Synopses & Reviews
Forthright anecdotes and interviews fill this eye-opening account of the birth of the underground newspaper movement. Stemming from frustration with the lack of any mainstream media criticism of the Vietnam War, the creation of the papers was emboldened by the victories of the Civil Rightsera, anticolonial movements in the Third World and the use of LSD. In the four short years from 19651969, the subversive press grew from five small newspapers in five cities in the United States to more than 500 newspaperswith millions of readersall over the world. Stories by the people involved with the production and distribution of the papers, such as Bill Ayers, Paul Buhle, Paul Krassner, and Trina Robbins, bring the history of the movement to life. Full-color scans taken from a broad range of publications, from the Berkeley Barb and the Los Angeles Free Press to Chicago Seed and Screw: The Sex Review, are also included, showing the incredible energy that fueled the counterculture of the 1960s.
Review
"On the Ground serves as a valuable contribution to countercultural history." Paul Krassner, author, Confessions of a Raving, Unconfined Nut: Misadventures in the Counterculture
Review
"One should not underestimate the significant value of this book. It gives you real insights into the underground press and its vast diversity of publications, which translated into a taste of real people's power." Emory Douglas, former Black Panther Party Minister of Culture and graphic artist
Review
"The Underground Press, as it was called, was a groundswell of media activity running the gamut from radically political to seriously satirical. A new book, On the Ground: An Illustrated Anecdotal History of the Sixties Underground Press in the U.S., edited by Sean Stewart, recalls the Underground epoch." —www.imprint.printmag.com
Review
"The striking graphics and compelling recollections in this text are at once a popular history and an inspiration." —www.CounterPunch.org
Review
"If you are an old underground fan like I am, the pictures here will knock you out. Full page spreads from the Barb or the Seed or Rat. . . . And the drawings: My god, there are a couple here by Crumb that in the not-so-stoned 21st century could get you locked up in the gray-bar hotel. We're surprised that PM had the guts to publish them." —RALPH magazine, www.ralphmag.org
Review
"This book offers a window into the ferment of the underground press through a combination of short interview excerpts in which prominent figures of the underground press reflect on their experiences in producing their work together with photo-reproductions of text and images." —Book News (August 2012)
Review
"On the Ground deals with the sacredness of human life, examines the moral courage of direct action during the civil rights movement, and illustrates how journalism became a lifestyle of total immersion, both political and cultural." —www.jamaica-gleaner.com
Synopsis
Forthright anecdotes and interviews fill this eye-opening account of the birth of the underground newspaper movement. Stemming from frustration with the lack of any mainstream media criticism of the Vietnam War, the creation of the papers was emboldened by the victories of the Civil Rights-era, anticolonial movements in the Third World and the use of LSD. In the four short years from 1965-1969, the subversive press grew from five small newspapers in five cities in the United States to more than 500 newspapers--with millions of readers--all over the world. Stories by the people involved with the production and distribution of the papers, such as Bill Ayers, Paul Buhle, Paul Krassner, and Trina Robbins, bring the history of the movement to life. Full-color scans taken from a broad range of publications, from the
Berkeley Barb and the
Los Angeles Free Press to
Chicago Seed and
Screw: The Sex Review, are also included, showing the incredible energy that fueled the counterculture of the 1960s.
Synopsis
In four short years (1965-1969), the underground press grew from five small newspapers in as many cities in the U.S. to over 500 newspapers--with millions of readers--all over the world. Completely circumventing (and subverting) establishment media by utilizing their own news service and freely sharing content amongst each other, the underground press, at its height, became the unifying institution for the counterculture of the 1960s.
Frustrated with the lack of any mainstream media criticism of the Vietnam War, empowered by the victories of the Civil Rights era, emboldened by the anti-colonial movements in the third world and with heads full of acid, a generation set out to change the world. The underground press was there documenting, participating in, and providing the resources that would guarantee the growth of this emergent youth culture. Combining bold visuals, innovative layouts, and eschewing any pretense toward objectivity, the newspapers were wildly diverse and wonderfully vibrant.
Neither meant to be an official nor comprehensive history, On the Ground focuses on the anecdotal detail that brings the history alive. Composed of stories told by the people involved with the production and distribution of the newspapers--John Sinclair, Art Kunkin, Paul Krassner, Emory Douglas, John Wilcock, Bill Ayers, Spain Rodriguez, Trina Robbins, Al Goldstein, Harvey Wasserman, Ben Morea, and more--and featuring over 100 full-color scans taken from a broad range of newspapers--Basta Ya, Berkeley Barb, Berkeley Tribe, Chicago Seed, Helix, It Ain't Me Babe, Los Angeles Free Press, Osawatomie, Rat Subterranean News, San Francisco Express Times, San Francisco Oracle, Screw: The Sex Review, The Black Panther, The East Village Other, The Realist, and many more--the book provides a true window into the spirit of the times, giving the reader a feeling for the energy on the ground.
About the Author
Sean Stewart is the former owner of Babylon Falling, a bookstore and gallery in San Francisco. He lives in New York City.