Krass Realism

Of all the rich characters from the early days of alternative and underground newspapering, taboo-tweaking funnyman Paul Krassner may be my favorite. Over at the New York Press, where he is beginning a new column, the founding editor and publisher of The Realist pens a long look back. Among the many highlights:

Steve Allen became the first subscriber, and he gave several gift subscriptions, including one to Lenny Bruce, who in turn gave gift subs to several others, as well as becoming an occasional contributor. I was publishing what was considered to be the hippest magazine in America, but I was still living with my parents, and I was still a virgin. [?]

I published a cartoon that became a poster, "One Nation Under God," depicting Uncle Sam being sodomized by an anthropomorphic deity. And, celebrating the burgeoning cold war, another poster declaring in red-white-and-blue, star-spangled letters, "Fuck Communism!" [?]

After what was officially described as "a police riot" at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, I became an unindicted coconspirator. I testified at the trial after ingesting 300 micrograms of acid. This was during my psychedelic macho stage.

Link via Amy Alkon.