print mint/apex

print mint/apex novelties

Print Mint

(1968-78)
The Print Mint, Inc. was a major publisher and distributor of underground comix based in the San Francisco Bay Area during the genre’s late 1960s-early 1970s heyday. Starting as a retailer of psychedelic posters, the Print Mint soon evolved into a publisher, printer, and distributor. It was “ground zero” for the psychedelic poster. The Print Mint was originally owned by poet Don Schenker and his wife Alice, who later partnered in the business with Bob and Peggy Rita.

The first comix Print Mint published was the (initially) weekly tabloid Yellow Dog, edited by Don Schencker. They also re-issued Gilbert Shelton’s Feds ‘n’ Heads, which he had initially self-published. Eventually, the Print Mint published such underground comix notables as Robert Crumb, Trina Robbins, Rick Griffin, S. Clay Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Gilbert Shelton, Spain Rodriguez, and Robert Williams. Titles they published included Zap Comix, Junkwaffel, Bijou Funnies, and Moondog. In addition they published one of the first ecologically themed comics, The Dying Dolphin, a solo effort by rock poster artist Jim Evans with contributions by Ron Cobb and Rick Griffin.

As the first publisher to invest heavily in the underground comix movement (and its distribution), the Print Mint was instrumental in the form’s popularity and widespread reach in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As they were growing the market and putting money in the hands of the cartoonists, however, their business practices were called into question by a number of the more popular artists. A few of those, including Gilbert Shelton and Frank Stack, broke off in early 1969 to form their own publisher, Rip Off Press, taking some of the more established cartoonists (like Crumb) with them. The 1973–1974 venture Cartoonists Co-Op Press was formed out of a similar motivation. From that point on, the Print Mint focused more on bringing new talent into the burgeoning underground industry.

The Print Mint’s bold experiment with Arcade: The Comix Revue, started in 1975 and edited by Art Spiegelman and Bill Griffith, with most issues sporting a cover by R. Crumb, paved the way for RAW! just a few years later. The Print Mint ceased publishing comics in 1978.

Apex Novelties

(1968-74)
Apex Novelties published numerous influential comics from that movement, including the first run of Zap Comix and a number of other highly regarded comics by Robert Crumb, such as Your Hytone Comics (1971) and Black and White Comics (1973).

Apex Novelties published the bulk of its comix from 1968 to 1974. Besides Crumb, other creators associated with Apex Novelties include S. Clay Wilson, Jay Lynch, Victor Moscoso, Art Spiegelman, Rory Hayes, Spain Rodriguez, Rick Griffin, Michael McMillan, Kim Deitch, Shary Flenniken, Justin Green, and Gilbert Shelton.

Print Mint/Apex