Gilbert Shelton

Born in 1940, Gilbert Shelton's unlikely first venture into the world of comics art was doing strips for Boy Scout publications when he was still at school. At university in Austin, Texas, hew became editor of the official student magazine, The Texas Ranger. This was to prove Shelton's last 'real job', for in 1967, after contributing to various underground comix with his earliest character, WONDER WARTHOG, and designing posters for rock concerts, he created THE FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS. Soon after, with some friends, he set up Rip Off Press in San Francisco, from where Freak Brothers strips were soon syndicated, borrowed (or stolen) by a host of Underground newspapers and magazines. The first actual Freak Brothers comic was published in 1971. Knockabout Comics of the UK was later chosen to be the official publisher of Shelton's work.