From [g--l--n] at [falcon.bgsu.edu] Mon Mar 13 09:35:46 1995 Received: from [129.1.31.55] (M31-55.bgsu.edu [129.1.31.55]) by falcon.bgsu.edu (8.6.8.1/8.6.6) with SMTP id LAA25670; Mon, 13 Mar 1995 11:26:47 -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 11:31:22 -0500 To: [m--nc--s] at [infinet.com], Dan Creel <[MAH 0 RD 4] at [SIVM.SI.EDU]>, [ghec h t] at [watson.Princeton.EDU], [C--n--e] at [aol.com], [d--b--w] at [aol.com], [c w h 93001] at [Uconnvm.Uconn.Edu], [c--nw--l] at [brahms.udel.edu], [N--p--i] at [zodiac.nov.hfbr.bnl.gov], [j b stew 00] at [ukpr.uky.edu], Devin J <[law 20141] at [nusunix2.nus.sg]>, [yu 121249] at [YorkU.Ca], [k--g--m] at [cccadm.gi.cccneb.edu], [b--ll--m] at [capaccess.org], [R--O--E] at [email.afip.osd.mil], [Athomas 1] at [worldbank.org], [j b h] at [garnet.msen.com], [d--ma--r] at [aol.com], [74033 167] at [CompuServe.com], [D--w--l] at [aol.com], [j--k] at [nm.picker.com], [01 b 072] at [aisserver1.llnl.gov] (Ken Nelson), [m c grund] at [scs.unr.edu] (Michael Grund), [g--l--n] at [falcon.bgsu.edu], [F--eF--m] at [aol.com], [s--ar--s] at [csn.org], bill.field%[t w place] at [wb3ffv.ampr.org], [d--vi--t] at [dt.pdial.interpath.net], [r--rt--l] at [flute.aix.calpoly.edu], [c r patton] at [chipster.b15.ingr.com] (Chip), [r--rn--d] at [chuma.cas.usf.edu], [R--E--N] at [mtroyal.ab.ca], [herink cd] at [mercer.peachnet.edu], [s--o--e] at [portia.murdoch.edu.au], Jeff Billman<[j--l--a] at [bgsuvax.bgsu.edu]>, [m c whorter d] at [alb000.dnet.ge.com], [s--w--n] at [netcom.com], [j--hn--a] at [lachman.com], [Alex Agostini] at [smec.sel.sony.com], [a--dl--n] at [stmarytx.edu], MD78718%[LTUVAX BITNET] at [cunyvm.cuny.edu], [a--w] at [datawright.co.uk], [smit h p] at [oup.co.uk], [os 360551] at [wvnvaxa.wvnet.edu], [m--m--r] at [clark.net], [j--pp--t] at [unix1.utm.edu], pjl02%[albnydh 2 BITNET] at [cunyvm.cuny.edu], [Quinlan n] at [csvax1.ucc.ie], [p--en--h] at [acs.ucalgary.ca], [t r bender] at [vnet.ibm.com], [c--ni--n] at [argus.lowell.edu], [ejd 0211] at [umoncton.ca], [r--l--n] at [klingon.iupucs.iupui.edu], [q--no--z] at [phoenix.princeton.edu], [d--u--g] at [cs.sfu.ca], [burdic k j] at [moose.cs.indiana.edu], [l--ur--e] at [sparrow.ecology.uga.edu], [brian vickers] at [isd.jpl.nasa.gov], [b--y--n] at [igpp.ucla.edu], [p--rr--t] at [clark.net], [s t roup] at [univrs.decnet.lockheed.com], [g--be--n] at [Kodak.COM], [C--SS--N] at [DAVIDSON.EDU], [a--b--d] at [freenet.scri.fsu.edu], [c m ccreath] at [vnet.ibm.com], "Shellenberger, Mark" <[MS 220253] at [wcupa.edu]>, [Ivica Marusic] at [fesb.hr], [J--E] at [id.ucsb.edu], [r--ae--a] at [ing.puc.cl], [b--y--n] at [igpp.ucla.edu], [REDACTED] at [math.wvu.edu], [jac 15] at [po.cwru.edu], [w--t--l] at [asgard.lpl.arizona.edu], [e 91 ju] at [efd.lth.se], [w--f] at [xs4all.nl], [g--ns--r] at [sparky.lkwash.wednet.edu] (George Ainsworth), [b h w 1] at [musicb.mcgill.ca], [epk 93002] at [Uconnvm.Uconn.Edu], [Z 3 JEF] at [ttacs1.ttu.edu], [91 mithra] at [wave.scar.utoronto.ca], [a--la--o] at [ccvm.sunysb.edu], [n s tn 1173] at [fox.nstn.ca], [matthew pus t z] at [uiowa.edu], jerry, [k d hobb 01] at [msuacad.morehead-st.edu], [kennyh 9056] at [aol.com], [w--tn--w] at [mace.cc.purdue.edu], Hassan Alamdari <[72240 3660] at [CompuServe.com]>, [gmy 1] at [cornell.edu], n0abt%[town 2] at [ncl.ac.uk], [j--r--s] at [cam.org], [k j donlin] at [rs01.kings.edu], [m--au--y] at [bnr.ca], [k--te--f] at [acq.osd.mil], [u 5350] at [wvnvm.wvnet.edu], "IGELMAN, AL" <[i--l--a] at [macmail.mcgawpark.baxter.com]> From: [g--l--n] at [falcon.bgsu.edu] (Metroplex) Subject: FTP 525 ==== FIT TO PRINT by cathrine yronwode for the week of March 13, 1995 THIS IS FIT TO PRINT NUMBER 525: Robert Beerbohm of Fremont, Nebraska, sent this in; i've shortened it to fit. "Dear cat: If this isn't 'Fit to Print,' I don't know what is: Bob Rita died February 3, 1995, of a heart attack. He was 53. "Most comic book collectors probably have never heard of Bob Rita. That is a shame and a travesty. "Many of you have heard of Zap Comics, Arcade, Robert Crumb, Bill Griffith, Zippy, Gilbert Shelton, Spain, Robert Williams, Feds N Heads, The Freak Brothers, Vaughn Bode. Wonder Warthog, Kim Deitch, Rick Griffin, Tales From the Tube, S. Clay Wilson, Victor Moscoso, David Sheridan, Greg Irons, American Flyer Funnies, Young Lust, Uncle Sham, Dave Geiser, Jay Lynch, Art Spiegelman, Justin Green, Aline Kominsky, Trina, Mark Beyer, David Sheridan, George Metzger, Yellow Dog, Tales of Toad, The Legion of Charlies, Deviant Slice, Junkwaffel, Bijou Funnies, Lee Marrs, Gary Hallgren, Lee Conklin, Diane Noomin, George Di Caprio, Mary Kay Brown, Robert Arm-strong, Sally Cruikshank, Mickey Rat, The Checkered Demon, El Perfecto, Coochy Cooties, Jim Osborne, Willy Murphy, Jay Kinney, Rory Hayes, Michelle Brand, B. Kliban, Dan O'Neill, Gary King, Bruce Simon, Barry Siegel, Spaced Out, Spiffy Stories, Sphinx, Comics, Show N Tell, Paul Krassner, Richard Corben, Fred Schrier, Meef, Balloon Vendor, Zam, Tales From the Ozone, Gary Grimshaw, Bobby London, Sherry Flenniken, Occult Laff-Parade, Rubber Duck Funnies, Roger Brand, Ted Richards, Joel Beck, The Profit, Lenny of Laredo, Marching Marvins, Carl Lundgren, Larry Todd, Shelby, Michael J., Robby Landeros, Insect Fear, Real Pulp Comics, John Thompson, Despair Comics, Uneeda Comics, Girl Fight, Heavy Tragi-Comix, The Book of Raziel, The Kingdom of God is Within You, Larry Welz, and many more that I cannot recall off the the top of my head. I apologize to any I may have left out. I know I have. There are so many more. "Bob Rita, as an owner of the Print Mint, published all these people and comic books. But you don't find these books in the so-called 'bible' of information for comic book collectors called Overstreet. "The Print Mint was the first company to sell directly to stores on a national basis. That is a fact. I do not count fanzine types that printed a couple thousand copies. The Print Mint's initial print runs for all their books ran from 20,000 to 100,000 an issue, numbers that many of today's publishers would be highly envious to attain. "Between 1968 and 1978, the Print Mint sold over 5,000,000 comic books. All were creator-owned. They paid royalties to each and every one who created for them. If a book sold well, they reprinted it again and again, and continued to pay royalties on each succeeding print run. If the artist didn't like the deal, he/she was free to seek greener pastures. For many years, those pastures were very green at the Print Mint. "The annals of comic book history and lore have seemingly passed Bob Rita by and forgotten what the Print Mint accomplished back when many of today's 'super stars' were barely in or just out of diapers, if they had been born yet at all. "The Print Mint is still in operation where it always has been, at 830 Folger Ave, Berkeley, California. Bob's wife of many years, Peggy Rita, still runs the enterprise, but they don't publish comic books any more. They haven't for over a decade. Such is the fickleness of this business. "Bob Rita was my friend. I knew him through my countless visits to the Print Mint World Headquarters. He always had a gruff smile for me as I walked in through the doors. I bought comics from the Print Mint for over twenty years. "I hope you now know a little bit more of what Bob Rita did in and for the wonderful world of comics. There isn't space enough to go into Bob Rita the man, who loved his family, especially his grandson. He had a zest for life I admired greatly. I shall miss him. So should you." And thank you, Bob Beerbohm, for that tribute and history lesson. ==== Fit to Print appears in print each week in Comics Buyers Guide and is available via e-mail. Tell your friends! To subscribe to Fit to Print via e-mail send a request with the words "Subscribe FtP" in the subject header and your address in the body of the message to [g--l--n] at [bgnet.bgsu.edu.] You will be added to the list and receive the next available issue. Backissues are available. FTP to cerebus.acusd.edu and look in the Comics/About Comics/Comics News/Fit to Print directory. Responses are welcome and should be directed to [g--l--n] at [bgnet.bgsu.edu.] Fit to Print is Copyright 1994 Cathrine Yronwode. All rights reserved.