"The first-ever collection of comics and assorted artwork by Michael McMillan--not only a legendary underground cartoonist, but also a sculptor, painter, printmaker, filmmaker, animator, poster designer, and an avid rock climber. Michael McMillan has said he's "not really a cartoonist," but the evidence suggests otherwise. Born and raised in California, he studied architecture and design before a visit in 1969 to an exhibition of Chicago's Hairy Who and encounters with the bourgeoning San Francisco underground comix scene convinced McMillan to make his own comics. He plunged in, drawing for legendary publications like Weirdo, Young Lust, Lemme Out Here, Arcade, and eventually his own one-issue wonder, Terminal. Over the following decades, McMillian kept playing with the form of comics. He reimagined the kind of stories single-panel, two-panel, and many-panel strips could tell, blending favorite genres from his childhood (horror, swords and sandals, science fiction) with more mature themes (autobiography,dating, sex) into new and striking forms. In Terminal Exposure, McMillan's comics are collected for the first time, alongside a selection of his electrifying sculptures, eye-popping paintings, and stunning pages from the journals he kept during his yearsrock climbing in California's Sierra Nevada. With an introduction by Dan Nadel, this volume offers a first-time portrait of the great "not really a cartoonist" cartoonist"--
The first-ever collection of comics and assorted artwork by Michael McMillan—not only a legendary underground cartoonist, but also a sculptor, painter, printmaker, filmmaker, animator, poster designer, and an avid rock climber.
Michael McMillan has said he’s “not really a cartoonist,” but the evidence suggests otherwise. Born and raised in California, he was a draftsman and industrial designer by trade before he plunged into the burgeoning San Francisco underground comix scene of the early 1970s. He drew for legendary publications such as Weirdo, Young Lust, Lemme Outa Here!, Arcade, and produced his own one-issue wonder, Terminal Comics. But just as often he drew for himself, playing with the form of comics out of the sight of readers.
He reimagined the kinds of stories single-panel, two-panel, and many-panel strips could tell and blended favorite genres from his childhood (horror, sword-and-sandal, science fiction) with more mature themes (autobiography, dating, sex) to create new and striking forms.
Terminal Exposure brings together McMillan’s comics for the first time, alongside a selection of his electrifying sculptures, his eye-popping paintings, and stunning pages from his rock climbing journals. With an introduction by Dan Nadel, this volume offers a comprehensive portrait of an exceptional artist, sculptor, climber, and—yes—cartoonist.
