JOE GALAXY COMICS Space Wonders & Horrors

In a galaxy far, far away, swashbuckling space adventurer Joe Galaxy is out raising hell. Whether smuggling contraband alien porn, cheating at interstellar poker with bug-eyed monsters, or contending with the wicked lizards of Calisto IV, our wisecracking antihero always finds himself embroiled in one outrageous scenario after another. Launched in the late-'70s, this satirical space opera showcases the twisted genius of its creator, Italian underground cartoonist Massimo Mattioli. Gleefully unhinged, Joe Galaxy swirls together pop culture parody, fourth wall breaks, formal inventiveness, and oodles of over-the-top sex and violence into a crazy comic cosmic gumbo. This complete collection includes every episode in the 14-year run of the Joe Galaxy universe, plus a bonus short penned by Mattioli in 2018, as well as a spirited intro by Coconino Press editor Oscar Glioti. First published in Italy in 2019. Massimo Mattioli (1943-2019) was an Italian cartoonist known for his humorous children's work and adult comics series. Along with several contemporary artists, he co-founded the groundbreaking underground comics magazines Cannibale and Frigidaire. Cannibale published the first adventure of Joe Galaxy. In 1982, he created the Squeak the Mouse series, a parody of Tom and Jerry, published in the U.S. by Catalan. Mattioli collaborated with Italo disco duo Righeira and created the cover artwork for their debut single, "Tanzen mit Righeira", released in 1983. Mattioli was recognized with many prizes, including the French prize Phenix in 1971, the Yellow Kid in 1975 and Romics d'Oro in 2009. Due to two pages of adult content we've given this the adult rating, but the stories are essentially wild cartoon parodies, with just an occasional bare breast thrown in.