7. Air Pirates Invoke The Ire Of The Disney Corporation
What it was: If it seems a little naïve to print and distribute a comic book involving Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the like cursing, shagging each other and toking off huge bongs, don't worry: Air Pirates head honcho Dan O'Neill's aim from the start was to be sued by the Walt Disney Corpration, to prove some point about intellectual property rights. Or something. So O'Neill wasn't particularly surprised when, in 1972, they finally filed suit. He claimed the characters were fair use for parody, and assumed that he'd either be put in prison or given a fine he couldn't pay neither of which would top his underground comix from continuing to be made. At least, that was his theory, anyway. What it changed: As if the Oz obscenity trial wasn't enough, the underground artists were loathe to parody when the full might of the Walt Disney Corporation threatened to come crashing down on them. New York Law School professor Edward Samuels says that the Air Pirates set parody back twenty years. Which is how you get to the likes of Family Guy.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
