Oz magazine no. 03 (1967)

Richard Neville & Martin Sharp (Eds.) – OZ no. 03.
One of the most influential English underground magazines.
Content: Beautiful front cover and fold-out back cover by Martin Sharp. Article on the Californian scene (Timothy Leary, Ken Kesey, Diggers); An address to politicians regarding Vietnam, abortion, pop music and drugs; In praise of ugliness; A list of magnificent failures (such as …. the first two issues of OZ).

Condition:  Slight water damage; Wear; Tiny corner missing from the cover; Damage at one of the staples with a small hole. Overall condition: Good.
Publisher: OZ, London.
1st Edition. 1st Printing. Published: 1967.
Size: 29.7 x 21.0 cm. Pages: 26. Language: English. Seller inventory: #29168.

Background information

Oz is graphically the most beautiful and adventurous underground magazine from the Sixties. To a large part this can be attributed to graphic designer Martin Sharp. He came to London with Richard Neville from their home country of Australia. This was partly motivated by resistance of the established order against the Australian Oz, the forerunner of the English Oz. Of London Oz 48 issues appeared between February 1967 and November 1973. The editorial staff consisted of Richard Neville, Jim Anderson and Felix Dennis.

Oz’s editors were taken to court for alleged obscenities in issue 28, the “Schoolkids” issue compiled by high school students. The lawsuit attracted national and international attention. Oz’s circulation was 20,000 in 1968 and rose to 70,000 after the trial in 1971.

Refs.: John Noyce (1979) The directory of British alternative periodicals 1965-1974 (The Harvester Press, Sussex) p. 219-222; Tony Palmer (1971) The trials of OZ (Blond & Briggs, Manchester); Jan Pen & Peter Sijnke (2022) Nederlandse undergroundpublicaties 1964-1976 (Koninklijke Van Gorcum, Assen) p. 37.