Notes from the undergrounds: Feds 'n' Heads Comics

[alicemacher]

In the spring of 1968, writer/artist Gilbert Shelton, already somewhat known in college humour and underground comix circles for his Superman parody Wonder Wart-Hog, self-published a 28-page one-shot, Feds 'n' Heads Comics. Along with that porcine hero, the comic featured a variety of whimsical strips about hippies, freaks and above all drugs--and introduced the trio that would become Shelton's most famous creation: The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.



First up: Meet the Freak Brothers (from top left: Phineas Freakears, Freewheelin' Franklin and Fat Freddy Freekowtski). This debut strip of theirs originated as a flyer advertising a film short, The Texas Hippies March on the Capitol, Shelton made in the winter of '67-'68. When he found people preferred the strip to the film, he shelved his film career, released Feds 'n' Heads, and the rest is history.




Next is my personal favourite page from the comic. It just sums up the giddy and optimistic (if arguably naïve) atmosphere of sixties psychedelic drug culture so well.




Finally, a parody of those novelty pranks ads you used to see in old comics.