Author:
Title: MORSE'S FUNNIES * Highest-Graded Copy
Place Published:
Publisher:Albert Morse
Date Published: 1974
Description: CGC certified: VF+ (8.5). White pages. Grader notes: Light cover tanning; very light bends to cover.

CGC Census: 2 graded copies (2 Universal). This is the highest-graded copy.

GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. The only reported sale in any grade is a 5.5 that sold for $1020 in 5/19.

Credits: Robert Crumb cover. Scripts and art by Simon Deitch, Larry Todd, Trina Robbins, Dan O'Neill, Ken Barteleme, Bobby London, Dave Sheridan, Art Spiegelman, Gary Hallgren, Ted Richards, Patricia Moodian, Sharon Rudahl, Toby Cleyman.Mouthpiece Morse's Mimeographed Mag: First printing of this scarce Underground oddity, featuring a Crumb cover and contributions from 13 artists (a second printing featured contributions from 21 artists under Crumb's cover, as Albert Morse's law practice expanded to include ever-more miscreant cartoonists). According to Jay Kennedy's Official Underground and Newave Comix Price Guide, this mimeographed mag is "rare as circulation has been limited by Albert Morse to close associates."

Albert Morse was R. Crumb's lawyer in the early 1970s, and he's the bloke responsible for pulling Crumb's fat out of the fire after the IRS targeted the artist due to the plethora of "Keep On Truckin'" bootleg merch that graced every hippy's stinkpad back then (as Heritage noted when they sold the original art to this mag's cover, the IRS falsely "believed Crumb had to be raking in a fortune on all those posters, buttons, backpacks, etc.").

"Albert Morse acted in a legal capacity on behalf of numerous cartoonists in the greater Bay Area in the 1970s. According to Kim [Deitch], if you asked a favor of Morse he would ask you to do a page for his anthology Morse's Funnies.... Without getting too specific or colorful, suffice it to say that Kim was not a fan of Mr. Morse (who it appears died in 2006), as he feels that Morse took advantage of some of his comics colleagues. Enough said, just in case some of the litigious relatives of Morse roam the internet today." – Pam's Pictorama post, March 29, 2020.______________________________________________________________

A limited edition of ten hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a few dozen softcovers. Fun reference, great keepsake, fully illustrated, chockablock with obscure facts, gags, bon mots. Softcovers are $40, deluxe hardcovers with dust jackets and limitation plates are $200. These books always go fast so don't delay. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Consignments welcome for PBA's Summer 2024 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Find out why PBA is the new fan-fave of funnybook fiends. "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books... Priceless." – R. Crumb. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Coming Soon: The DC Universe Collection Part 3: The Golden Age (August 2024) and Weird Tales and Amazing Stories: The PBA Pulp Sale (September 2024). Contact ivan@pbagalleries.com to get on the notifications list.