Anyone with a serious interest in Underground Comix — those adult-themed “sex ‘n drugs” comic books sold in head shops beginning in the late 1960s — should know the name “Gary Arlington.” In case you aren’t familiar with the gentleman, please allow me to bring you up to speed.
The Underground Comix movement began in 1967, when former American Greetings Company artist Robert Crumb left his secure, steady job in drab Cleveland for a more exciting life among the Haight Street hippies in San Francisco.
After landing in town, Robert set out to do his heart’s desire – draw comic strips, comics with a decidedly different look and approach than what could be found in average “straight” newspapers; these strips found a home in the emerging Free Press newspapers like the East Village Other, Chicago Seed, and Berkeley Barb.
By the end of the year, Robert put together an entire comic book of his crazy cartoons; these were printed and initially sold on the streets of San Francisco out of an old baby buggy.
It didn’t take long for copies to wind up at what is now considered one of the country’s very first stores specializing in selling comic books – both new and old. The shop was Gary Arlington’s San Francisco Comic Book Shop, located in the heart of the city’s Mission District. Gary had the incredible foresight to buy extra copies of EC comics – you know, Tales From the Crypt, Weird Science, Haunt of Fear – when they originally came out in the early-to-mid 1950s.
Gary originally rented a storefront space in what was then a low-rent district of town mainly to house his enormous collection; he soon turned the space into a shop that became the hangout for the city’s growing group of Underground cartoonists. Guys like Crumb would come in, hang out, and trade artwork for old comic books, and most of these artists were also into the old ECs, which inspired their own work.
Gary really dug these new “anything goes” comics, and he felt the urge to publish a few titles on his own, using his traded art and new contributions from his employees, including Rory Hayes and Simon Deitch.
Gary was considered a “larger than life” character by those who knew him. While I never had the privilege of meeting him, I knew his name well from the many times I saw it in print, in titles like San Francisco Comic Book, All Stars, Thrilling Murder Comics, and The Man From Utopia. In later life, Gary took up art himself, and his work was the subject of a recent book collection, I Am Not Of This Planet.
Jon Jacobson
Gary had various health problems, and they finally caught up with him this past January. His massive collection of original artwork and comic books had dwindled a bit from his peak years of collecting, but he stubbornly held on to the best of the best, right up to the end.
His heirs have decided to sell this material with Heritage, and I’ve just spent several days going through this fascinating collection, which includes several complete EC horror and Western stories, plus an incredible collection of rarely-seen commissioned artwork that was designed to “continue” his beloved EC titles, in the form of faux “covers” for titles like Two-Fisted Tales and Weird Fantasy.
The best of his material will be auctioned by Heritage this May, with more items spread through the upcoming year. Anyone with interest in either ECs or Undergrounds will be wise to watch our online listings. As Johnny Carson used to say, this is some “wild and crazy stuff!”
By David Tosh
Thank you David Tosh for writing this remembrance about Gary Edson Arlington,my
brother! When you mentioned that you regretted not having met Gary, I reread the inside cover of the art collection, “I AM NOT OF THIS PLANET.” My friends, Ron Turner, owner
and publisher of Gary’s work at Last Gasp in San Fran , and Gary’s good friend, Charlie Wiley, who put this work together, both knew Gary well. They helped Gary keep up his always positive attitude even through trying times. In the back of this book, Gary signed off by writing, “MY NAME IS GARY EDSON ARLINGTON. I KNOW YOU. YOU KNOW ME. I AM VERY PLEASED WE KNEW EACH OTHER. That was for you, David Tosh!
Thanks to ALex Miller and my HAFriends-
and publisher of Last Gasp in San Fran, and Charlie Wiley, the young man responsible.putting this collection together
Hello David Tosh,
Thank you for your remembrance of my brother, Gary Edson Arlington. When you mentioned the art collection, “I am NOT of this Planet,” I reread the inside cover. Ron Turner, owner of LAST GASP in San Fran,and Charlie Wiley, good friend and originator of this book helped Gary keep his positive attitude through trying times. Gary wrote on the back page. MY NAME IS GARY EDSON ARLINGTON. I KNOW YOU. YOU KNOW ME. I AM VERY PLEASED WE KNEW EACH OTHER. That was for you David Tosh.
Thanks Alex Miller and HA AUCTIONS
Betty, I’m so very pleased that you liked my blog about Gary. A couple of years ago, I was working on a book project about the first issue of Zap, and I had planned to interview Gary for this, even making arrangements with a friend of his, who told me Gary was excited about my interest. Sadly, the project was stopped when I found about about the book Fantagraphics is working on, and I never got to ask Gary about those early times in his shop – something I truly regret. At least I was able to talk about him in my Heritage blog! Thanks again for your kind comments! I’ve really enjoyed going through Gary’s treasures!
It’s 2019, once in a while I reminisce about my childhood and teen days of the early and mid 1980s and one of those memories was when me and my brother would go to Gary’s comic book store on 23rd Street and just buy new issues of 65 cents copies of Spider-Man, GI Joe, Transformers, Marvel Team Up, X-Men, Avengers, Savage Sword of Conan, Superman, Robotech, and many other titles with the plastic sleeves and cardboard backing. I didn’t speak to Gary much, but he always had a smile on his face, cracked jokes with his employees, ate burritos, and everybody felt welcomed in his store. I didn’t get that vibe from the “other” comic book store just two stores away. That guy was mean to me and my brother lol. My favorite moment with Gary was when I tried to buy a Japanese comic book that was not shall we say suitable for young children(I was 13 at the time) and Gary wasn’t too happy about that and refused to sell me that book. That shows Gary’s character don’t it? As I got older, buying comic books wasn’t a passion I had anymore even though occasionally I would enjoy a graphic novel here or there of my former childhood heroes from Marvel and DC comics. I didn’t know his store closed down back in 2002 and thru my brother, I found out Gary passed away back in 2014. Very sad about that.
John,
Thank you so much for sharing your story! We appreciate it much.