Olympia, Washington

Avatar

June, 1967


Carrie Nation vs Drs. Leary and Spellman

No. 1, June 1, 1967 - 25¢
Allen Ginsberg

No. 2, [June 15, 1967] - 25¢

Another Avatar ?!

With no apparent connection to the Avatar which made its debut in Boston on June 9, 1967, an underground newspaper of the same name began publication in Olympia, Washington on June 1, 1967. I've located a copy of issue No. 2, which has neither date nor masthead, but the subscription page shows the mailing address:
THE AVATAR
1705 Capitol Way
Olympia, Washington 98501

Thanks to Alan Thill, we now also have some images and info on Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Olympia Avatar, which preceded the Boston Avatar by a week... And Mary Witter has provided a biography of the editor, Darrell Houston.

Vol. 1 No. 1
June 1, 1967 - 25 cents
12 pgs.

Cover titled "Carrie Nation vs. Drs. Leary and Spellman"

Publishing Info:
Darrell Houston
Editor, The Avatar
1705 Capitol Way
Olympia, Wash. 98501
(Phone: 943-3633)

Pages 2 and 12 of Volume 1 Issue 1... click to enlarge.

There were apparently only these two issues. Do you know any more about this publication? email.

Articles & Columns

Issue1
(8½" x 11½" - 12 pp.)
p. 2The Straight Press: big bummer is watching
Darrell Houston: Wanted-All Kinds Talent
p. 3Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks
p. 4Darrell Houston: Dr. Strangegas or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Toxicopeia.
Walt Crowley: illustrations
p. 5Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks (cont. from pg. 3)
Walt Crowley: illustrations
p. 6Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks (cont. from pg. 5)
p. 7Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks (cont. from pg. 6)
p. 8Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks (cont. from pg. 7)
p. 9Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks (cont. from pg. 8)
p. 10Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks (cont. from pg. 9)
p. 11Darrell Houston: Carrie Nation Homes Her Axe... ...and Gives Dr. Leary 40 Whacks (cont. from pg. 10)
p. 12Donovan Cork: The Psychedelic Blonde Madonna Bathtub Prankin' Queen

Issue 2
(11½" x 17½" - 12 pp.)
p. 2The Ambulatory Avatar Takes a Tourist Trip: Can Canada Overcome the Graffiti Gap?
p. 3The Portland Scene: Ginzap, Goose Gulch and Sex In A Garbage Can
p. 4KESEY: Prankster ... or Prophet? Upcoming in the Avatar - A Penetrating Look at the Man and his Message
p. 5Hoyt Griffith: The Crux
The Portland Scene (cont. from p. 3)
LETTERS:
Hoyt S. Griffith, Jr. (Seattle), Tonya Ramsauer (Seattle), George Liu (Seattle)
p. 6-7"Ah, the warp-melt love-smoke of the sacred mandala fire..."
p. 8Girard Craig Jr.: It's the Tokyo Blues again when you're Busted in Japan
p. 9Subscription offer: For A New Way Of Looking At Things...
p. 10Susan Amans: "WHY, she wondered, as she put down the phone..."
p. 11The Grafitti Gap (cont. from p. 2)
Busted in Tokyo (cont. from p. 8)
p. 12back cover poster: Vinyl Toadstool, the Hindu god Ganesh...

Avatar - June 9, 1967 - April 26, 1968 (24 issues)
New York Avatar - March 29, 1968 - August 1968 (7 issues)
(Boston) Avatar Volume II - June 1968 - August 1968 (6 issues)
American Avatar - October 1968 - Summer 1969 (4 issues)

Mel Lyman