Rip Off Press facts for kids
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| Founded | 1969 |
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| Founders | Fred Todd, Dave Moriaty, Gilbert Shelton, Jack Jackson |
| Headquarters location | San Francisco (1969–1987) Auburn, California (1987–present) |
| Publication types | Comics |
| Nonfiction topics | Politics, Social commentary |
| Fiction genres | Independent comics |
| Imprints | Iguana Comics (changed to Magnecom in 1993) |
Rip Off Press Inc. is a company that sells comic books through mail order and also works as a distributor, which means it helps supply comics to stores. It is most famous for being a publisher of comics for older readers, such as The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Rip Off Comix. These comics were part of a movement called underground comix, which were independent comics that told different kinds of stories than mainstream superhero comics.
The company was started in 1969 in San Francisco by four friends from Texas: cartoonists Gilbert Shelton and Jack Jackson, along with Fred Todd and Dave Moriaty. Today, Rip Off Press is located in Auburn, California, and is run by Fred Todd.
Contents
History of Rip Off Press
How It All Began
Rip Off Press was founded on January 17, 1969, in San Francisco. The four founders were all from Texas. Their first idea was to use an old printing press to make posters for rock bands and publish comics as a side project. They wanted to create a company that was like a cooperative for cartoonists, giving them a place to publish their work besides other local publishers.
The four partners bought a used offset printing press and set up their business in the same building as another publisher. Their first office was in the third-floor ballroom of an old opera house.
Some of the first comics Rip Off Press published in 1969 were R. Crumb's Big ... Comics, a new printing of Jaxon's God Nose (first published in 1964), and the first issue of Mother's Oats Comix by Fred Schrier and Dave Sheridan.
In late 1969, a fire nearly destroyed the opera house. Rip Off Press had to move to a new location at 1250 17th Street in San Francisco, where they stayed until 1985. By 1972, the company had stopped printing posters and focused completely on publishing comics. During this time, they published comics by artists like Frank Stack and Gilbert Shelton's famous series, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.
A Time of Change
In the early 1970s, the market for underground comix started to shrink. Rip Off Press had to adapt. By then, co-founders Dave Moriaty and Jack Jackson had moved back to Texas. This left Gilbert Shelton and Fred Todd in charge of the company.
To find new ways to sell comics, the company started a syndication service. This service sold weekly comic strips to alternative newspapers and student papers. Every Friday, the company would send out a sheet with the latest strips from cartoonists like Shelton, Bill Griffith, and others. This service was never very profitable and ended by 1979.
In 1979, Universal Studios paid Shelton and Rip Off Press $250,000 for the movie rights to The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. The movie was never made, but Rip Off Press used its share of the money to buy new equipment, including a computer system. This allowed them to start a mail order business, which became very important for the company's future.
In the mid-1980s, co-founder Gilbert Shelton moved to France permanently. This left Fred Todd and his wife, Kathe, to manage the company.
In 1985, the company moved to a smaller office. Its warehouse, which stored all its comics, was in a large building with over a hundred other businesses. On April 6, 1986, this building burned down after an explosion in the basement.
Moving to Auburn
After the fire destroyed 17 years' worth of comics and equipment, Fred Todd decided to move the company. In June 1987, Rip Off Press relocated to Auburn, California, near Sacramento. Fred and Kathe Todd continued to run the business from there.
During this time, Rip Off Press kept publishing popular titles like The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and the Rip Off Comix anthology. They also took over publishing the all-female comic anthology Wimmen's Comix from 1989 to 1993.
From Publishing to Selling
In the early 1990s, the comic book market changed again. It became harder for smaller publishers to compete. To handle these challenges, Rip Off Press started to cut costs and published fewer new comics.
By 1997, the company had changed its main business. Instead of publishing new comics, it focused on selling its large collection of older comics. They sold them in their store, through mail order, and online. In 1999, the Todds moved the business to a smaller space next to their home, where they continue to sell comics, mostly through the company's website.
Famous Comics and Artists
Rip Off Press published many important comics and worked with talented artists.
Syndication Service Strips
The company's syndication service distributed many weekly comic strips, including:
- The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers by Gilbert Shelton
- Fat Freddy's Cat by Gilbert Shelton
- Griffith Observatory by Bill Griffith
- Wonder Wart-Hog by Gilbert Shelton
- Zippy by Bill Griffith
Comic Books
Rip Off Press was known for its comic books and anthologies (collections of comics by different artists).
- Anthologies:
- Rip Off Comix (30 issues, 1977–1991)
- The Rip Off Review of Western Culture (3 issues, 1972)
- Wimmen's Comix (4 issues, 1989–1992)
- Robert Crumb:
- Big ... Comics (2 issues, 1969–1971)
- Motor City Comics (2 issues, 1969–1970)
- Larry Gonick: Cartoon History of the Universe (9 issues, 1978–1992)
- Gilbert Shelton:
- The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (13 issues, 1971–1997)
- Fat Freddy's Cat (12 issues, 1977–1993)
- Wonder Wart-Hog (1973–1975)
- Frank Stack:
- Jesus Comics (3 issues, 1969–1972)
- Feelgood Funnies (2 issues, 1972, 1984)
