Star Reach (also spelled Star*Reach) was an American science fiction and fantasy comics anthology published from 1974 to 1979 by Mike Friedrich.[1]

Star Reach
Star*Reach #1 (April 1974), featuring the space pirate Cody Starbuck.
Cover by Howard Chaykin
Publication information
PublisherStar*Reach
ScheduleIrregular
FormatOngoing series
Genresuperhero, science fiction, fantasy
Publication dateApril 1974 – October 1979
No. of issues18
Creative team
Written byVarious
Artist(s)Various
Editor(s)Mike Friedrich

Publication history

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One of the first American mainstream independent comic books, Star*Reach bridged the gap between the countercultural underground comics and traditional Marvel/DC Comics fare, providing mature genre stories for an adult audience. The fan press of the time referred to this and the comics magazine Heavy Metal as "ground-level publications".[2] Along with such other examples as Flo Steinberg's Big Apple Comix, published in 1975, and Harvey Pekar's naturalistic everyman series American Splendor, first published in 1976, Star*Reach was a forerunner of the late-1970s rise of the modern graphic novel, and of the 1980s' independent comics.

 
Star*Reach #7 (January 1977)
Cover by Barry Windsor-Smith

Eighteen issues were released between 1974 and 1979. Contributors included such Marvel and DC writers and artists as Howard Chaykin, Jim Starlin, and Barry Windsor-Smith. It also included prose short stories by such authors as Roger Zelazny, who wrote the 13-page "The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth", with illustrations by Gray Morrow, in issue #12 (March 1978).[3]

Friedrich's company grew into a small publishing house in Hayward, California, also called Star*Reach, that published the comic book series Quack; Imagine; and Lee Marrs' Pudge, Girl Blimp, along with a number of one-shot comics.[4] The company ceased publishing in 1979.

Eclipse Comics repackaged some of the original Star*Reach and Imagine material as Star*Reach Classics in 1984.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 146–148. ISBN 978-1605490564.
  2. ^ Burchett, Rick, and Ed. Mantels, "Whizzard Talks to Steranko", Whizzard vol. 2, #11 [issue #16] (Summer 1978; published by Marty Klug, 5730 Chatport Road, St. Louis, Missouri), p.13
  3. ^ Star*Reach (series) at the Grand Comics Database
  4. ^ Publisher Star*Reach at the Grand Comics Database
  5. ^ Star*Reach Classics at the Grand Comics Database

Sources

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  • Richard Arndt, Mike Friedrich, The Star Reach Companion, TwoMorrows Publishing, 2013.
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