13 Facts About Gilbert Shelton

Gilbert Shelton is the creator of the iconic underground characters The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy's Cat, and Wonder Wart-Hog.

Directly after graduation, Shelton moved to New York City and got a job editing automotive magazines, where he would sneak his drawings into print.

Gilbert Shelton then became editor of The Texas Ranger and published more Wonder Wart-Hog stories.

Gilbert Shelton applied for a job at the Cleveland-based American Greeting Card Company but was turned down.

Gilbert Shelton created a number of posters in the style of contemporary California poster artists such as Victor Moscoso and Rick Griffin.

Also in 1968 Gilbert Shelton self-published Feds 'n' Heads, a collection of strips first published in the Austin underground paper The Rag.

In 1969, Gilbert Shelton co-founded Rip Off Press with three fellow "expatriate" Texans: Fred Todd, Dave Moriaty, and cartoonist Jack Jackson.

Gilbert Shelton created a spin-off strip, Fat Freddy's Cat, in 1969.

Gilbert Shelton designed the cover art for the 1973 album Doug Sahm and Band, as well as The Grateful Dead's 1978 album, Shakedown Street.

Gilbert Shelton illustrated the cover of the early classic computer magazine compilation The Best of Creative Computing Volume 2 in 1977.

In 1979, Universal Studios paid Gilbert Shelton and Rip Off Press $250,000 for the rights to make a live-action Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers film.

Gilbert Shelton used his share to finance repeated trips to Europe, and to eventually settle down in France.

Since moving to France, Gilbert Shelton has become part of a rhythm and blues group, the Blum Brothers, featuring Gilbert Shelton on vocals and piano.