Reports from the Bibliographic Bunker
Jed Birmingham on William S. Burroughs Collecting
The Last Times was an underground newspaper published in San Francisco in 1967 by poet and printer Charles Plymell. It contained works by William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, Robert Crumb, Carl Weissner, Claude Pélieu, Mary Beach, Antonin Artaud, and others. Issue one has become collectible for the contribution by Crumb, printed just a few months before Zap Comix #1. At least two variants of the second issue were published.
Charles Plymell Holding The Last Times
Photograph by Guy B. Taken at Beyond Baroque in Venice, CA on 26 May 2011.
The Last Times I
The Last Times I
Collage by Charles Plymell
The Last Times I
“Day the Records Went Up” by William S. Burroughs, photograph of Herbert Huncke
The Last Times I
“Do It Yourself & Dig It” by Claude Pélieu, interview with Buckminster Fuller, photo and text by Charles Plymell
The Last Times I
“The Orion Dream Stuff” by Carl Weissner, “Introduction” by D.A. Levy, texts by Carl Solomon and Bob Kaufman
The Last Times I
Text by Dennis Williams, drawing by Jeff Nuttall, poem by Roxie Powell, “Notes of a Dirty Old Man” by Charles Bukowski
The Last Times I
“Television Baby Crawling toward that Death Chamber” by Allen Ginsberg
The Last Times I
Conclusion of poem by Allen Ginsberg, text by Dave Harris
The Last Times I
“Head Comix” by R. Crumb, collage by Jean-Jacques Lebel
The Last Times I
Found photo
The Last Times II (variant a)
The Last Times II
The Last Times II
The Last Times II
“National Prestige” by Jeff Nuttall
The Last Times II
Poems by Charles Plymell and Philip Whalen
The Last Times II
The Last Times II
Poems by Yvonne Bond and Alan Russo
The Last Times II
Drawing by Erin Matson (friend of Herbert Huncke)
The Last Times II
The Last Times II
The Last Times II
Mini-poster
The Last Times II (variant b)
The Last Times II
The Last Times II
Drawing by Erin Matson (friend of Herbert Huncke)
The Last Times II
“National Prestige” by Jeff Nuttall, “Dominion” by Alan Russo
The Last Times II
Poem by Philip Whalen
The Last Times II
Centerfold by Bob Branaman
The Last Times II
Poem by Yvonne Bond
The Last Times II
Poem by Charles Plymell
The Last Times II
The Last Times II
Many thanks for this piece of previously lost history done in fast times & printer’s frenzy!
Charley Plymell
Damn Jed, you’ve got such a great collection now of Plymell printed materials — the printers (Plymell, Haselwood, Todd, et al.) were the internet/web of the day, I say. It is a wonderful resource for history.
Thank you — and friend Charley, of course.
To be clear, the images were provided not by Jed but by Guy B (to whom many thanks).
Bob B’s centerfold is worth the price of admission…
I am thrilled to be reading and seeing this history and am almost overcome. Realitystudio, Jeb but mostly Charley Plymell are deserving of thanks. Charles was generous in generation and now with this preservation. As a reader (not really a writer) I am lifted from a depression caused by current politics and the mortality of life. I am lifted again and stirred again by reading and seeing Plymell’s work.
Wow! yeah that’s a real solid piece of history alright. Some big guns in there and, some soon to be. Obvious that Charles Plymell was a major player on the scene. A real shot of cosmic joy that this material is coming out for a stroll along the boulevard of high technology. In its day was THE cutting-edge of creativity and social maverick stance. Wonderful publication(s)from Plymell.
Fantastic!!!! The only way that most all of us would be able to see or experience any of these materials.
I realized I used the word was about Charles Plymell and should use is. The more I get to know his work the more I love it. It is such a mix of charm, edge, creation. He always surprises me, and he also somehow makes me see things that I already knew but didn’t know I knew. He is a friendly, warm, grumpy genius.
Such wonderful stuff makes me reach for 3 hats. Wearing ’em as 1:writer, 2:collector (in another area) and 3:librarian who catalogues for an Aussie university. I dips me lid(s) to all those involved in this valuable post.
fantastic collection of some incredible publishing. yowza what a find!!!!!
Just realized, on the 3rd pages of The Last Times, I believe it’s D.A. Levy, not O.A. Levy.
Here’s a pic. of Charlie holding “The Last Times” #1 at Beyond Baroque in Venice, CA on 26 May 2011.
http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/IITravel/?action=view¤t=DSCF1716.jpg
The Plymell page is helpful for research into the real history of the underground
Thanks- great stuff- CP fans rave on!