VLVL Zipi

[pynchonoid]

I sent another version of this yesterday, but it
doesn't seem to have gotten through. 

Zipi echoes the lovable Zippy the Pinhead:

[...] Zippy has enjoyed a steady rise to fame ever
since his first five-page appearance in Real Pulp
Comix #1, published by The Print Mint in March, 1971.
Other luminaries with work in that issue include Art
Spiegelman, who went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for
his graphic novel Maus, and Leslie Cabarga, who later
wrote the definitive history of the Max Fleischer
animation studio, where Betty Boop was born. 

        Zippy appeared from time to time in comix
published by Print Mint, Last Gasp, Rip Off Press, and
other alternative outfits, until 1976, when he entered
regular publication. This was in the form of a weekly
comic strip in The Berkeley Barb, an underground
newspaper. Before long, the strip was being syndicated
to weekly papers all over the country. Zippy's stories
began to be collected in 1978, in Zippy Stories and
Yow Comics. ("Yow" is one of Zippy's favorite
expressions — possibly influenced by the fact that
it's also one of Little Lulu's favorite expressions.) 

        Zippy's invasion of the "aboveground" media
began in 1977, when his adventures started appearing
in High Times magazine and National Lampoon. It
accelerated when, in 1985, the strip started appearing
in that bastion of Establishment liberalism, The San
Francisco Examiner. At that point, Griffith began
producing it six days a week. A year later, the strip
was picked up by King Features Syndicate, and in 1990,
a Sunday strip was added. Zippy now appears in over
200 newspapers. Has the invasion succeeded yet? 

        The syndicated Zippy is replete with such
characters as (among others) Mr. Toad, a survivor from
Griffith's earliest comix, who embodies all the
sociopathic tendencies of corporate conservatism;
Zerbina, Zippy's wife when the situation calls for him
to have one (otherwise, he appears unattached);
Fuelrod and Meltdown, his children when Zerbina is on
the scene; and Griffy, apparently the artist's own
self-parody. But its mainstay, of course, is Zippy
himself, who has been called "the court jester of the
20th century" (Harvard Independent), "the Marx
Brothers reborn as TV pitchmen" (Booklist) and "a Nile
delta of weirdly fertile pop connections" (San Diego
Union-Tribune). [...]

<http://www.toonopedia.com/zippy.htm>

Zipi rhymes with Yippie, too. And, surprise, they have
a thing for pigs. This article mentions several
organizations, individuals, and activities that may
inform Vineland:

About YIPPIES!
An extremely brief, most assuredly rife with
inaccuracies,  and ultimately unsatisfying synopsis of
the Yippies:  

In the 60s, Abbie Hoffman worked within  and around
many 60's movements such as the  Student  Nonviolent
Coordination Commitee (SNCC or SNICK),  Students for a
Democratic Society (SDS), and The Diggers.  

The Diggers were a group whose members mainly
consisted of actors from  the San Francisco Mime
Troupe. Founding  Diggers included Emmett Grogan,
Peter Berg,  Peter Coyote, and Freeman  House.  

In 1968, the Democratic National Convention was to be
held in Chicago.  The National Mobilization to End the
War in Vietnam (MOBE) intended to hold  a formal
anti-war demonstration. Jerry Rubin,  Ed Sanders, and
Keith Lampe hit upon the idea of  creating a free
music festival (ala  Monterey Pop Festival)  in
chicago to diffuse the political tensions. It would be
called  the Festival Of Life.  

The idea was floated to Abbie Hoffman, Anita Hoffman,
and  Paul Krassner.  They were all in agrement that a
more fun and youth oriented festival  would be a
welcome alternative to the more formal and militant
groups  currently operating. The group decided to form
their own group, Yippie! or YIP,  which later came to
stand for the Youth International Party.  

Abbie wanted to base the Yippie! organization on the
SNCC, which  had no dues, no formal membership. Anyone
who adhered to the ideals and  participated in SNCC
actions could consider him/herself a member.  The
Yippies, too, were to be an open organization.  

The Yippies ran a pig (Pigasus)for president in 1968
who,  unfortunately, did not win. The Festival Of Life
featured  Allen Ginsberg,  Timothy Leary,  The Bread
and Puppet Theatre,  and many musicians such as Arlo
Guthrie,  Phil Ochs,  The Fugs, and  Country Joe and
The Fish.  

The Yippies were immediately swept into the nation
spotlight after the  1968 Democratic National
Convention in Chicago. The orignal idea was to run a 
pig, have some fun and games, and show people how
ineffectual the government  can be. It didn't work
out. Riots ensued with police brutality causing the 
majority of the problems. The end result was a trial
with Abbie Hoffman,  Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, Dave
Dellinger,  Bobby Seale,  Rennie Davis, John Froines,
and Lee Weiner all being indicted for conspiracy.  The
group came to be known as the  Chicago 8.  

After a long trial filed with mockery, contempt, and
other such fun filled  nonsense, charges against Bobby
Seale were eventually dropped, Weiner and Froines 
were found not guilty and the rest were convicted. An
appeals court eventually  overturned the convictions. 


After the Chicago 8 trial, the Yippies lost a great
deal of momentum. People  drifted and the scene
changed radically. In the 80's, Rubin became a Yuppie.
 Hoffman and Rubin toured the country having debates
labeled  "Yippie vs. Yuppie".  The death of Abbie
Hoffman in 1989, was the final nail in the Yippie
coffin.  

<http://free.freespeech.org/yippie/about/yippies/>



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