ABOUT US

“It can’t hurt you folks; it’s only lines on paper!”*
- Robert Crumb



*The father of underground comix Robert Crumb once responded to censorship this way:
“It can’t hurt you folks; it’s only lines on paper!”. Hence, the name of our website.


What is Lines On Paper (L.O.P.)?
It all started as a small group of sequential art fans -
L.O.P. founder Gary Cifra, Rod Mullinax, Dan Koeppel,
Jocelyn Heaney, Mary Burt and Patty DeFrank. In 1995 we held meetings
at the Venice Public Library in Los Angeles, California
to talk about our favorite alternative comics.

Lines On Paper's Mission is to expand public awareness of the potential
of comics to serve as a vibrant medium of personal expression, and to
dismantle the stereotype that sequential art only serves as juvenile entertainment,
which limits the audience and the growth of the medium.

In the 1990's we held events and invited guest speakers like
1960's Zap underground cartoonist Robert Williams,
3-D artist Ray Zone and lawyer Louise Nemschoff from the
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

We asked artists we met at book signings and Comic-Cons to sign
Lines On Paper artists' cards. The artists decorated them with
wonderful cartoon drawings.

Our first card was contributed by Robert Williams, who drew his
well-known Zap character Coochy Cootie on it.



Robert Williams speaking at the Venice Public Library in 1996.




A Ray Zone 3-D presentation in 1997.


By 1998 the meetings fizzled out as people stopped coming...

In 2002, those original Lines On Paper artists’ cards formed
www.linesonpaper.com developed by founder Gary Cifra and
web designer Jody Talmadge, which promotes (for free)
over 100 sequential artists.

Lines On Paper continues to welcome new talent to contribute to L.O.P., which you can do by visiting our CONTRIBUTE page.

 

Here's a 1995 Los Angeles Times article about us:
"COMICS ARE NO FUN"

 

When www.linesonpaper.com was created in 2002, a volunteer commemorated it by drawing our URL (minus the .com) into this concrete slab.



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COMMENDATIONS

"I like what you're doing! Keep it up!"
- Aline Kominsky-Crumb

"It was an honor to have met you!
This is an inspiring program
you’ve got going on."
- Craig Thompson

"Your Lines On Paper coffee mug holds
a place of honor in my office."
- Matt Groening
(Creator of "Life In Hell" and "The Simpsons")

"Keep up the good work."
- Robert Armstrong

"Thanks for prompting me to take a
fresh look at your site. It's looking great.
The design is clean and inviting and
navigation is a breeze. Good show!"
- Howard Cruse

"I really like the design of your site.
- Graham Annable
(Creator of "Grickle" & "Hickee" anthology)

"I went to your site and was blown
away by how fun it was!"
- Shary Flenniken

"Love the site."
- Renee French

"I like your website a great deal."
- Todd Hignite
(Founding Editor, Comic Art Magazine)

"What a cool site."
- Donna Barr

"It's great to see a site like yours
promoting the good stuff."
- Kaz

"Nice site!"
- Denis Kitchen

"I just got an e-mail with a link to yer
terrific site. It looks great and has a
focus on my fave comic artists. Kudos!"
- Gary Leib

"Cool website."
- Jay Lynch

"Very nice website."
- Chris Oliveros
(Publisher, Drawn & Quarterly)

"What a stellar collection of artists!"
- Leonard Rifas

"Interesting website."
- S. Clay Wilson

"I like your site for what it was
put together to do - promote
the talents of individual artists."
- Mike Goldstein
(VP Interactive Programming, FUSE TV)

"I love this site!"
- Jarboe
(SWANS vocalist, solo recording artist)

"An asset invaluable to anyone who digs underground comix. Your site is the best."
- Jeffrey Weinberg
(Water Row Books since 1978)

"The site looks great, by gosh."
- Eric White
(Fine Artist)

"What a great resource; really an amazing collection of cards and bios!"
- Shawn Williams
(Graphic Designer - Comics Buyer's Guide)

We sure would appreciate your commendation!
Feel free to send one here:
gary@linesonpaper.com