Zippy’s House of Fun

(Fantagraphics, 1995)
™ and © 1993 Bill Griffith

“Are we having fun yet?”

This seeming nonsensical quote reveals the speaker as someone who is unaware or unsure what he should be feeling. It has become part of the lexicon of modern society and aptly characterizes Zippy’s innocence. Making his first appearance in Real Pulp #1 in 1970, Zippy went on to be syndicated nationally by Rip Off Press and eventually a regular feature in The National Lampoon during the early 1980s. By 1986, after a year of appearances in the San Francisco Examiner, artist Bill Griffith was approached by King Features Syndicate to take his creation to the mainstream. This character whose origins stem from the unlikely world of underground comics has become a fixture of the comic pages.

This hardbound collection features 216 color comic strips starting with the first color appearance in May of 1990 reprinted in their actual size. Griffith is able to use Zippy and his cast of eccentrics to satirize everything from pop culture to politics, and even the comic strip printing process. Although Zippy appears to be intellectually challenged, his demeanor belies a deep perceptiveness that usually grants him the last laugh. And if the question really requires an answer: Yes, he is definitely having fun.

— George Haberberger

Jump to issue:

Notes

Writer

Artist

#1 (Hardcover Edition)

January, 1995
Cover Price: $39.95
1 copy available for $14.50

Bill Griffith