Slow Death

    (Last Gasp, 1970-1992)
™ and ©1970 Last Gasp Publishing

(From the Slings & Arrows Comic Guide)

Unlike most underground titles of the period, Slow Death has stories which are mostly grim or blackly humorous. Although the early creative lineup boasts Jaxon, Sheridan, Corben and Irons, it’s all rather primitive, derivative stuff. By issue #8, a Greenpeace special, the series had turned into a political and satirical title. The covers, by William Stout and Rand Holmes, encapsulate the militancy of the book’s stance. Subsequent issues continued to mix didactic stories, documentary-style strips and information pages. Atomic power was the theme for #9, while #10 and #11 were cheery compilations of info on cancer and energy respectively. In #10 and #11 there’s particularly good work from the late Greg Irons, one of the few creators who worked consistently on the title, including a Donald Duck strip based on the Kurtzman/Elder Disney parody (from Mad Magazine). Otherwise most of the work in the later issues rarely rises above the preachiness of the scripts. The exceptions to this are Guy Colwell’s “Herpes Is A Virus” in #10 (don’t read it if you’re squeamish) and Alan Moore and Bryan Talbot’s “Cold Snap,” reprinted in #11 from Food for Thought. ~NF

Recommended: #8, 10
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  • 1
    #1
    Red border cover by Greg Irons and Jim Evans (Back Cover)
    Apr 1970
    Cover: $0.50
    W: Gary Grimshaw, Dave Sheridan, Jim Evans, Greg Irons, Fred Schrier, Rory Hayes, Jeffrey Hayes, Jack Jackson, Kim Deitch, Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Willy Mendes  ·  A: Gary Grimshaw, Dave Sheridan, Jim Evans, Greg Irons, Fred Schrier, Rory Hayes, Jeffrey Hayes, Jack Jackson, Kim Deitch, Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Willy Mendes, Jim Osborne, Ron Cobb
    B&W
    1 copy for $17.00
  • 3
    #3
    Pentagram Press logo on front cover by Richard Corben and Greg Irons (Back Cover)
    Nov 1971
    Cover: $0.50
    W: Dave Sheridan, Richard Corben, Jim Osborne, Jack Jackson, Larry Welz  ·  A: Dave Sheridan, Richard Corben, Jim Osborne, Jack Jackson, Larry Welz
    B&W
    1 copy for $1.28
  • 5
    #5
    Apr 1973
    Cover: $0.50
    W: Dave Sheridan, Tom Veitch, Charles Dallas, Rand Holmes, Richard Corben  ·  A: Dave Sheridan, Greg Irons, Charles Dallas, Rand Holmes, Richard Corben
    B&W
    2 copies from $9.50
  • 8
    #8
    Jul 1977
    Cover: $1.00
    W: Greg Irons, Mike Becker, William Stout, Doug Hansen, Michael T. Gilbert, Sam Wray, Roger Brand, Shelby Sampson, Dennis Ellefson, Tim Boxell  ·  A: Brenda Bernu, Mike Becker, William Stout, Doug Hansen, Michael T. Gilbert, Sam Wray, Roger Brand, Shelby Sampson, Dennis Ellefson, Tim Boxell
    Greenpeace issue; B&W
    1 copy for $12.00
  • 9
    #9
    Aug 1978
    W: Greg Irons, Mike Becker, Dennis Ellefson, Errol McCarthy, Tim Boxell  ·  A: Greg Irons, Mike Becker, Dennis Ellefson, Errol McCarthy, Tim Boxell
    B&W
    2 copies from $8.95
  • 11
    #11
    Jan 1992
    Cover: $2.95
    W: Tom Veitch, Alan Moore, Greg Irons, Graham Manley, John Edgar, Warren Greenwood, Wallace Wood  ·  A: Greg Irons, Bryan Talbot, Graham Manley, John Edgar, Warren Greenwood, Wallace Wood
    B&W
    2 copies from $24.98