Edited and published by Bill Pearson on an irregular schedule spanning decades, the alternative comic book witzend featured contributions by both newcomers to comics, leading comic book artists and professional illustrators. The title was printed in lower-case. With the emphasis on graphic stories, the magazine is generally regarded as a forerunner of the underground comics movement of the late 1960s. It was launched in 1966 by the writer-artist Wallace Wood shortly after Richard Kyle coined the term "graphic story" (1964-65) and Bhob Stewart, during a panel discussion at the second New York comic book convention, coined the term "underground comics." copyright Wallace Wood Estate File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... copyright Wallace Wood Estate File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... copyright Wallace Wood Estate File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... copyright Wallace Wood Estate File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The term underground comics or comix describes the self-published or small press comic books that sprang up in the US in the late 1960s. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Wallace Wally Wood (June 17, 1927–November 2, 1981), best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad magazine, was an imaginative and prolific writer-illustrator. ...

In 1965, when the illustrator Dan Adkins began working at the Wood Studio, he showed Wood pages he had been creating for his planned comics-oriented publication, Outlet. This inspired Wood to become an editor-publisher, and he began assembling art and stories for a magazine he titled et cetera. A front cover paste-up with the et cetera logo was prepared, but when Wood learned of another magazine with a similar title, there was a last-minute title change.

Wood published the debut issue of witzend in the summer of 1966, with a statement of "no policy" and a desire to give his friends in the comics field a creative detour from the formulaic industry mainstream.

In the introduction, Wood announced his plan: "This first issue may be a bit misleading. It is a comic book -- and it is not. Neither is it a Science Fiction, Fantasy, Monster, Satire or Girlie Book. It is a platform, a vehicle, for any idea in any form." The debut issue displayed stories and art by Adkins, Reed Crandall, Frank Frazetta, Jack Gaughan, Archie Goodwin, Roy G. Krenkel, Ralph Reese, Angelo Torres, Al Williamson and Wood himself. The next three issues featured work by Richard Bassford, Roger Brand, Crandall, Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, Bill Elder, Richard "Grass" Green, Harvey Kurtzman, Don Martin, Gray Morrow, Warren Sattler, Art Spiegelman and Bhob Stewart. Reed Crandall (February 22, 1917 - September 13, 1982) was an American illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines. ... Frank Frazetta (born February 9, 1928) is one of the worlds most influential fantasy and science fiction artists. ... Archie Goodwin (September 9, 1937 _ February 28, 1998) was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. ... Roy G. Krenkel, (1918-1983) was an American illustrator who specialized in fantasy drawings and paintings. ... Al Williamson is an American cartoonist of partly Hispanic descent. ... Steve Ditko (born 2 November 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is a renowned comic book artist and writer best known as the co-creator of Spider-Man. ... Will Eisner (March 3, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an acclaimed American comics artist who is considered one of the most important contributors to the medium. ... Harvey Kurtzman (October 3, 1924 - February 21, 1993), U.S. cartoonist and magazine editor. ... Don Martin (May 18, 1931–January 6, 2000) was a popular American satirical comic artist and cartoon artist who contributed to MAD magazine from 1955 to 1987. ... Gray Morrow (March 7, 1934 - November 6, 2001) was an American illustrator of paperback books and comics. ... Art Spiegelman (born February 15, 1948) is an American comics artist. ...

With witzend 4, Wood began a serialization of his epic fantasy, "The World of the Wizard King." These installments of illustrated prose fiction were co-authored with Pearson. Shifting from illustrated text to a comics format, Wood continued the storyline in his later graphic novel, published in two editions (one b&w, one color) -- The Wizard King (1978) and The King of the World (Les Editions du Triton, 1978).

After the fourth issue, Wood sold witzend to Pearson "for the sum of $1.00," and the Pearson-edited issues continued to explore new avenues with contributions from Vaughn Bode, Eisner, Jeff Jones, Wood, Bernie Wrightson and others. Pearson also assembled theme issues -- Good Girls (diverse drawings of women in issue 13) and a non-comics issue profiling W.C. Fields (issue 9). Vaughn Bodé (July 22, 1941 - July 18, 1975), was an influential artist involved in and inspirational to underground comics, graphic design, and graffiti. ... W. C. Fields (January 29, 1880 - December 25, 1946) was an American comedian and actor. ...

A critical survey of the magazine, "Wood at His witzend" by Rick Spanier, appears in Bhob Stewart's biographical anthology, Against the Grain: Mad Artist Wallace Wood (TwoMorrows, 2003). Designer-typographer Spanier once edited a similar graphic story publication, Picture Story Magazine, requested by the Museum of Modern Art for its collection. After analyzing all 13 issues of witzend and fitting it into the context of alternative publishing of the period, Spanier concluded that witzend's "salient point, that comic artists were entitled to more control and ownership of their own work, would eventually be recognized by the publishers of comic books, but it is hard to argue that witzend itself was a key factor in that development. Like so many other visionary endeavors, it may simply have been ahead of its time." General Electric GE90-115B fanblade, on display at MOMA. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. ...

External links

Witzend Index (http://enjolrasworld.com/Richard%20Arndt/Witzend%20Index.htm)

Witzend art by Bill Pearson (http://www.bpib.com/art2/bp1.htm#bpfull)