NSFW — CLICK TO ENGORGE: "Screwed" by Peter Kuper (2002)

The great Peter Kuper offered this to Arthur for publication in our anti-war/empire issue, No. 5, published in June 2003: 50,000 copies distributed free across North America.

We had it in layout format—I can’t remember if it was going to take up the centerfold spread as well as one more page—but my partner-in-Arthur at the time, publisher L**** K******, overruled me and Arthur art director W.T. Nelson. Dang! It was probably the most succinct piece—and certainly the most prophetic—that was contributed to the mag. The piece never ran. Here it is, several years too late. Read it and weep.

We’ve uploaded the pages at the largest size possible so that you can print ’em out in high-res. Just click on each page to engorge, I mean enlarge.

Screwed1

Screwed2

Screwed3

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , | 2 Comments

About Jay Babcock

I am an independent writer and editor based in Tucson, Arizona. In 2023: I publish an email newsletter called LANDLINE = https://jaybabcock.substack.com Previously: I co-founded and edited Arthur Magazine (2002-2008, 2012-13) and curated the three Arthur music festival events (Arthurfest, ArthurBall, and Arthur Nights) (2005-6). Prior to that I was a district office staffer for Congressman Henry A. Waxman, a DJ at Silver Lake pirate radio station KBLT, a copy editor at Larry Flynt Publications, an editor at Mean magazine, and a freelance journalist contributing work to LAWeekly, Mojo, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Vibe, Rap Pages, Grand Royal and many other print and online outlets. An extended piece I wrote on Fela Kuti was selected for the Da Capo Best Music Writing 2000 anthology. In 2006, I was somehow listed in the Music section of Los Angeles Magazine's annual "Power" issue. In 2007-8, I produced a blog called "Nature Trumps," about the L.A. River. From 2010 to 2021, I lived in rural wilderness in Joshua Tree, Ca.

2 thoughts on “NSFW — CLICK TO ENGORGE: "Screwed" by Peter Kuper (2002)

  1. The best part was the first three panels which firmly establish the [phallus] as an icon to be marketed for propaganda purposes (or is it propagandized for marketing purposes?) It serves as a self-critique of how the [phallus] is used in the rest of the cartoon. There’s nowhere for the joke to go in the end but up its own ass.

    After all, what’s the simplest way to get people to look at your cartoon? Put a [phallus] in it.

    Not saying that it isn’t funny, but it only works as a big, fat, extended [phallus] joke. If you pull the politics, the joke still works. If you pull out the [phallus] it’s not very good.

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