Rarebit Fiend :: Griffin, Rick

ZAP Comix #2

Artist: Rick Griffin (All)

7 Comments - 2,400 Views - 1 Like

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Additional Images:

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back of the art

Frank Zappa Concert Poster, 1972

another ZAP page

Artwork Details

Title:	ZAP Comix #2
Artist:	Rick Griffin (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	2,400
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Favorited on CAF:	1
Comments:	7
Added to Site:	3/5/2013
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Rick Griffin (1944–1991) has become known as one of the premier psychedelic artists of the 1960s, due mainly to his incredible poster designs for Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, and others during the “Summer of Love” era, in San Francisco, as well as his mind-blowing comic pages in ZAP Comix and other Underground publications, all of which cemented his reputation as one of the most important visual influences on the period.

In October of 1967 Griffin designed a poster for Quicksilver at the Avalon Ballroom and made it look like a Sunday newspaper comic page (see additional image below). According to the artist, “There was no story line or meaning to the sequence of panels. I just thought they looked good together and worked as a piece of graphics.” About this same time, Robert Crumb put out his first ZAP Comix and was looking for artists to contribute to a second issue. Having seen the Avalon poster, Crumb visited Griffin and asked him to do something similar for ZAP. Thus began Griffin’s (and Victor Moscoso’s and S. Clay Wilson’s) involvement with underground comix.

Here we have one of those mystifying pages from Rick Griffin’s first issue of Zap Comix (#2 from 1968). It follows the traditional comic-strip format, but without any linear storyline (and not much dialog) to follow. This lovely piece combines several Griffin passions and trademark touches, like iconic symbols of Western/U.S./popular culture, anthropomorphic winged eyeballs and floating cheeseburgers.

The three inked strips are all on separate pieces of board that have been pasted together onto a 14” x 20” page.

When removing glue stains, my restorer discovered that Griffin hadn’t drawn on regular carboard, but on the back of a printed Quicksilver poster (see additional images below).

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About the Owner

	Rarebit Fiend Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	February 2005
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	rarebit-fiend
Country:	GERMANY
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Comments on this Artwork

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frank x townsondecker
Member Since 2006

Posted on 3/5/2013

AWESOME!!!!!

Sean Clarke
Member Since 2005

Posted on 3/6/2013

Completely phenomenal.... WOW!!! Whatever you gave up to acquire this, I can only imagine that it was worth it. A really extraordinary piece of history!

Jean-Paul Gabilliet
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/14/2013

This is the kind of artwork that leaves one speechless...

Dave H
Member Since 2011

Posted on 8/26/2013

This is one you can tell at a glance it's great. Thanks for posting it and for the additional info and pics. Super!

Alex B
Member Since 2008

Posted on 10/8/2013

Thanks for sharing this awesome page !

Rob Pistella
Member Since 2005
Forum Moderator

Posted on 8/28/2014

A spectacular, mind-blowing and historic page, thanks for sharing this!

George H
Member Since 2009

Posted on 2/28/2025

A stunning piece from Griffin and it's so cool to see he recycled his prints to draw on.

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