came up with the name was UNCLE JAM was born. was born). We pioneered all that we were in the journal- For the historians out sorts of insanity on that pro- UNCLE JAM - Thirty Years After ism offices at CSULB debat- there, my finger landed on a gram. Our old engineer for by Phil Yeh ing the name for this new local record store’s ad selling the show, Tim Keenan, has paper without any conclu- a variety of albums. One of since served as the Mayor of On November 5, 1973, while at Los Alamitos High an interview he did for Uncle sion. Mark and I once had the albums was from a group the city of Cypress, California a group of student artists School and when we entered Jam. When Mark and I first a similar argument in high called Ten Years After and my and runs his own production and writers at California CSULB in 1972, we contin- saw Roberta’s portfolio of school over the name of our finger had landed on their studio with his wife Linda State University Long ued to think about publishing animal drawings, we knew first humor magazine CE- song, Uncle Jam. I still have called Creative Media. We even Beach (CSULB) published our own work. The previous that we had our first cover MENT. Mark suggested call- never heard the song all these started the Uncle Jam Humor one of the most original year I had created a daily artist. We naturally picked a ing our magazine CHEEZE years later. Party and I was elected to two free newspapers in history. comic strip for the school drawing of a dead dolphin and when I said that was as When that first issue of terms as Senator-At-Large at The cover of the very first newspaper (The Forty-Niner) surrounded by a lion and stupid as calling a magazine Uncle Jam hit the campus on CSULB helping to transform issue was drawn by Roberta called Cazco in College. I had an ox in tears (do not ask CEMENT (we were standing November 5, 1973, my life campus politics for women Gregory who has since dreamed of syndication at me why). With the words on the sidewalk at this point) changed forever. Gone were and minorities. become one of the most that point in my life but when “Humor Illustrated” under well, you know how silly high the dreams of being a syn- In 1975, Uncle Jam influential women cartoonists the new editor, in the fall of that cartoon, a revolutionary school students can be. dicated comic strip artist or became the title of the hu- in the independent comics 1973, announced that she publication was born. This time I wanted to working for other people. mor and cartoon section movement. Roberta now has didn’t want to publish comic As for the strange name avoid all the fights over the I knew then that I would of our new arts newspa- an animated series on the strips in the school paper, I of Uncle Jam, we later made name of the new paper. So spend the rest of my life per for southern California Oxygen Network based on knew that I had little choice up countless odd stories to I announced that I would publishing my own books, called Cobblestone. We took the characters in her Naughty but to start my own alterna- explain its origin. The best simply open up the campus newspapers, and magazines. Cobblestone off-campus and Bits comic books published tive newspaper. one came from one of our magazine (I was also the art That was a sure way to avoid with distribution through by Fantagraphics Books. Mark and I put up fli- editors, Don DeContreras, director) and with my eyes having to look for a job. public libraries, bookstores, I was 19 years old in my ers around campus asking who explained that Uncle closed, I would put my finger Uncle Jam created a lot of (there once were a lot of second year at CSULB in for volunteers who wanted Jam came from the ancient on any word at random and attention at CSULB and later independent bookstores in the fall of 1973 and as I type to help us and that is how Sumerian saying “Un Kell that would be the name of helped inspire many changes California), museums, and this in the fall of 2003, my we came to meet Roberta Jom” meaning “You have just our new humor newspaper. throughout the campus. In other places where intelligent youngest son Gabe is 19 and Gregory and Gregg Rickman. stepped on a toad.” That ran Mark agreed that would be a 1974, CSULB gave our little literate people hung out (there also attending my old college. Gregg would later go on to in our staff box for almost sensible and scientific market- staff a 90 minute a week actually used to be more intel- My partner Mark Eliot and write a whole series of books two decades along with a ing approach. comedy radio show (this was ligent, literate people in those I had created a little humor on the late Science-Fiction $5,000,000 subscription price. A few seconds later, before Saturday Night Live days before the age of video magazine called CEMENT master Philip K. Dick from The true story of how we

- 48 - - 49 - games), the paper grew in cir- Bloch (author of Psycho), Jerry the paper continued to grow to my father’s homeland of covering Phil’s life and work. more Americans are basically culation and popularity. With- Siegel (half of the team who and Uncle Jam’s coverage of China starting in 1979 were My own life was forever aliterate (they know how to in a year, we had opened our created Superman), Harvey Health, well received. I will write that changed by an Uncle Jam in- read but they don’t). This own Cobblestone Art Gallery in Kurtzman (the creator of Books, The Arts, and novel someday about my terview with the cookie king might explain why we are do- Long Beach and our monthly MAD magazine) and many Travel made this free paper experience. and literacy advocate Wally ing so much work outside the newspaper went full color! other notable artists, actors, one of the best in the world. Uncle Jam interviewed Famous Amos in 1985. Wally United States in the coming Ray Bradbury contributed and musicians. We even ran I had this thing about classi- a lot of noted people over explained to me that more years. One has to go where poetry to that first full-color an unpublished interview fied ads (we didn’t have any) the years including Norman than 27 million American one is appreciated. issue. Tom Luth was one of with George Lucas when he and other useless filler. Uncle Cousins, Matt Groening adults could not read or write I went on the road with our first colorists and he did was still a film student at USC Jam wwasas famousfamous forfor originaloriginal (before The Simpsons), Laura and inspired me to do some- this Cartoonists Across some amazing work for us and long before Star Wars. art and feature stories and in- Huxley, John & Toni Lilly, Pa- thing about it using cartoons America & The World cam- over the years before the age In the summer of 1976, depth interviews. I wanted a trice Rushen, Harlan Ellison, and humor. paign in 1986. I tried to keep of computers. Tom has since we published our first comic paper that people would read Art Clokey (Gumby’s creator), That is how our company Uncle Jam alive while being gone on to color many comic books and then in the spring and keep. Over the years our Jean Giraud (Moebius), and Cartoonists Across America in transit. We even managed books including the work of of 1977, we were among the covers featured some of the many others. I think that & The World was born and to put a few papers out into Groo the Wanderer’s creator first companies in the United best illustrators in the world Gregg Rickman’s landmark our new series of comic the 90s. Our last editor Ed Sergio Aragonés. It is hard States to publish a graphic including Moebius, Rick Grif- interview with the late Philip books promoting literacy, cre- Gauthier is still working on to imagine that when we were novel (Even Cazco Gets The fin, Alfredo Alcala, Flavia, K. Dick stands out more ativity and the arts. My sons the official history of Uncle publishing these early issues, Blues). Uncle Jam championed Sergio Aragonés, Kelly Freas, than most since Phil was so were young children at that Jam. Maybe by the 40th anni- personal computers did not the graphic novel form in our Hal Robinson, Wendy Pini, taken with Gregg’s writing time and I thought perhaps versary in 2013 we will issue exist and all the layouts were pages and with our own series Greg Hildebrandt, and many that he asked him to be his we might inspire an entire a book featuring the best done with exacto knives and of books. Our annual edition others. Our writers trav- official biographer (this was generation in this country of what we did. The staff wax. at the San Diego Comic-Con eled all over the world and I before the film Blade Runner to read, using comics and members who worked on the Cobblestone was published International helped to influ- am especially proud of the was completed). I agreed to humor and the arts. I actu- paper have gone on to some monthly from January 1975 ence the direction of the art personal journalism that they publish Gregg’s books on ally thought this was going amazing work all over the to the summer of 1977 with form. used in their stories. The late PKD (there have been three to be easy when we started world. Uncle Jam inside as the hu- In the fall of 1977, I Burr Jerger’s ground break- volumes so far). Gregg’s life the tour in 1986. I could not I haven’t given up on my mor section. During those decided to change Cobble- ing reporting made national changed forever when Philip have been more wrong. It’s love of publishing, writing, two years we interviewed stone back to Uncle Jam and news when he covered the died shortly after our inter- almost 2004 and we now have and drawing. I wrote this Will Geer (The Waltons), Jack in later years, Uncle Jam was first victims of Atomic test- view was run and before Blade more than 44 million Ameri- 30th-anniversary article hope- Haley Sr. (The Tin Man from shortened to UJQ (for Uncle ing in Utah. My own series Runner was finished, Gregg can adults who are func- fully to inspire some young the Wizard of Oz), Robert Jam Quarterly). The staff of of articles on my trips back decided to devote his life to tionally illiterate and many (or old) person to consider

- 50 - - 51 - publishing their own comics, books, maga- years of mindless entertainment have created zines, or newspapers. Modern technology has some very frightening problems in this nation. made that dream easier in terms of produc- Yet I remain an optimist. My own three ing one’s own stuff, be it on the internet or in sons are in the college-age generation and I print. We could all use better things to read know that there are a few very talented, bright in this country. Perhaps with better things to young people who understand that they can read, we might even create a whole new gen- indeed change the world with the power of eration of readers. I remain an optimist. the pen. I tell everyone that we need better We like to wave flags these days and television and movie scripts, better books, profess our love of democracy, but the truth better magazines, better comics and much is that without a literate citizenry, you really better newspapers. Even in the age of per- cannot have a real democracy. Intelligence has sonal computers, that is still going to come to come from reading and this nation is in from your own imagination. Without new serious trouble as we enter the 21st century. I and better ideas we are lost. Look at the many challenge all of us to cut down on the mind- problems on this planet and start to work on less electronic entertainment bombarding us one or two of them. Get off the couch, turn and to consider balancing our lives with both off the video games, and show us what you reading and writing --and drawing, too! can do to make this a better world. When I speak to young students about how to create their own books, I am always Thirty Years Ago, amazed at their enthusiasm and excitement, especially in elementary school. Sadly, the a group of college kids vast majority of our American high school with almost no money and college students have adopted the couch- proved that a free newspaper potato stance of Homer Simpson. Too many could make a difference. - 52 -