California Love Tree

Last week we saw a couple of covers from California Comics in our Non-Verbal Blue post. These two covers, to be precise:

These beautiful covers by Ed Watson come from a title most never encountered. California Comics is another of those books published by a comic shop with limited distribution. These came from Bob Sidebottom's shop in San Jose which, i believe, was also named California Comics. He also published Barbarian Comics and Barbarian Women Comics. Ed did some pin-up work for them as well, some of which appeared in that same post linked above.

The subject featured on the two covers above is the wizard Love Tree, who also starred in strips by Ed in all 3 issues of California Comics. I'll bet you can guess where this is leading, hm?
To this week's edition of

Meet Love Tree -

While Ed Watson also provided the painted cover to the 3rd issue, it didn't feature Love Tree.
It was Pure California - 

There is an Ed Watson doing comic artwork these days, but i get the impression that he's too young to be the same Ed Watson.

artwork by Ed Watson for California Comics #s 1-3 (1974, 1975, 1977)

The Japanese get all the blame

Oh, sure - they may have given Hentai a name, popularized it, and ... well, let's just say they added the in-womb cameras and leave at that, eh?

But, the basic elements were around before that happened. Urotsukidoji and La Blue Girl were at the tip of the cultural tentacle that so wetly slithered into our national consciousness and wrapped tight around the fap centers of some. That was back in 1989 - 40 years in just a couple more. By that point, however, it was somewhat familiar territory for me. Often as not, that territory was mapped by comics.
Let's go back a decade & a half before that tentacle came oozing on over - back to 1975.

Vampirella #40:

Our chapter in the ongoing tale of the Dame from Draculon this issue, with the full-on hentai splash:

Previously, Vampi killed an evil bastard, because that's what happens to evil bastards in horror comics. However, even evil bastards can have family (half family?). Sometimes evil family. This time, old hag witches, pissed off and seeking revenge.
So, cut to the naked demon summoning...

Not long after, the attacks, and double-entendres, begin:

"Fortunately, the door opens outward..."

In fine hentai tradition, a passing pervert wants to get him some...

...only to offer up a distraction for the demon, and the chase continues...

...climaxing in a tentacle scene that pushed (and kicked) against the limits of what could be published in newstand magazine of the day:

After being briefly violated by plant tentacles, Vampi had pretty much had enough of this shit. Fuck that no drink blood rule, let's kill this thing. After having its body destroyed, the pissed of demon uses the dead evil bastard to kill the family, and nobody lives happily ever after.

Yeah, 42 year ago me didn't know what to call it, but he was looking for more.

And now you know - Adult rated content isn't limited to Blue Monday, that's merely a regularly scheduled dose.

The Nameless Ravager by Flaxman Loew & Leopold Sanchez, from Vampirella #40(1975)