Between Sex Revolt and ‘Relationship Stuff’

Abstract

From the late 1960s onwards, underground and alternative comix became a form of expression of youth protest and countercultures in the USA and Europe and dealt with issues such as sexuality and gender relations. In West Germany, especially in the alternative milieu of the 1970s and early 1980s, they depicted the life and everyday worlds of men, women, and families against the background of changing demands on and ideas about the relationship between the sexes. This chapter uses comic books from that period as visual sources for everyday communication, conflicts, and negotiation processes concerning gender relations within the ‘scene.’ It analyzes the West German case in transnational perspective in five steps. After the introduction, the second section gives an overview of the so called Comics Revolution around 1968 and its consequences. Thirdly, the depiction of sexuality and gender relations in the medium is presented from the end of the 1960s to the early 1980s. The fourth section deals with a case study, the album Liebe (Love) by Volker Reiche from 1976/79. Finally, a conclusion summarises the results.