literary nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s. The University of North Carolina Press. 

Suggs, H. L. (1983). The Black Press in the South, 1865-1979. Greenwood Press.

Thornton, B., & Cassidy, W. P. (2008). Black newspapers in 1968 offer Panthers Little Support. Newspaper Research Journal, 29(1), 6–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/073953290802900102  

Waters, E. P. (1987). American Diary: A personal history of the Black Press. Path Press.

In 1922 William Harmon, a white real estate mogul from Ohio, started the Harmon foundation which, among other things, supported Black artists. His hope for the foundation was that it would help these artists gain recognition and help them to sell their work, regardless of their skin color. The foundation organized exhibitions and awards for Black artists, all with the explicit intent to stimulate their success. Despite its good intentions, the foundation met with criticism from the Black community. The work the foundation did was seen as patriarchal and fulfilling a “white savior” complex rather than effecting real change and achieving equity. While it can be argued that the Harmon Foundation did a lot to support Black artists, one of the main criticisms is its role in maintaining the segregation of Black artists. Harmon Foundation exhibits featured Black artists alongside other Black artists, instead of integrating with white artists. The foundation's awards were also juried by white judges who selected winners based on a white ideal of excellence rather than understanding the work and its value or role in Black culture. While the Harmon Foundation’s efforts weren’t always welcome, it still spent 45 years promoting Black artists, helping them gain well-deserved attention and recognition.

1862 – b Ohio, William E. Harmon
1887 – Founds Harmon National Real Estate Company
1922 – Harmon Foundation is founded
1925 – Harmon Foundation begins issuing cash awards for distinguished achievement in a number of fields, including fine arts
1925 – Harmon Foundation supports the Religious Motion Picture foundation
1928 – William Harmon dies
1928-33 – Harmon Foundation recognized as first to give national recognition to achievements of African Americans
1933-36 – Harmon Foundation supports films: “The Negro and Art” and “We Are All Artists”
1935 – Artist Romare Beardon accused the foundation of “coddling artists and lowering artistic standards”
1935 – The Harlem Artists Guild founded, to support artists and to pressure the Federal Arts Project to accept more African-American participants
1935 – Harmon National Real Estate Company becomes one of the largest real estate companies in the world
1936 – Harmon Foundation sponsors films: “What Africa Is”, “How Africa Lives”, and “From Fetishes to Faith”.
1938-41 – Harmon Foundation supports film series: “The African Motion Picture Project”
1969 – ‘Harlem on My Mind, 1900-1968’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, opens to criticism for absence of Black curators or consulting the Harlem community
1967 – Harmon Foundation ceases operations

Baum, K., Robles, M., & Yount, S. (2021, February 17). “Harlem on Whose Mind?”: The Met and Civil Rights. The Met. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2021/harlem-on-my-mind

Brown, A. C., III. (2015, January 20). James A. Porter: The Father of African American Art History. The Baltimore Renaissance. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://thelyfe.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/james-a-porter-the-father-of-african-american-art-history/#:%7E:text=Porter%3A%20The%20Father%20of%20African%20American%20Art%20History,-Professor%20James%20A&text=James%20Amos%20Porter%20was%20born,of%20Science%20degree%20in%20art.

Harmon Foundation, I. Harmon Foundation, inc., records. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/mm78051615.

Malan, N. E. (1973). Photographs in the Harmon Foundation Collection. African Arts, 6(2), 33–32. https://doi.org/10.2307/3334777

Williams, G. (2013, February 22). African American art and the Harmon Foundation. Smithsonian Libraries / Unbound. https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2013/02/22/african-american-art-and-the-harmon-foundation/#.YfQ3AljMJ4G

Posters as political tools are nothing new. In the Middle East, two revolutionary movements led to some of the most potent and vibrant posters in design history. The Iranian Revolution and the expulsion of Palestinians due to civil war and the continued fight to reclaim Palestinian homelands from Israel. These posters effectively gave voice to the struggles of ordinary people resisting the influence and meddling of various Western powers. For Iran, that meant keeping the dream of an Islamic state free and independent from Western countries that had been trying for decades to install a democratic government. And once so much of Palestine had been taken over by Israel, the Palestinian resistance fought back with ideas as well as guns. Using powerful graphic imagery common to each of their respective cultures, like calligraphy, Islamic iconography, and the colors red, black, white, and green, resistance posters of both movements kept the fire of resistance burning brightly. The Iranian Revolution effectively concluded once the Shah of Iran was overthrown and power consolidated under the rule of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. Palestine wasn’t so lucky. While their resistance began much earlier than Iran’s, their fight still isn’t over and their resistance posters have continued, spilling over into the digital domain in a continued effort to reclaim their native homeland.

1908 – Prince Yusuf Kamal founded the School of Fine Arts in Cairo, Egypt
1917 – Britain made Balfour Declaration to establish Palestine as a place for Jewish people
1921 – Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq declared independence from Britain
1922 – Egypt declared independence from Britain
1934 – University of Tehran Founded in Iran
1941 – Syria declared independence from France
1943 – Lebanon declared independence from France
1945 – End of WW II; Britain hands matter of Palestine to the USA
1948 – 750,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homes due to Israeli takeover
1947 – United Nations Partition of Palestine, followed by Civil War in Palestine (Arab-Israeli War)
1948 – British completely withdrew from Palestine, and Israeli statehood declared
1949 – Syria's president Husni al-Za’im overthrown by a military coup
 1950-54 – Designer & Artist Ismail Shammout attends the University of Cairo 
1950s – Saqqakhana Group formed 
1951 – Libya declared independence from France
1952 – Egyptian Monarchy overthrown by Free Officers Coup
1953 – USA and UK leaders helped to install Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (overthrew Democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh) 
1956 – Sudan declares independence from France, Israel attacked Egypt (Six Days War) 
1958 – Iraq Monarchy overthrown, Shammout studies in a private graphic design workshop in Berlin, Egypt and Syria form the United Arab Republic
1959 – Yasser Arafat founded The Palestinian National Liberation Movement
1963 – Algeria declares independence from France
1965 – The Peoples Mojahedin Iranian organization was founded at the University of Tehran
1967 – Palestine National Liberation Movement joins the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) 
1977- Iranian Revolution begins; Mostafa Khomeini, eldest son of Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, dies of an unknown cause at age 47; Protest & violent, repressive response cycles begin in dozens of Iranian cities. 
1978 – Cinema Rex Fire in Tehran; 477 Iranians killed in fire. 
1978 – Black Friday, where government tanks and helicopters opened fire on 1,000+ protestos in Tehran
1979 –  On Jan. 16, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi fled Iran ; On Feb. 1st,  Ayatollah Khomeini started The Islamic Republic of Iran as its leader. 
1982 –  PLO expelled from Lebanon, Israeli invasion of Lebanon
1988 –  Palestinian Declaration of Independence

Abedini, R., & Wolbers, H. (2006). New Visual Culture Of Modern Iran. BIS Publishers. 

Adamova, A. T., & Bayani, M. (2015). Persian Painting: The Arts Of The Book And Portraiture . Thames & Hudson. 

Bloom, J. M., & Blair, S. S. (2019). Islamic art: Past, present, future. Yale University Press. 

Charles River Editors. (2014). The Iranian Revolution: The islamic revolution that reshaped the Middle East. CreateSpace. 

Chelkowski, P. (2002, December 15). GRAPHIC ARTS. Encyclopedia Iranica . Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://iranicaonline.org/articles/graphic-arts

Eigner, S. (2015). Art of the Middle East: Modern and contemporary art of the Arab world and Iran. Merrell. 

Fotouhi, S. (2015). The literature of the Iranian diaspora: Meaning and identity since the Islamic Revolution. I.B. Tauris. 

The genius of Iranian graphic design. Graphéine - Agence de communication Paris Lyon. (2022, February 1). Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.grapheine.com/en/graphic-design-en/graphic-design-in-iran-persian-heritage-and-modernity

Guity, N. (2012, January 7). Modern Communication Design in Iran. The History of Graphic Design in Iran. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from http://gdiran.blogspot.com/2012/01/this-being-human-is-guest-house.html?view=snapshot

Gumpert, L., & Balaghi, S. (2003). Picturing Iran: Art, society and revolution. I.B. Tauris. 

Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center. (n.d.). Guide to the Middle Eastern Posters Collection 1970s-1990s. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/scrc/findingaids/view.php?eadid=ICU.SPCL.MEPOSTERS&q=iranian+posters

Louis, W. R. (2012). The 1967 arab-israeli war: Origins and consequences. Cambridge University Press. 

Nazar Research and Cultural Institute. (2007). Iranian typography: 50 years of calligraphy and typography in iranian graphic design. 

Osborn, J. R. (2017). Letters of light: Arabic script in calligraphy, print, and Digital Design. Harvard University Press. 

Pappe, I. L. A. N. (2022). History of modern palestine. Cambridge University Press.

Parsons, A. (1984). The pride and the fall: Iran, 1974-1979. J. Cape. 

Pearlman, W. (2014). Violence, nonviolence, and the Palestinian National Movement. Cambridge University Press. 

Qumsiyeh, M. B. (2011). Popular resistance in Palestine a history of hope and empowerment. Pluto Press. 

Rauh, E. (2013, November 26). “Posters and history of the Iranian Revolution”. Graphic Art News. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.graphicart-news.com/posters-and-history-of-the-iranian-revolution-in-history/

ROUTLEDGE. (2019). Rethinking place in South Asian and Islamic art, 1500-present. 

Saikal, A. (2021). Rise and fall of the shah. Princeton University Press. 

Shehab, B., & Nawar, H. (2020). A history of Arab graphic design. The American University in Cairo Press. 

Sheikh Zadegan, A., & Meier, A. (2017). Beyond the islamic revolution perceptions of modernity and tradition in Iran before and after 1979. De Gruyter. 

The University of Chicago Library: The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center. (2011, October 15). The Graphics of Revolution and War: Iranian Poster Arts . The Graphics of Revolution and War - The University of Chicago Library. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/collex/exhibits/graphics-revolution-and-war-iranian-poster-arts/

Sylvia Harris has been described as a public designer, her own words, and a citizen designer, but whatever you want to call it, Harris was dedicated to designing for the good of the people. She was committed to creating designs that helped people to navigate their world. Harris grew up in Richmond, Virginia where she experienced the desegregation of her school, which likely had a significant impact on her entire life.  As a Black designer who was educated and entrenched in modernist design practices, created by western and European “elite” designers, she sought to discover what the Black aesthetic in America was for herself, and she shared her findings with the world. Her work ranges from the redesign of the US Census in 2000, which succeeded in creating a design that resulted in a larger number of responses that were more complete and accurate, to the design for the ACLU’s initial brand design. Sylvia Harris is a designer who can teach us a lot about what it is to be a Black designer in America, where to possibly look for Black designers in graphic design history, as well as what it means to create design for good. 

1953 – b Richmond, Virginia
1959 – State of Virginia is officially desegregated, the state continued to fight desegregation and was not fully desegregated until 1970
1971 - Entered Design school
1975 - Graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University where she was a student of Philip Meggs
1975 - Works for WGBH design department in Boston alongside, Chris Pullman, an AIGA Medalist 
1980 - Graduates from Yale with MFA in design
1980 - Founds 212 Associates with David Gibson & Juanita Dugale
1993 - Hired to redesign the Census (design released in 2000)
1994-1997 - Serves on AIGA board of directors
1994 - Leaves 212 to found her own company Sylvia Harris, LLC
1996 - Publishes What is it? Searching for the Black Aesthetic in American graphic design
2000 - Design census released
2011 - Rebrands her company to focus on “Citizen Research & Design”
2011 - Untimely death, complications due to heart failure she was 57
2014 - posthumously awarded AIGA Medal

AIGA. (n.d.). 2014 AIGA Medalist: Sylvia Harris. AIGA. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.aiga.org/inspiration/talks/sylvia-harris-2014-aiga-medalist-sylvia-harris

Allbrittin, D. (2021, December 14). Richmond Schools today: RPS still fighting to improve segregation, 51 years after busing. ABC 8 News. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/richmond-schools-today-rps-still-fighting-to-improve-segregation-51-years-after-busing/

Daugherity, B. J. (n.d.). Desegregation in Public Schools – Encyclopedia Virginia. Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/desegregation-in-public-schools/#:%7E:text=Desegregation%20began%20in%20Virginia%20on,in%20the%20spring%20of%201956

Citizen Research & Design. (n.d.). About The Company | Citizen Research & Design. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20110806102912/http://citizenrd.com/about

Citizen Research & Design. (n.d.-b). U.S. Census 2000 | Citizen Research & Design. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20111007192600/http://citizenrd.com/projects/us-census-2000

Gibson, D. (n.d.). Sylvia Harris | SEGD. SEGD. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://segd.org/sylvia-harris

Harris, S. (1996). What It Is? Searching for a Black Aesthetic in American Graphic Design. The International Review of African American Art, 13(1), 38–38.

Helfand, J. (11–07-25). Remembering Sylvia Harris. Design Observer. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://designobserver.com/feature/remembering-sylvia-harris/29118

House, L. (n.d.). Sylvia Harris Biography. AIGA. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20111004035114/http://www.aiga.org/design-journeys-sylvia-harris/

Two Twelve. (2014, May 14). Sylvia Harris Receives 2014 AIGA Medal - Voice - Two Twelve. Two Twelve Voice. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from http://www.twotwelve.com/voice/sylvia-harris-receives-2014-aiga-medal.html

There is a long history of racism behind famous brands, characters, and design that often goes unnoticed. Blatantly racist caricatures began with minstrel shows and the use of blackface, where white actors would use black makeup and overdrawn lips to depict Black people. These drove stereotypes that would be used in film, television, and branding. White actors depicted other minorities in an ill manner. From Mickey Rooney playing a Japanese man, Mr. Yunioshi, to Claudia Cardinale playing Indian Princess Dala, actors continued to manipulate their physical features to display the American audience’s ideas of these different ethnicities. Cartoons like Disney’s Peter Pan used Indigenous stereotypes for its character Tiger Lily and her tribe of Piccaninny, along with the song “What Makes the Red Man Red?” Big production companies such as Disney and Warner Bros. are guilty of distributing offensive caricatures that poorly reflect Black, Asian, Indigenous, and other ethnic groups. Brand mascots like Aunt Jemima were created to uphold the mammy stereotype, a Black woman who is subservient to white people and their children. She was meant to contain white anxieties about increasing the mobility of Black people within spaces of mass production and consumption post-emancipation. At this time other brand mascots like Rastus for Cream of Wheat and Uncle Ben’s Rice similarly demeaned Black men. Ethnic mascots are also very popular in sports, primarily mascots of Indigenous American men who are shown as savages. It’s only been since 2020 that brands have started to shift away from these racist images but the damage of BIPOC caricatures lingers.

1833 – One of the first examples of blackface, in Bowery Theatre, New York, Thomas Darmouth Rice played the caricature Jim Crow
1889 – Aunt Jemima brand was first introduced and featured mascot/character as a stereotype of a  mammy
1893 – Cream of Wheat launched using a mascot named Rastus,  a term used for Black men who were depicted as simple-minded
1904  – first US stage production of Peter Pan features white actress, Margaret Gordon as Tiger Lily 
1927 – posters of advertising performances of Joesphine Baker by Paul Colin: ‘La Revue Negre, feature racist stereotypes: Black figures with large red lips and overly sexualized depictions of Baker
1928 – Land O’Lakes butter premieres with a sexualized mascot/character of a Indegnous women called Mia
1935-36 – Shirley Temple appears in blackface and clothing which depict the ‘mammy’ caricature in The Littlest Rebel’ and dances on a stage with two men in blackface in ‘Dimples’
1940 – Tom and Jerry cartoon introduces a character named Mammy Two Shoes, a heavyset Black woman who was responsible for taking care of the house
1947 – Florida State adopted the name Seminoles 
1953 – Disney version of Peter Pan , the tribe of Piccaninny are designed to play the exotic and savage trope and performs the song, “What Makes the Red Man Red?”
1961 – white actor Mickey Rooney plays a Japanese man, Mr. Yunioshi, in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
1978 –  FSU Seminoles began a new tradition: At home football games a Seminole warrior would ride a horse onto the field, known as Chief Osceola and Renegade
2013– Daniel Synder, owner of the football team The Washington Redskins, vowed to never alter the name or imagery
2019 – the Cleveland Indians  and MLB made the decision to remove native caricature Chief Wahoo from their brand
2020 – Aunt Jemima is retires and the company rebrands to become Pearl Milling Company
2020 – B&G Foods announced they were removing the Rastus character from Cream of Wheat
2020 – during a rebrand Mia is removed from Land O’Lakes packaging
2020 – Washington Redskins announced name change and logo retirement

Walters, K. (n.d.). Blackface and Minstrelsy Tradition. BIPOC Design History. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://bipocdesignhistory.com/V1-overview

Carter, K. (2019). Confronting racial stereotypes in graphic design history. In J. Kaufmann-Butler,
V. Pass, & C. Wilson (Eds.), Design history beyond the canon. Bloomsbury.

Smith, C. J. (2013). The creolization of American culture : William Sidney Mount and the roots of blackface minstrelsy. University of Illinois Press.

Razack. (2016). Sexualized Violence and Colonialism: Reflections on the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, 28(2), i–iv. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjwl.28.2.i

Luske, H., Geronimi, C. & Jackson, W. (Directors). (1953). Peter Pan [Film]. Walt Disney.

Elias-De Jesus, A. (2017, June 30). Jay Z’s New Music Video Uses America’s Long History of Racist Cartoons to Deliver a Haunting Message. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/culture/2017/06/jay-zs-the-story-of-o-j-music-video-takes-on-racist-cartoons.html#:%7E:text=Jay%20Z’s%20New%20Music%20Video,to%20Deliver%20a%20Haunting%20Message&text=The%20video%20for%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Story,.%2C%20Disney%2C%20and%20others.

Jay-Z & Romanek, M. (Directors). (2017). The Story of OJ [Film]. Carter Enterprises. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM7lw0Ovzq0&t=252s

Reappropriate. (2014, February 12). Remembering Shirley Temple requires us to remember her legacy of Blackface cinema. http://reappropriate.co/2014/02/remembering-shirley-temple-requires-us-to-remember-her-perpetuation-of-blackface-cinema/

Biography.com Editors. (2021, October 27). Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Biography. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/performer/bill-bojangles-robinson

MARRAKECH RIAD. (2017, December 4). Josephine Baker and La Revue Nègre | Marrakech Riad. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.marrakech-riad.co.uk/2017/12/josephine-baker-and-la-revue-negre/

Jolley, L. (2021, April 13). Josephine Baker. SHSMO Historic Missourians. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/josephine-baker

Jones, C. (2020, July 12). For faces behind Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s and Cream of Wheat, life transcended stereotype. USA TODAY. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/07/10/real-people-behind-aunt-jemima-uncle-ben-cream-of-wheat/3285054001/

Pearl Milling Co. (n.d.). Brand origins. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.pearlmillingcompany.com/our-history

Wu, K. J. (2020, April 28). Land O'Lakes Drops the Iconic Logo of an Indigenous Woman From Its Branding. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mia-land-olakes-iconic-indigenous-woman-departs-packaging-mixed-reactions-180974760/

Shapira, I. (2016, May 19). A brief history of the word ‘redskin’ and how it became a source of controversy. Washington Post. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-brief-history-of-the-word-redskin-and-how-it-became-a-source-of-controversy/2016/05/19/062cd618-187f-11e6-9e16-2e5a123aac62_story.html

Laskow, S. (2014, December 2). The Racist History of Peter Pan's Indian Tribe. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/racist-history-peter-pan-indian-tribe-180953500/

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARY. (n.d.). Great Native American Chiefs | Osceola · Online Exhibits. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://apps.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/great-native-american-chiefs/group-of-native-american-chief/osceola

The birth of the Black newspaper in America took place in the form of abolitionist newspapers that spoke out against enslavement. These papers were an essential part of the Abolitionist movement in America, and many of them gave the Black community an important voice on issues that directly affected them and their communities. These newspapers spread Enlightenment-era ideas of equality and the rights of Black Americans and fought back against the negative and disparaging news that was regularly published about Black Americans in white-owned newspapers. Freedom’s Journal, The Liberator, The Colored American, and The North Star were all either operated and published by African American men or were supported by monetary contributions and printed regular articles from them. All of these newspapers built the momentum of the Abolitionist Movement and paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement to come. They were a vitally important way for Black people to speak out, circulate news and assistance to their communities, and change the way Black Americans were viewed.

1688  – the first known recorded anti-slavery incident, Quakers protested the act of slaveholding

1713-1773 –  America annually imports roughly 15,000 enslaved people

1714 – 59,000 enslaved persons in America

1758 – Abolitionist movement begins in America

1780-1789 – Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New York outlaw slavery

1804 – every northern state had some form of emancipation in their legislation

1808 –  the import of enslaved persons were abolished in all states except South Carolina

1816 –  American Colonization Society (ACS )founded 

1827 – Freedom’s Journal founded, the first African American owned and operated newspaper in the USA

1831 – The Liberator founded by William Lloyd Garrison

1833 – the militant abolitionist group called the American Anti-Slavery Society is formed

1837 – Phillip A. Bell published the first issue of his weekly newspaper called “Weekly Advocate”, later renamed “The Colored American”

1842 – James Forten, financial backer and contributor to The Liberator, dies at age 75

1847-1851 – The North Star runs, founded by Fredrick Douglass

1850 – Fugitive Slave Act, made it possible to reclaim runaway formerly enslaved persons 

1865 – The Liberator ceases publication, ending with the ratification of the 13th amendment 

Abruzzo, M. (2011). Polemic Pain: Slavery, Cruelty, and the Rise of Humanitarianism. Johns Hopkins University Press. 

African American Newspapers Collection: Parts I-XIV. (n.d.). Retrieved January 4, 2022, from https://www.accessible-archives.com/. 

Bacon, J. (2007). Freedom's journal: The First African-American newspaper. Rowman & Littlefield. 

Barshad, A. (2019, Jan 21). Shaun King on relaunching the North Star newspaper. New York, Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/shaun-king-on-relaunching-north-star-newspaper/docview/2187591605/se-2?accountid=14516

BLUMBERG, B. (2004). Tammany Hall_._ In R. S. McElvaine (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Great Depression (Vol. 2, pp. 962-963). Macmillan Reference USA. 

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3404500506/GVRL?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=717af3c5

Burrowes, C. P. (2011). “Caught in the crosswinds of the Atlantic”. Journalism History, 37(3), 130-141. Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/caught-crosswinds-atlantic/docview/904647711/se-2?accountid=1451

Douglass, F. (1968). My Bondage and My Freedom. Arno Press & The New York Times. 

Douglass, F.. (1993). Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Bedford Books. 

Drescher, S. (2009). A_bolition a history of slavery and antislavery_. Cambridge University Press. 

Du Bois, W. E. B. (2007). The Supression of the African Slave-Trade. Oxford University Press. 

Fagan, B. (2011). "Americans as They Really Are": The "Colored American" and the Illustration of National Identity. American Periodicals, 21(2), 97–119. 

Fagan, B. (2014). “The North Star and the Atlantic 1848”. African American Review, 47(1), 51+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675538942/LitRC?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=1170fb7f

Iaccarino, A. A. (2013). Garrison, William Lloyd 1805--1879. In P. L. Mason (Ed.), Encyclopedia of race and racism (2nd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galerace/garrison_william_lloyd_1805_1879/0?institutionId=1845

Jackson, M. (2013). Abolition movement. In P. L. Mason (Ed.), Encyclopedia of race and racism (2nd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galerace/abolition_movement/0?institutionId=1845

Klein, M. A. (2014). Historical Dictionary of Slavery and Abolition. Rowman & Littlefield. 

Magness, P. W., & Page, S. N. (2018). Colonization after emancipation: Lincoln and the Movement for Black Resettlement. University of Missouri Press. 

McClish, G. (2007). “A man of feeling, a man of color: James Forten and the rise of African American deliberative rhetoric”. Rhetorica, 25(3), 297–328. https://doi.org/10.1525/rh.2007.25.3.297

Newman, R. S. (2006). The transformation of American abolitionism: Fighting slavery in the Early Republic. Univ. of North Carolina Press. 

Oldfield, J.R. (2013). Transatlantic Abolitionism in the Age of Revolution. Cambridge University Press. 

Partin, E. (2011, January 4). FREEDOM’S JOURNAL (1827–1829). BLACKPAST. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/freedom-s-journal-1827-1829/

Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Freedom's Journal. PBS. Retrieved January 4, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/newbios/nwsppr/freedom/freedom.html

​​Reyes, D. (1999, Feb 25). Frederick Douglass and his historic north star. New York Amsterdam News Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/frederick-douglass-his-historic-north-star/docview/390315309/se-2?accountid=14516

Ripley, C. P. (1992). The Black Abolitionist Papers (Vol. 5). University of North Carolina Press. 

Upchurch, T. A. (2016). Abolition Movement. In S. Schechter, T. S. Vontz, T. A. Birkland, M. A. Graber, & J. J. Patrick (Eds.), American Governance (Vol. 1, pp. 1-4). Macmillan Reference USA. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3629100012/OVIC?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=058b5006

Washburn, P. S., & Page, C. (2006). The African American newspaper: Voice of Freedom. Northwestern University Press. 

Winch, J. (2013). Forten, James 1766--1842. In P. L. Mason (Ed.), Encyclopedia of race and racism (2nd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galerace/forten_james_1766_1842/0?institutionId=1845

Winch, J. (2003). A gentleman of color: The life of James Forten. Oxford University Press. 

Winch, J. (2007). “The Making and Meaning of James Forten's Letters from a Man of Colour.” The William and Mary Quarterly, 64(1), 129–138. Retrieved January 4, 2022, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/4491602.

This episode considers the 2016 proposal to place the likeness of Harriet Tubman on the U.S. $20 bill. The first use of paper money dates back to 1000 CE and has been cited as the first instance of widespread access to printed images. Money is an invented concept, it has value because societies collectively agree that it does, but historically images, symbols, and seals have been used to help authenticate money within the culture that it serves. Images of gods, monarchs and historical figures imbue the money with the magic of the gods or the authority of the government to assert its value. The US has a long history of printed money, dating back even before gaining independence. The images that a culture uses to assert the value of the country reflects what that country values. why then does the US continue to feature former presidents, and slave owners, white men of privilege, versus women and minorities? Harriet Tubman was a true hero in this country, who worked under the auspices of the underground railroad, and not only gained her own freedom, but also helped to free over 300 enslaved persons in her lifetime. In 2016, the proposal was made to put her image on the $20 bill. Making a change to the design of the US $20 bill, replacing Andrew Jackson’s likeness with that of Harriet Tubman would not right the wrongs of the past, but it would be a step towards honoring the contributions of Black women in this country, as well as a step forward in c_orrecting the absence of positive representations._

440 BC – The Greeks first use coin money, adopted the practice from the Lydians

1000 – The first paper money was issued in China

1690 – the first paper money was printed in the U.S. by the Massachusetts Bay colony, though U.S.A. is not yet a country

1775 – Second Continental Congress issues paper money to help fund the American Revolution

1821 – Harriet Tubman was born into slavery on a Maryland plantation

1844 – Harriet Tubman’s forced marriage to John Tubman

1831 – First recorded use of the phrase Underground Railroad

1913 – Harriet Tubman dies, buried in Auburn, New York with military honors

2016 – Proposal to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the U.S. $20 bill, placed on hold during Trump presidency 

2021– President Biden announces plans to revisit Harriet Tubman $20 bill

2022 – plans are made to strike quarters  with historical female figures from U.S. History

99% Invisible. (2021, June 11). Episode 54 The Colour of Money. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/episode-54-the-colour-of-money/

Andrews, E. (July 19 2017, updated: September 3, 2019). How many U.S. Presidents owned enslaved People? History.com 

https://www.history.com/news/how-many-u-s-presidents-owned-slaves

Ann, M. S. (2021). Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman, 1–N.PAG. 

Biography.com Editors. (2014, April 2). Harriet Tubman. The Biography.Com Website. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/activist/harriet-tubman

Blakemore, E. (April 30, 2018, updated: August 29, 2018). Why Andrew Jackson’s Legacy Is So Controversial. History.com

https://www.history.com/news/andrew-jackson-presidency-controversial-legacy

Bradford, S. (1886). Harriet, the Moses of Her People. New York, Geo. R. Lockwood & Son.

Due North Productions (Producer), & Robertson, L. (Director). (2016). Daughters of the New Republic: Harriet Tubman and Sarah Bradford. [Video/DVD] Due North Productions. https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/daughters-of-the-new-republic-harriet-tubman-and-sarah-bradford

Fleming, C. (2018). How To be Less Stupid About Race. Beacon Press. Boston Massachusetts. 

Gleim, S. (April 1, 2021). What do the Symbols on the U.S. $1 bill Mean? Howstuworks.com. https://money.howstuffworks.com/symbols-dollar-bill.htm

Grundhauser, E. (April 22, 2016) The ornate Charm of American Currency from the 1700s. Atlasobscura.com

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-ornate-charm-of-american-currency-from-the-1700s

Hannah-Jones, N. (2021). The 1619 Project. New York. One World

History.com Editors. (2022, January 25). Underground Railroad. HISTORY. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/underground-railroad

History.com Editors. (2021, November 16). Quakers. HISTORY. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/history-of-quakerism

Klein, C. (July 8, 2020, updated: October 16, 2020). Alexander Hamilton’s Complicated relationship to Slavery. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/alexander-hamilton-slavery-facts

Laliberte, M.  (July 26, 2021). What Those Symbols on the Dollar Bill actually mean. Reader’s Digest.com https://www.rd.com/list/dollar-bill-symbols/

Landis, M. (September 9, 2015). A Proposal To Change The Words We Use When Talking About The Civil War. Smithsonian Magazine.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/proposal-change-vocabulary-we-use-when-talking-about-civil-war-180956547/

Musgrave, P. (2021, February 9). Take the Presidents Off the U.S. Dollar. Foreign Policy. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/09/america-currency-outdated-tubman-jackson/

Pruitt, S.  (September 21, 2012, updated: June 23, 2020). 5 Things you may not know about Abraham Lincoln, Slavery and Emancipation. History.com

https://www.history.com/news/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-lincoln-slavery-and-emancipation

Smith, R. (2012, April 4). Redesigning Dollar Bills, and the American Brand - NYTimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/04/04/bringing-dollars-and-cents-into-this-century/redesigning-dollar-bills-and-the-american-brand

Weatherford, J. (1997). The History of Money. New York, Three Rivers Press.

Angel De Cora was an artist, illustrator, and educator from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Around the age of 14, she was enrolled in the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute as a part of the U.S. Government’s cultural assimilation program for Indigenous American youth. While at Hampton, she found her love for art. She went on to study under notable artists such as Dwight W. Tryon at Smith College and Howard Pyle at Drexel Institute. De Cora was later featured in Harper’s Monthly Magazine when she wrote and illustrated the semi-autobiographical tales “The Sick Child” and “Gray Wolf’s Daughter.” She was published under her Thunderbird clan name, “Henook-makhewe-kelenaka.” From here, she continued to produce paintings and illustrations and began designing book covers that displayed Native American motifs and the Arts and Crafts style. In the Spring of 1905, she was hired to do the artwork for a chapter in The Indian’s Book by Natalie Curtis. But after designing a cover page for her chapter, the publishers requested she makes cover pages for the other eighteen chapters. De Cora took a job at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania and established the Native Indian Art Department and later played a part in the publication of ‘The Indian Craftsman’, Carlisle’s monthly magazine. She was known as a “Red Progressive” who advocated for Indian education and helped found the Society of American Indians, a pan-Indian progressive group dedicated to uplifting Native peoples.

1868 or 1869 – b Angel De Cora, born in Thurston, Nebraska, on Ho-chunk (traditionally Winnebago) reservation land
1883 – Angel Decora was forced to go to Virginia to attend the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute
1891 – Graduated from Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute
1896 – was the first Native American to graduate from Smith College
1898 – Spends summer studying with Howard Pyle at his renown Brandywine Illustration school
1900 – painted for the cover of Franci La Flesch’s The Middle Five: Indian Boys at School.
1901 – created several illustrations for Old Indian Legends by Gertrude Bonnin aka Zitkala-Sa as well as Wigwam Stories for Mary Catherine Judd.
1906 – Takes a job as an art instructor at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania
1907 – created several illustrations for ethnomusicologist Curtis’ project, The Indian’s Book
1907 – Elopes with William H. Dietz, a Sioux Indian, also known as “Lone Star”
1909 – begins working on the publication of Carlisle’s monthly magazine, The Indian Craftsman
1911 – De Cora helped found the Society of American Indians
1915 – De Cora resigns from Carlisle
1919 – D Angel De Cora dies from the flu during the Spanish Flu epidemic

Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center. (n.d.). Dietz, Angel DeCora. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/people/dietz-angel-decora

Dragicevic, M. (n.d.). Angel De Cora. THE HISTORY OF PAINTING REVISITED. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://thehistoryofpaintingrevisited.weebly.com/angel-de-cora.html

Fay, E. (2021, March 1). Angel De Cora: Indigenous American and Pyle Student | Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art. Brandywine River Museum of Art. https://www.brandywine.org/museum/blog/angel-de-cora-indigenous-american-and-pyle-student

Gere, A. R. (2004). An Art of Survivance: Angel DeCora at Carlisle. American Indian Quarterly, 28(3/4), 649–684. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4138937

Kelly, M. (2018, March 9). Finding Angel de Cora. The Consecrated Eminence. https://consecratedeminence.wordpress.com/2018/03/09/finding-angel-de-cora/

McAnulty, S. (2010, November 20). Angel DeCora: American Artist and Educator; article by Sarah McAnulty. Traditional Fine Arts Organization. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://tfaoi.org/aa/4aa/4aa27.htm

Southall, N. (n.d.). AIGA Design Journeys: Angel DeCora – The Native Graphic Design Project. The Native Graphic Design Project. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.neebin.com/nativedesign/?p=426

Tiger, Y. (n.d.). Rediscovering Native American Illustrator and Designer Angel De Cora – Society of Illustrators. Society of Illustrators. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://societyillustrators.org/event/angeldecora/

Waggoner, L. (2008). Fire Light: the life of Angel De Cora, Winnebago artist. University of Oklahoma Press.

Waggoner, L. (2021). “Her Greatest Work Lay in Decorative Design”: Angel DeCora Ho-Chunk Artist (1869–1919). In B. Levit (Ed.), Baseline Shift: Untold stories of women in graphic design history (pp. 12–31). Princeton Architectural Press.

John H. Johnson was the man driving the publishing empire that included Ebony, Jet, Tan, and Ebony Jr. Black-owned abolitionist newspapers certainly predated all of Johnson’s publications, however, Ebony was the first mainstream news and culture magazine by and for Black Americans. Much like its predecessors, Johnson’s magazines pushed back against the negative images and stereotypes of Black Americans found in many other papers and magazines. Ebony was inspired by LIFE magazine and printed stories of the “happier side of Negro life.” Ebony, as with all of Johnson’s other titles, fostered a sense of community and was popular enough that Johnson was able to attract white advertisers. It chronicled the Civil Rights movement and for that reason alone makes it an important historical record of the times. Johnson was always looking for gaps in the market that his publications could fill and he launched several titles addressing those gaps. Ebony Jr. was for Black children. Tan focused on love and romance. Jet was a pocket-sized weekly news magazine. However, one market Johnson never addressed was the Black gay community. Taking a page out of Johnson’s book, designer Alan Bell launched BLK magazine, which started as a 16-page black & white monthly paper and grew to a full-color publication of up to 40 pages. BLK featured interviews with celebrities and up-to-date information about safe sex and HIV/AIDS. Both Johnson and Bell provided a place for African American voices to speak their truths and record their own histories.

1870 – 15th Amendment gave Black Men the right to vote
1896  – Plessy v. Ferguson “separate but equal” ruling
1918  – John H. Johnston was Born Jan. 19 in Arkansas City, AR
1933  –  Johnson and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois
1936  –  Johnson graduated with honors from DuSable 
1936  –  Johnson met Harry H. Pace, president of Supreme Life Insurance Company
1936  –  Johnson enrolled at the University of Chicago, and started job as in house assistant for Supreme Liberty Guardian
1942  – Johnson crowdfunded Negro World Digest at 24 years old
1945  – First issue of Ebony magazine published
1947  – Circulation for Ebony magazine grew to 300,000
1948  –  Ad Space in Ebony magazine was at 48 pages with major advertisers
1950  – Tan magazine founded
1953 -54  – Copper Romance magazine start & end
1953  –  HUE magazine began publication
1957-58  – Martin Luther King Jrs column ran in Ebony magazine
1959  – HUE magazine ceased publication
1963 – Woolworth Counter Protests
1964 – Civil Rights Act of 1964 Passed; guaranteed right to equal employment, limited literacy tests at polling places, enforced public desegregation
1970  – Negro World came back under the title Black World
1972  – JET magazine founded
1971  – Tan magazine re-named Black Stars
1973 – Ebony Jr! Founded
1976 – Black World ceased publication
1977-79 – Alan Bell worked for Gaysweek magazine in NYC
1985 – Ebony Jr! ceased publication
1988 – BLK magazine was founded by Alan Bell 
1994 – BLK magazine ceased publication
1996  –  Johnson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Advertising Foundation
2003 – Johnson inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Fame 
2003  – Howard University renamed the School of Communications to the John H. Johnson School of Communications 
2007  – Ebony Jr! went online for one year
2013  – Bell was inducted into the Gay Men Hall of fame of National AIDS Educations
2019  – BLK magazine archive digitized at Chicago’s DuSable Museum 

Alan Bell. (2021, April 1). NAESM, Inc. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://naesminc.org/hall-of-fame/alan-bell/. 

Behance. (n.d.). Biography of Herbert temple. Behance. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from https://www.behance.net/gallery/109799419/Biography-of-Herbert-Temple?tracking\_source=search\_projects\_published\_date%7CPierre-Hugues+Herbert. 

Bernu, C. (2019). “BLK Issues: Preserving BLK Magazine in the DuSable Museum of African American History Archives”. American Quarterly, 71(2), 307–403. 

Borrelli, C. (2021, February 16). “Ebony's history in 6 covers”. Chicago Tribune, pp. 1–1. 

Bowean, L. (2011, Apr 27). HERBERT TEMPLE: 1919-2011: LONGTIME ART DIRECTOR GUIDED EBONY, JET MAGAZINES. Chicago Tribune Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/herbert-temple-1919-2011/docview/863523424/se-2?accountid=14516

Campbell, A. (2019). Queer X Design: 50 years of signs, symbols, banners, logos, and graphic art of Lgbtq. Black Dog et Leventhal Publishers. 

Christian, M. A., Enterprise, B., & Tillery, A. (2016, August 4). John H. Johnson. EBONY. Retrieved September 10, 2021, from https://www.ebony.com/black-history/john-h-johnson/. 

Entrepreneur. (2015, August 17). John H. Johnson. Entrepreneur. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197650. 

Gallon, K. T. (2020). Pleasure in the news: African American readership and sexuality in the Black Press. University of Illinois Press. 

Henderson, L. (2008). Ebony Jr!: The rise, fall, and return of a black children's magazine. Scarecrow Press. 

Herbert Temple. Herbert Temple | The Chicago Design Archive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2021, from https://chicagodesignarchive.org/designer/herbert-temple. 

Horne, G. (2017). Rise and fall of the associated negro press Claude Barnett's Pan-African News and the Jim Crow paradox. University of Illinois Press. 

Jones, A. (2018, February 16). Lerone Bennett Jr., 89, former Ebony editor. The Philadelphia Tribune, p. 16. 

Knupfer, A. M. (2000). African-AMerican Designers: The Chicago Experience Then and Now . Design Issues, 16(3). Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/1511818. 

​​Lavette, L., Ciara, Diddy, Common, Simmons, K. L., Wade, D., Union, G., & Williams, V. (2021). Ebony: Covering black america. Rizzoli. 

Leekley, D. (1985, 08). Magazines for kids. Parents, 60, 138. Retrieved from https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/magazines-kids/docview/1898983131/se-2?accountid=14516

Munro, S. (n.d.). BLK Magazine and Black Jack Newsletter. Arena. Retrieved December 6, 2021, from https://www.are.na/silas-munro/blk-magazine-and-black-jack-newsletter. 

ONE Archives Foundation. (2019, May 24). Writing while BLK: A conversation on the history of Blk. ONE Archives Foundation. Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.onearchives.org/writing-while-blk/. 

Palmer, C. A., & Robinson, G. (2006). Ebony. In Encyclopedia of African American culture and history: The black experience in the Americas (2nd ed.). Thomson Gale. 

Robert Newman. Robert Newman RSS. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2021, from http://www.robertnewman.com/black-history-magazines-ebony-jr/. 

Robert Newman. Robert Newman RSS. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2021, from http://www.robertnewman.com/the-best-of-black-history-month-magazines/. 

Robinson, G. (2006). Ebony. In C. A. Palmer (Ed.), Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History (2nd ed., Vol. 2, p. 672). Macmillan Reference USA. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3444700410/GVRL?u=edmo56673&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=b78f82d6

West, E. J. (2017). Lerone Bennett, jr.: A life in popular black history. The Black Scholar, 47(4), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00064246.2017.1368063

West, E. J. (2020). Ebony Magazine and Lerone Bennett Jr.: Popular black history in postwar America. University of Illinois Press.

There are not a lot of definitive details known about the life of Sequoyah and what information we do have is often conflicting, like was his anglicized name George Guess or George Gist? Did he possibly go by both? Sequoyah has been called an enigmatic figure and a genius because despite all unknowns about his life, what most historians can and do agree on is that he is the sole creator of the Cherokee Alphabet. The alphabet is more accurately called a syllabary, and Sequoyah is the only figure recorded in history to develop a written language all on his own. The development of the syllabary, containing 85 symbols, was a tremendous feat, especially considering Sequoyah had previously been illiterate. The impact of this invention to the Cherokee people was great indeed as history reports that the syllabary was incredibly easy to learn and that after just a few days of instruction Cherokee people were able to begin communicating with each other through letters. It is through the development of this written language that many Cherokee were able to resist removal for as long as they did. It enabled the Cherokee to begin printing their own newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix, but it had unforeseen circumstances as well. Christian missionaries were able to use this written language to convert the Cherokee to Christianity. The development of the Cherokee written language is more broadly significant as part of the history of visual communication. Even though most western histories focus on the development of the Latin alphabet, the syllabary is seminal to the history of graphic design.

1766(?) – Sequoyah is born (dates disputed)

1821 – the invention of a Cherokee alphabet by Sequoyah (dates disputed) 

1827 – he first document printed in the Cherokee language, a translation of the first five verses of the book of Genesis

1828 – Charles Bird King completes his painting of Sequoyah

1828 – The Cherokee Phoenix is founded by Elias Boudinot and Samuel Worcester as a newspaper for the Cherokee Nation

1830s – Cherokee Phoenix to editorialize against the Indian Removal act by Cherokee Nation leaders, such as Chief John Ross and editor Elias Boudinot

1834 – The Cherokee Phoenix seized by the Georgia military

1843 – Sequoyah Dies

1844 – Cherokee Nation newspaper is restarted in Indian Territory (Tahlequah, Oklahoma), now called the Cherokee Advocate.

2007 – The Cherokee Phoenix was restarts as an online newspaper

Bender, M. C. (2002). Signs of Cherokee culture Sequoyah's syllabary in Eastern Cherokee life. University of North Carolina Press.

Bird, T. (1971). Tell Them They Lie: The Sequoyah Myth. Westernlore Press.

Cherokee Phoenix. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/site/about.html

Dasylva, A. O. (2006). 'Culture Education' and the Challenge of Globalization in Modern Nigeria. Oral Tradition, 21(2), 325–341.

Doskey, A. V., & Bannon, F. (2014). Cherokee Phoenix: The Birth and Revival of Cherokee Language Printing in the Southeast. In J. Brock, M. Harper, T. B. Reeves, K. Tepper, & J. Newberry (Eds.), Excerpts (pp. 56-68). Zuckerman Museum of Art. http://juliabrock.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ZMA-Excerpts-catalogue-X.pdf

Fortier, J. (Director). (2021). Searching for Sequoyah [Film]. Turtle Island Productions.

Hoig, S. (1995). Sequoyah : the Cherokee genius. Oklahoma Historical Society: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 

Kalter, S. (2001). 'America's Histories' Revisited: The Case of Tell Them They Lie. American Indian Quarterly, 25(3), 329.

Leavy, P. (2011). Oral History : Understanding Qualitative Research, Oxford University Press.

Malone, H. T. (1972). Traveller Bird. "Tell Them They Lie: The Sequoyah Myth" (Book Review) [Review of Traveller Bird. "Tell Them They Lie: The Sequoyah Myth" (Book Review)_]. _Western Historical Quarterly, 3(4), 437. Utah State University.

Neuman, Lisa K.. Indian Play : Indigenous Identities at Bacone College, Nebraska, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucok-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1543723.

Created from ucok-ebooks on 2021-06-17 18:10:44.

Sequoyah. (2018). In P. Lagasse, & Columbia University, The Columbia encyclopedia (8th ed.). Columbia University Press. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/columency/sequoyah/0?institutionId=1845

Sequoyah. (2017). In Encyclopaedia Britannica, Britannica concise encyclopedia. Britannica Digital Learning. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.uco.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ebconcise/sequoyah/0?institutionId=1845

Simek, J. F., Carroll, B. D., Reed, J., Cressler, A., Belt, T., Adams, W., & White, M. (2019). The Red Bird River Shelter (15CY52) Revisited: The Archaeology of the Cherokee Syllabary and of Sequoyah in Kentucky. American Antiquity, 84(2), 302–316. https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2018.8

Simek, J. F., Carroll, B. D., Reed, J., Cressler, A., Belt, T., Adams, W., & White, M. (2020). There Is No Cherokee Syllabary at Red Bird River Shelter (15CY52): Reply to Tankersley and Weeks. American Antiquity, 85(2), 388–391. https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2020.5

Syropoulos, A. (2002). Typesetting Native American Languages. The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 8(1). https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jep/3336451.0008.105/--typesetting-native-american-languages?rgn=main;view=fulltext

Tankersley, K. B., & Weeks, W. R. (2020). Red Bird and Sequoyah: A Reply to Simek et al. American Antiquity, 85(2), 383–387. https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2020.4

Trimbur, J., & Goody, J. (1982). The Domestication of the Savage Mind [Review of The Domestication of the Savage Mind_]. _College Composition and Communication, 33(4), 461–463. National Council of Teachers of English. https://doi.org/10.2307/357966

Thane, P. M. (1999). Oral History, Memory and Written Tradition: An Introduction. Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 9, 161–168. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3679397

Weeks, R., & Tankersley, K. (2011). Talking leaves and rocks that teach: the archaeological discovery of Sequoyah's oldest written record. Antiquity, 85(329), 978–576. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00068435