| Willy Murphy | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Henry Murphy (1936-10-02)October 2, 1936 Brooklyn, NY |
| Died | March 2, 1976(1976-03-02) (aged 39) San Francisco, CA |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist - Underground Comix Artist |
Notable works | Arnold Peck the Human Wreck Flamed-Out Funnies "Flamed Out - The Underground Adventures and Comix Genius of Willy Murphy" |
| Collaborators | Harvey Pekar Ted Richards Gary Hallgren Larry Todd Dan O'Neill |
| https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/flamed-out-the-underground-adventures-and-comix-genius-of-willy-murphy | |
Willy Murphy[1] (October 2, 1936[2]–March 2, 1976)[3] was an Americanundergroundcartoonist. Murphy's humor focused on hippies and the counterculture. His signature character was Arnold Peck the Human Wreck, "a mid-30s beanpole with wry observations about his own life and the community around him."[4] Murphy's solo title was calledFlamed-Out Funnies; in addition, he contributed to such seminal underground anthologies asArcade,Bijou Funnies, andSan Francisco Comic Book, as well as theNational Lampoon.
Murphy's work was of the "bigfoot" style of cartooning, with characters having long, droopy noses; and was characterized by strong, humorous writing.[5]
Murphy was born in Brooklyn, NY on October 2, 1936.[6] Before becoming a cartoonist, he worked for eight years as an advertisingcopywriter atJ. Walter Thompson[6]inNew York City.[7] The upheaval of the late 1960s, including experimenting with drug use and opposition to theVietnam War, led Murphy to leave that world behind and dedicate himself to social commentary though his cartooning.[6] In 1969, Murphy contributed to the all-comics tabloidGothic Blimp Works. Moving toSan Francisco around 1970, he was a key contributor toSan Francisco Comic Book, and illustrated the cover of the fourth issue.
Sometime in the early 1970s, along withLarry Todd and Gary King, Murphy began hanging around theAir Pirates collective —Dan O'Neill,Shary Flenniken,Bobby London,Gary Hallgren, andTed Richards — and contributing to their projects.
In early 1972, Murphy edited the comics section ofSunday Paper, the ambitious but brief-lived broadsheet section of underground comics published byJohn Bryan.
Murphy illustrated the convention program of Berkeleycon 73, the firstcomic convention that really highlighted underground comix.[8]
In 1973–1974, Murphy helped co-found the self-publishing ventureCartoonists Co-Op Press, withJay Lynch,Kim Deitch,Bill Griffith, Jerry Lane,Diane Noomin, andArt Spiegelman.
Murphy illustrated three early stories byHarvey Pekar, which were published in Murphy's ownFlamed-Out Funnies #1 (Keith Green, 1975) and later appeared in one of Pekar'sAmerican Splendor collections (although not in the actual comic book seriesAmerican Splendor).
In 1976, Murphy andGary Hallgren worked closely withGilbert Shelton andTed Richards onGive Me Liberty: a Revised History of the American Revolution,Rip Off Press' comic about the hoopla surrounding theAmerican Bicentennial.[9]
After developing a cold, Murphy died suddenly ofpneumonia over theWashington's Birthday weekend in 1976.[9]
Cartoonists at Murphy's funeral includedTed Richards,Melinda Gebbie, andJustin Green.[10] Richards, who was Murphy's best friend, wrote a eulogy for him which was later published inArcade #6 (Summer 1976).[11] That issue also featured a portfolio of Murphy's work.
Flamed-Out Funnies #2 was published posthumously byRip Off Press in November 1976. Some of Murphy's comics were also posthumously published inSan Francisco Comic Book issue #5 and #7, released in 1980 and 1983 respectively.
Murphy's work inspired later cartoonists likeGilbert Shelton,Paul Mavrides,[7] andWayno.[5]
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