Underworld: From Hoboken to Hollywood

Underworld

by Kaz

The Big Book of Underworld is the first-ever omnibus of the very best of the alternative weekly strip’s 23-year run, with annotations, photos, and other surprises from the author (along with a foreword by Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell). Kaz's strip hilariously depicts sordid doings in a surreal city, stuffed with almost-parodies of famous comic strip characters, a healthy dose of cigarette smoking cats, cute little saccharin-cuddly creatures, media-damaged kids, and much more — all destined for a sardonic smashing.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Comic Strips, Fiction

350 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2015

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaz is the total best, a brilliant cartoonist and gag-meister. Laughed out loud many times throughout this big, sumptuous collection.

[Jack Silbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey kids, remember New York in the 90s? A vague air of danger, and free alternative newspapers on every corner. That's how I discovered the Underworld comic strip by Kaz, in the pages of New York Press. You couldn't help but notice Underworld, with its distinctive, dare I say, yes I'm going to say it, edgy look. But, I must admit, as an innocent 20something without the instant access to context and background information we now enjoy/abhor, I never fully grasped Underworld back then. Speaking of the interweb, it began its methodical killing off of print publications — I knew New York Press was in trouble when they published an essay by ME — and Underworld fell off my radar, along with Tom Tomorrow, Lynda Barry, etc. etc.

So big thanks to drummer Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Gut Bank, etc.) for reawakening me to the magic of Kaz. He posted a photo of this book, with Hoboken in the title no less! I ordered a copy in record time. (Psst Bob has an awesome book too, I'm Just The Drummer: My Time behind Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Chrome Cranks & BB Gun Magazine, soon to go into its second printing!)

Now, as a grizzled oldster with time to focus on Underworld, I finally understood why I didn't fully understand it back in the day: The format would totally change from week to week! And the art style! And the freaking title of the strip! Throw in the fact that you might miss a copy of the Press from time to time, and no wonder I was confused. But there was indeed a rotating cast of delightful, crude, insightful, violent, hilarious characters. The strip captures that old scary Alphabet City 90s New York. In seemingly every panel, there's a rip in the wallpaper, a hole in the clothing, a crooked nail sticking out of a board, wet spots on the sidewalk, weird ominous twisting buildings rising up in the distance. Shitty apartments, shittier streets, and the shittiest people. But by god, they're a family and I was cracking up over and over and over again. There's also some real heart on display here, such as Kaz's obvious respect for and devotion to the old masters of his craft. (I'm laughing just thinking about Black Nancy.)

I was overjoyed to learn that Underworld continued long after I'd been aware, and carries on to this day in the same anarchic spirit. And I'm so glad to have this massive, excellent compilation. Down with gentrification, up with the Underworld!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The brilliant, disgusting strip that I used to read in the New York Press, collected in a fat volume with a bunch of pages razored out -- thanks, unknown NY Public Library patron! The comics aren't all winners, but Kaz has a high batting average, and it's been so long since they originally ran that it was all fresh and new again.

Important points:

● The urban hell where the strips are set was based mainly on Hoboken, NJ -- clearly the pre-gentrification Hoboken. Who knew?

● There are occasional parodies of Warner Bros. characters, especially Porky Pig, which I appreciated, and one appearance by Ignatz Mouse from."Krazy Kat," whose appeal I've never understood and which I could have lived without. Several strips do for Nancy and Sluggo what "Dysfunctional Family Circus" did for "Family "Circus." And a couple of gags are lifted in their entirety from "Mutt and Jeff" (one's signed "© 1911 Bud Fisher"), which I thought was brilliant. On the other hand, speaking of reusing gags, Smoking Cat literally coughing his lungs out is OK but not nearly as funny as when Dean the pig did likewise a few years later (with the benefit of Frank Cho's meticulous draftsmanship) in "Liberty Meadows." But these are subjects on which reasonable people may differ.

● In an introductory Q&A, Kaz discusses his influences, artistic development, etc. This is a mistake, since he seems to be sober, reflective and slightly boring in real life ("I'm attracted to art that's dark and at the same time filtered through an exaggerated and aggressive sense of humor.")

● Petit Mort is the best name for a comic strip character ever.

● Oh, and the "Bob Hope in Hell" strip isn't as funny as Davey Jones' classic two-pager in Viz c. 2003, "Deathbed Chuckles With Bob Hope." Not really Kaz's fault; I blame the limitations of the four-panel format.

Find an intact copy and enjoy.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The quality starts to dip around the early 2000s, but it’s still funny more often than not. I appreciate that someone else out there shares a similar love of corny comic strip setups (and the “flop backward” reaction to the punchline).

[Zach Landes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oozes time and place. The jokes are a bonus

[Anniversary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate this comic because it's not funny at all and there are a lot of dark jokes, if you laugh because of this comic you are a psychopath

[Richard Thornley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surreal, profane, and profound.

[Ignas (Staškevičius) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ištrauka iš pokalbio su autoriumi:

"Žinote, norėjau tapti aktoriumi: pabūti kitais žmonėmis, patirti jų gyvenimus.
Aš kuriu veikėjus, paleidžiu juos siautėti. Ko gero, vaizduotėje esu išmėginęs ir nemaža savo paties tapatybių. O kas čia tokio? Skirtingu metu mes visi jaučiamės esą skirtingi. Kartais išgirstame: „O, kaip tai nepanašu į jus! Jūs niekada šito nepasakytumėte.“
Veikėjai gali kalbėti ką tik panorėję. Jų visai nevaržau, žinodamas, kad pasiteisinsiu: „Ten gi – ne aš, cha-cha!” Nors ta žiurkė perteikia pačią mano esmę… Bet vis tiek stebiu save kurdamas, svarstau, ar neužvaldė banalus troškimas šokiruoti, nes tai būtų pernelyg lengva... Na, nebent terminai spaudžia –komiksą turiu pateikti pirmadienio rytą. (Juokiasi) Tuomet - pfrrr! Bet galvoju, kad dabar gėdinčiausi vos kelių darbelių..."

Kalbėtasi 2018 m. rugsėjį. Visas interviu - tinklaraštyje "Maratono laukas".

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of sick/funny/sad comic strips that draw inspiration from the classics while breaking new ground. I read a few of these every day for a couple of months, and they were always the highlight of my afternoon. The artist has created his own circle of hell, and it's a blast to visit.