BALLOON NEWSPAPER [#8]

Santa Cruz: The Balloon Newspaper, 1970. First Edition. Near fine.. Eighth issue of this collaborative art-comic newspaper, which ran from 1969 to c. 1972. Consisting largely of humorous, scatological, and pornographic comics, often without words; the authors (after the fourth issue using pseudonyms Futzie Nutzle, Spinny Walker, and henry humble), drew the paper together sitting around a draft table. Aarons and Roth do not include the "Coo Coo..." sheet in their description of BALLOON 8. They also note that Ray Johnson (a contributor to BALLOON No. 6 and correspondent with the editors), later "adopted" the Coo Coo [...] Company "as one of his many motifs," and in doing so participated in what appears to have been a loose, fictional group "operat[ing] along the lines of an isolated and indigenous West Coast Fluxus." Rare. OCLC locates only four locations for any issues. [IN NUMBERS pp. 90-5]. 4to. Two sheets folded in quarters (unfolded, each 21" by 15" approx), printed recto and verso. With additional sheet, 8.25" by 7.5" approx., laid in - a stock certificate of "one share" in the "Coo Coo Poopoo and Pee Pee Novelty Company." Near fine overall. Outer sheet shows touch of staple rust, seemingly offset from another book. Else bright, clean, and crisp.