Zap Comix

Zap Comix was created by Robert Crumb and first published in 1968 in San Francisco. Crumb collaborated with a rotating collective of underground cartoonists including S. Clay Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Spain Rodriguez, Rick Griffin, and Gilbert Shelton on subsequent issues.

Zap Comix was published sporadically from 1968 to 2016, with a total of 16 issues appearing over that nearly five-decade span. The final issue, Zap Comix #16, was published as a collaboration between the original surviving artists.

Zap Comix is widely regarded as the foundational publication of the underground comix movement, establishing a model for artist-owned, uncensored comic books that addressed taboo subjects including sexuality, drug culture, and political satire. Its success demonstrated that alternative comics could sustain a commercially viable publishing ecosystem outside mainstream comics.

Original printings of Zap Comix are considered highly collectible and can be found through specialized comic dealers, auction houses, and archives of countercultural materials. Reprints and collected editions are also available from publishers like Fantagraphics for readers who want to access the content without sourcing rare originals.