William "Gabby" Gaberino and Richard "Gasper Goo" Crowe
oil and underground newspapers on canvas - 30 inches high

It may be a painting, but it began as a sign. Dallas NOTES from the Underground had gone through what we'll call "some changes." It was important to tell the public that we — I was the editor and publisher of it — were still very much alive.

I'm not sure what the train had to do with it all — except that it provides a lovely graduated screen to set off the important elements — two simple one-syllable words. The word "Notes" was rendered precisely as the original logo of the newspaper this sign promoted.

The word," Lives" comprises cut-out Underground newspaper pages proclaiming (left to right) Underground stars Eldridge Cleaver, John Sinclare, marijuana, The White Panthers, and death by drugs.

We took this sign down to the corner of Lemmon and Oak Lawn, where we sold many thousands of the newspapers to the public driving by, to show them what was up. Us. We were alive and well despite the newspaper wars.

That was 1971 or 72. Hard to remember through all that smoke. Now, this thing hangs on my wall, and I consider it a painting. One that more than symbolizes who we were and what we were up to back then.

Story and photograph by J R Compton.
Copyright 2006 by J R Compton. All Rights Reserved.
No Reproduction in any medium without specific
written permission. E-mail J R.

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