January 25, 2014 by tomdalzell

Gone #4: Old Weird Telegraph Part Four – Word on the Street

  In principio erat verbum   In the beginning, there was the word.  The written word was valued on old weird Telegraph.  Sometimes in mimeographed leaflets, sometimes in bright and intricate posters, sometimes in newsprint – but everywhere valued.  I look here at underground newspapers and leaflets, underground comics of the late 60s and early […]

January 25, 2014 by tomdalzell

Bruce Duncan’s Comics

 The sophistication of the drawings varies.  The subject matter is often shocking, as is the language.  The genius is evident. I never met Bruce Duncan.  I probably passed him on the street.  Who knew? I showed the page to my friend.  He was busy trying to figure out how to play an old video game […]

January 25, 2014 by tomdalzell

Bud Plant Comics

I know that if I try to assign a genre to these comics I will fail.  And be shredded by Those Who Know What I Don’t Know.  Fantasy?  Science fiction?   Speculative fiction?   Certainly not the sex and drugs of Donahue, not the beatification of freaks.  But – cool, no? I showed my friend […]

January 25, 2014 by tomdalzell

Don Donahue’s Comics

Well, I never said that the walls didn’t come crumbling down in the 1960s.  They did. And these comics published by Don Donahue challenged norms in every way – linguistic, artistic, and in the behavior depicted. Here is a representative collection: And here are three posters that Donahue printed: Well, well.  More tea, Bishop? There […]

January 25, 2014 by tomdalzell

Print Mint Comics

I don’t know a lot about underground comics.  Correction – I know nothing about underground comics.  I didn’t go there.  That was not my tendency.  But I look at them and I marvel. Sorry.  I didn’t see the sign.  Okay – here are some covers. Wow!  That’s all I can say.  Wow. I showed the […]

January 25, 2014 by tomdalzell

San Francisco Express Times

The San Francisco Express Times had roots in Berkeley and was a presence on Telegraph Avenue in 1968 and 1969. Marvin Garson and Bob Novick were the co-founders of the paper.  Garson had taken part in the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley and had taken part in earlier journalistic efforts. Also representing Berkeley at the Express Times were […]

January 25, 2014 by tomdalzell

Sex in the Tribe

This is not a posting for pious eyes.  The most shocking of then pales in comparison to what we can find online within seconds today, but it was shocking then.  And is not for pious eyes. The Red Mountain Tribe explained and continues to explain that a large reason for their strike against Max Scherr and the […]

January 20, 2014 by tomdalzell

Before the Barb

When Max Scherr hit Telegraph Avenue with the Berkeley Barb, he was not entering territory where others had not first ventured.  In other words, Telegraph Avenue had seen alternative publications before the Barb. Those prone to scholasticism can debate all they want about where the New Left began. It can’t be denied, whatever the bias of the […]

January 11, 2014 by tomdalzell

Cody Advertisements

I think I have the perfect song for this page. The lyrics don’t fit.  It is the mood of the song. In 1967, Cody’s ran a series of small, graphically interesting advertisements in the Berkeley Barb.  I haven’t gotten past 1967 with the Barb, but they seem to have tapered off.  We’ll see.  Now, though: Somebody had […]

January 9, 2014 by tomdalzell

Gone #4 – Old Weird Telegraph Part Three: Hotels/Flophouses

Three grand old buildings that were at different times and for different reasons strong presences on old weird Telegraph are gone, one to the wrecking ball, two to fire and then the wrecking ball. They were all elegant presences on Telegraph, frayed as they may have been.  But they are gone. The Alta Vista First […]