A page by underground cartoonist Greg Irons from 1973. . . I’m not sure how well remembered Greg Irons is these days. He sort of ended up as a footnote in the San Francisco underground comix scene. But he could really draw. Somewhat Crumb-esque the way he could cram so many details into a panel, and the art was always perfect, graphic-wise, and fun to look out. Probably would have produced a really impressive body of work if he hadn’t died at 37 right when he was starting to hit his stride. . . And from how his friends described him, he seemed like a really cool guy.
Last Gasp was one of the preeminent publishers of underground comic books. Founder Ron Turner hooked up with R. Crumb from the beginning, putting out the legendary ZAP series. And remained as one of Crumb’s main publishers over the years. Somehow managing to stay afloat in such a flakey and unpredictable business, while maintaining a reputation — rare among the field of spaced out hippie businessmen — of always getting the checks in the mail on time. . . Still in business to this day, from his wharehouse in the Mission District of San Francisco. Somebody could probably write a good bio about the guy, Ron Turner, and the history he lived out. Over 50 years on the cutting edge of art and culture.
Ace Backwords Photos 