Quicksilver Messenger Service by Mouse & Griffin (FD-89-1)

Rick Griffin turned the Family Dog concert poster into a Sunday comic page with this Avalon Ballroom design, numbered FD-89. A blackletter 'The Family Dog' banner mimics a newspaper masthead. Below it, four tiers of panels unfold: a Mickey Mouse-like wanderer strolls through bulbous dreamscapes, turns valves on strange machines, and speaks in Griffin's invented pseudo-script. Quicksilver Messenger Service, Sons of Champlin, and Taj Mahal & The Blue Flames are worked into the panels in Griffin's hand-drawn lettering.The poster draws on the visual culture of postwar America. Disney characters, a cherub calling 'O.K. Optimo, hoist er up!', and a final panel quoting the Camel cigarette pack all appear. It captures the spirit of the late 1960s San Francisco scene, where commercial imagery was borrowed, reworked, and made strange.Printed in saturated offset color on cream stock, this first printing marks a turning point in Griffin's work, bridging psychedelic poster art and the underground comix movement he would soon help launch. A standout piece for collectors of Avalon Ballroom graphics.Size: 21" x 14"Artist: Rick GriffinCondition: Very Good, Age-appropriate wear, fading and toning. Please use the photo zoom feature to get a better understanding of overall condition. *Additional photos available upon request.