Underground Comics: What the F**K

Air Pirates Funnies. Essentially Mickey Mouse on a sex-crazed Acid trip. Who, what, and why???

The late 60's early 70's cultural shift induced many changes in society. Literature was a big change, and it affected comics the most. The cartoony, childish appeal of comics made them deemed as just that, childish. Not as many people took interest in picking up a comic book anymore if the material was more or less going to be the same hero fighting Nazi's or whoever else the US was currently at war with. Comic artists needed to reach an older audience, they needed to branch out with their material. Well one of the other large cultural changes of the 70's helped just that.

That answer is pot. Reefer, grass, marijuana, call it whatever you want, it was popular and it was showing up everywhere. This led to an imposed ban on headshops around the country. There was a clear divide amongst the people and government, it was a time of rebellion. 

This rebellion sparked many older comic artists to direct their attention to a more, mature, vulgar type of subject material, to reach out to that demographic.

Also due to a lack of interest in regular appropriate comics, many knew these vulgar comics wouldn't ever be published. But they found a way.

Distributed for free at headshops and similar joints, these comics circulated like a good inside joke.

Most of the subject material consisted of marijuana use, sexual themes, and profane language.

Something to also keep in mind is that some artists viewed this as an opportunity to do satire pieces on beloved icons without fearing of repercussions. That's why we see an alteration of Minnie having sex with an alteration of Mickey in Air Pirates Funnies. They did it because they could.