Category talk:Underground cartoonists

Underground vs. Alternative

I have a problem with this being a catch-all category for non-mainstream cartoonists. The term "underground cartoonist" seems to refer to a very specific type of alternative cartoonist. The original underground "comix" artists of the 1960s (R. Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Robert Williams, etc.) created a very specific type of aesthetic and subject matter (e.g. sex and drugs, and often an anarchistic/left-wing political sensibility). Though there have been some cartoonists since then (Johnny Ryan, Mike Diana, Joe Matt, maybe Rick Altergott, possibly Terry LaBan) who follow that tradition, many of the cartoonists listed in this category really don't fit the mold. I would say most of them would be better characterized as "alternative cartoonists." A weak-catch-all, I agree, but still more descriptive than "underground."

I propose creating an "Alternative cartoonists" category and moving most of these writer/artists into it. Thoughts?

Stoshmaster (talk) 02:57, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

The Underground comics movement ended at some point in the mid-1970s, when a few of the folks on this list were not yet alive, and many were in diapers. Stoshmaster is right about most of the names on this list belonging to the genre of "Alternative," rather than "Underground" comics. Dannyhellman (talk) 06:04, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

My point, exactly. Maybe the list needs trimming. The movement possibly extended somewhat into the 80's, but after that, it would rather be alternative than underground. I even feel that it's unsufficient to place people like Mark Bodé here, and others who have taken up traditional underground styles after the 70's-80's. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 12:35, 9 December 2009 (UTC)