Raw was a comics anthology edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly and published in the United States by Mouly from 1980 to 1991. It was a flagship publication of the 1980s alternative comics movement, serving as a more intellectual counterpoint to Robert Crumb's visceral Weirdo, which followed squarely in the underground tradition of Zap and Arcade. Along with the more genre-oriented Heavy Metal, it was also one of the main venues for European comics in the United States in its day.

Publication history

Origins

Spiegelman has often described the reasoning and process that led Mouly to start the magazine. After the demise of Arcade, the '70s underground comix anthology he co-edited with Bill Griffith, and the general waning of the underground scene, Spiegelman despaired that comics for adults might fade away for good. He had sworn not to work on another magazine where he would be editing his peers because of the tension and jealousies involved, but Mouly had her own reasons for wanting to do just that. Having set up her small publishing company, Raw Books & Graphics, in 1977, she envisioned a magazine encompassing the range of her graphic and literary interests as a more attractive prospect than publishing a series of books. Spiegelman finally agreed on New Year's Eve 1979 to co-edit. Its production values resulted in a $3.50 cover price, several times the going prices for comics, either mainstream or underground.

The first eight issues of Raw (Volume 1), published by Mouly and co-edited by Mouly and Spiegelman, were printed in black-and-white in an enormous, doormat-sized magazine format with a stapled binding. The physicality of Raw was evident in each issue: tipped-in plates, bubblegum cards, and torn covers were part of the aesthetic of the magazine, accomplished by hand by Mouly, Spiegelman, and friends at gatherings after the printing of a new issue.

For example, one issue came with "City of Terror" trading cards and gum; another issue contained a flexi disc with a sound collage made from excerpts of Ronald Reagan's speeches;

  • #8 (September 1986): "The Graphic Aspirin for War Fever"

Volume 2

  • #1 (1989): "Open Wounds from the Cutting Edge of Commix" ()
  • #2 (1990): "Required Reading for the Post-Literate" ()
  • #3 (1991): "High Culture for Lowbrows" ()

Notable works published in Raw

  • Maus by Art Spiegelman
  • "Here" by Richard McGuire
  • "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Kim Deitch

Contributors

Notable Raw alumni include:

Reception

Raw had a strong critical reception, and also sold surprisingly well. It was also not without its critics, who charged it with being highbrow and elitist, or claimed it to be a one-man Spiegelman show.

Pioneer underground cartoonist Robert Crumb responded in 1981 with the magazine Weirdo, intended to remain free of editorial intrusion and stay true to comics' lowbrow roots.

Spin-offs

Several solo books by Raw contributors were published with the subtitle "A Raw One-Shot". Other solo books were labeled "A Raw Book".

In 2000, Mouly started a Raw Junior division and launched the Little Lit series. These hardcover anthologies of children's comics were published by HarperCollins/Joanna Cotler Books, and featured work by some of Raws most famous contributors as well as established children's book artists such as Maurice Sendak and Ian Falconer.

In the spring of 2008, Mouly's Raw Junior division launched the first Toon Books. This collection of 6" × 9" hardcover comics for children claimed to be the first time anyone had published comics specifically for young children learning to read, and brought Mouly (together with Spiegelman, who was an advisor) full-circle back to her roots as a small publisher, confirming her as one of comics' most persistent groundbreakers.

See also

  • Rip Off Comix

References

Citations

Works cited

  • Lambiek Comiclopedia article
  • "A Raw History" by Bill Kartalopoulos for Indy Magazine. Exhaustive two-part history of the magazine, with detailed descriptions of each issue and interviews with all relevant personnel.