Paul Mavrides
Encyclopedia
Paul Mavrides is an American
artist
, best known for his critique-laden comics
, cartoons, paintings, graphics
, performances and writings that encompass a disturbing yet humorous catalog of the social ills and shortcomings of human civilization. Mavrides was the co-creator and illustrator of the underground comic book The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
with Gilbert Shelton
.
Mavrides came to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1975, and was soon working with SF-based comics creator Jay Kinney on a weekly panel cartoon for the Rip Off Comics Syndicate, titled "Cover-Up Lowdown." This strip satirized political coverups of the day as well as those of recent history such as the Kennedy assassination. In 1978, Paul joined Gilbert Shelton to co-produce Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comic stories and was soon joined by Dave Sheridan
on the team. Together, with Shelton and Mavrides writing and Mavrides, Sheridan and Shelton producing the artwork, the three of them produced the comix that were later collected into Freak Brothers issues numbers 6 and 7.
Following Dave Sheridan's death from complications of cancer in 1982, Mavrides once again became Gilbert's steady partner in all further Freak Brothers material. The two of them embarked on an ambitious project (begun in 1982 and serialized in issues 11 and 12 of the Rip Off Comix series, but not published in the Freak Brothers Comix series until 1984): a full color, three-volume story arc entitled "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers in The Idiots Abroad." In 1985 Shelton, who had spent parts of 1979 and 1980 in Europe, moved back to Europe for good and the Freak Brothers collaboration became a trans-Atlantic affair. (The last full issue of new FB material came out in 1992.)
In 1991, Mavrides protested against a resolution by the State of California to levy a sales tax on comic strips and comic books. He challenged the law in court, with assistance from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
, arguing that the comic strip is a communications medium that should be classed with books, magazines, and newspapers (which are not subject to sales taxes due to First Amendment
provisions). In 1997, a ruling in Mavrides' favor was handed down by the California State Board of Equalization.
Mavrides is a founding member of the Church of the SubGenius
, having been a member of the organization since its earliest days. He is a co-author of Revelation X : The 'Bob'Apocryphon : Hidden Teachings and Deuterocanonical Texts of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs.
Mavrides was credited as art director for Grass
, a 1999 documentary on marijuana.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, best known for his critique-laden comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
, cartoons, paintings, graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
, performances and writings that encompass a disturbing yet humorous catalog of the social ills and shortcomings of human civilization. Mavrides was the co-creator and illustrator of the underground comic book The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers are a trio of underground comic strip characters created by the U.S. artist Gilbert Shelton. The Freak Brothers first appeared in The Rag, an underground newspaper published in Austin, Texas, beginning in May 1968; and were regularly reprinted in underground papers...
with Gilbert Shelton
Gilbert Shelton
Gilbert Shelton is an American cartoonist and underground comix artist. He is the creator of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy's Cat, Wonder Wart-Hog, Philbert Desanex, Not Quite Dead, and the cover art to The Grateful Dead's 1978 album Shakedown Street.He graduated from Lamar High...
.
Mavrides came to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1975, and was soon working with SF-based comics creator Jay Kinney on a weekly panel cartoon for the Rip Off Comics Syndicate, titled "Cover-Up Lowdown." This strip satirized political coverups of the day as well as those of recent history such as the Kennedy assassination. In 1978, Paul joined Gilbert Shelton to co-produce Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comic stories and was soon joined by Dave Sheridan
Dave Sheridan (artist)
Dave Sheridan was an American cartoonist and underground comix artist. He was the creator of Dealer McDope and Tales from the Leather Nun and collaborated with Gilbert Shelton and Paul Mavrides on The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.- Biography :Born in 1943 and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area,...
on the team. Together, with Shelton and Mavrides writing and Mavrides, Sheridan and Shelton producing the artwork, the three of them produced the comix that were later collected into Freak Brothers issues numbers 6 and 7.
Following Dave Sheridan's death from complications of cancer in 1982, Mavrides once again became Gilbert's steady partner in all further Freak Brothers material. The two of them embarked on an ambitious project (begun in 1982 and serialized in issues 11 and 12 of the Rip Off Comix series, but not published in the Freak Brothers Comix series until 1984): a full color, three-volume story arc entitled "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers in The Idiots Abroad." In 1985 Shelton, who had spent parts of 1979 and 1980 in Europe, moved back to Europe for good and the Freak Brothers collaboration became a trans-Atlantic affair. (The last full issue of new FB material came out in 1992.)
In 1991, Mavrides protested against a resolution by the State of California to levy a sales tax on comic strips and comic books. He challenged the law in court, with assistance from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a United States non-profit organization created in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses....
, arguing that the comic strip is a communications medium that should be classed with books, magazines, and newspapers (which are not subject to sales taxes due to First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
provisions). In 1997, a ruling in Mavrides' favor was handed down by the California State Board of Equalization.
Mavrides is a founding member of the Church of the SubGenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
, having been a member of the organization since its earliest days. He is a co-author of Revelation X : The 'Bob'Apocryphon : Hidden Teachings and Deuterocanonical Texts of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs.
Mavrides was credited as art director for Grass
Grass (1999 film)
Grass: History of Marijuana is a 1999 Canadian documentary film directed by Ron Mann, premiered in Toronto Film Festival, about the history of the United States government's war on marijuana in the 20th century.-Overview:...
, a 1999 documentary on marijuana.
External links
- ClickMedia: Paul Mavrides; includes a biography, interview and a portfolio of selected works.
- "Slack or Bust: An Interview With Paul Mavrides," by Wesley Joost and Jon Randall
- "The Things He Did on Grass," by Michael Sragow, Salon, June 15, 2000; interview about Mavrides' art direction of a marijuana documentary