Minicomix pioneer Wayne Gibson died at UW Medical Center - Northwest in the early morning hours of March 28, 2020. Gibson had been admitted to the hospital 4 days earlier complaining of blurred vision and stomach problems. The cause of death was septic shock.
Wayne Gibson was born in Seattle, Washington on August 11, 1954. During his teenage years he discovered underground comix and soon became a devoted fan and collector. Inspired by the undergrounds and discovering the minicomix work of George Erling, he published his first minicomic in 1979 - Penguin Funnies, which sold out its initial print run. Many penguin-themed comix followed including Penguin Portfolio, Penguin Summer and the notorious Penguins in Bondage. Drawn over the 4th of July weekend in 1981 with fellow minicomix cartoonist Bruce Chrislip and inspired by a Frank Zappa song, Penguins in Bondage garnered both positive and negative reviews which helped it sell out its three printings.
Other non-penguin titles included R.B.I Graphics, Take It Off Funnies, Transit Pictorial and a collection of newwave and underground comix art called Koochie Koodle, self-published in 1980 to commemorate the birth of his daughter Johanna. Wayne also contributed art and comix to other minicomix publishers, appearing in such titles as Babyfat, City Limits Gazette, Dick Dogface Cracks Up, Starhead Comix and This is Tattooed Paper.
In the early 1980s, Wayne produced posters for Seattle rock bands like the Cheeztones, Hotcha,Jammin' Sammin' Band and Cool Ray & The Shades. Gibson was a fixture of the Seattle music/comix crowd, hanging out at U. District coffeehouses with the likes of Nancy Wilson of Heart.
In the 1990s, his collecting interests shifted to baseball cards and 45 r.p.m. records. At one point, he had a well-stocked jukebox in his U. District apartment. By 2001, his interest had returned to comix with titles like Reggae Stars Illustrated and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Since retiring from Washington Transit Advertising last summer. he had been producing artwork for sale at art fairs and local shops around Seattle. Wayne was survived by his daughter Johanna, sister Lynne and his 90 year old mother.
