Underground "comix" books; Comix is the term used for those comics that were independently published outside of the more mainstream comic companies such as DC and Marvel. Quality of illustrations varies widely and subjects range from drug culture, political rebellion, violence, science-fiction, horror, feminism and sexuality.

Underground Comix began in the San Franciso Bay Area, primarily Berkeley and San Francisco, as early as 1968 and reaching its peak by 1973. Underground comics addressed more mature themes, that mainstream publishers refused to take on due to strict censorship by the Comics Code Authority. Several known illustrators to come out of this were R.(Robert) Crumb. Spain Rodriguez, Gary Arlington, Bill Griffin and Trina Robbins, among several others. Also, several independent small presses grew out of this movement such as Rip Off Press, Last Gasp Eco-Funnies & Kitchen Sink Press.

The artists involved in this movement were groundbreaking in establishing rights for artists and writers that mainstream publishers rarely provided. In the world of underground comics, underground creators were often paid royalties on books for subsequent printings, as opposed to that money returning to the publisher. Importantly, creators retained their copyright on their characters, stories and orginal art, instead of those rights being held by the publisher.