Surfer Magazine

In the mid-1960s, Surfer Magazine traded its photography for panels, delivering a short-lived but influential comic series from John Severson that captured surf culture through a distinctly psychedelic, countercultural lens. Running for 30 issues between 1964 and 1971, the title became a showcase for the wild, expressive artwork of Rick Griffin—who also wrote under the pseudonym Rip Surfley—alongside regular contributions from artists Emile Pierre and W. T. Vinson, as well as writer Jimmy Hill. More than just a novelty, it helped define the visual language of the era's surf scene, blending irreverent humor with the emerging underground comix sensibility.