Skip Williamson

Skip Williamson (August 19, 1944 – March 16, 2017) was a key figure in the underground comix movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Born Mervyn Williamson in the United States, he began his career in the Chicago counterculture scene, contributing to the *Chicago Seed* and the *Realist* before his work appeared in *National Lampoon*, *High Times*, and even *Encyclopædia Britannica*. His most enduring creation is Snappy Sammy Smoot, a character that embodied the era’s satirical and anarchic spirit. Williamson’s style was raw, expressive, and politically charged, often blending grotesque humor with social commentary. He collaborated with other underground luminaries and contributed to anthologies like *Blab!* and *Class War Comix*. His later work appeared in *Playboy* and the graphic novel *Halsted Street: Torment & Drama from the Hog Butcher*. Though never a mainstream name, Williamson’s influence on alternative comics is lasting. He received no major industry awards but is remembered as a vital voice in the underground. He died in 2017 at age 72.