George Paul DiCaprio (born November 30, 1943) is an American writer, editor, publisher, distributor, and former performance artist known for his work in the realm of underground comix.
He is the father of Academy Award winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio
and played an important role in his son's early career as an actor.
DiCaprio was one of the leading figures in the West Coast underground comix scene throughout the 1970s and early 1980's, as a writer, editor, publisher, and distributor. His own self-publishing imprint was known as Half-Ass Press.
His stories have appeared in publications like Forbidden Planet, Slow Death and Cocaine Comix. DiCaprio made two issues of 'Greaser Comics', the first with adult pulp writer Richard Jaccoma, the second with artist Jim Janes.With Pete Von Sholly, he wrote 'Neurocomics' for Last Gasp, based on the writing of Timothy Leary.
Dr. Timothy Leary (3rd from left) with DiCaprio (4th from left), 1970s
DiCaprio has furthermore worked with major authors like Dori Seda, Robert Crumb, Rick Griffin, Gilbert Shelton, Rich Chidlaw, Victor Moscoso, Paul Mavrides and Harvey Pekar. He was also a performance artist. Comics writer Harvey Pekar details a DiCaprio performance in Los Angeles in February 1988 where DiCaprio claimed that he did, "a light show using brine shrimp and worms. I'd hit 'em with cold water and they'd move around and I'd project 'em on a wall magnified. It blew people's minds."
