Casual Casual. A graphzine with an array of different styles and artists that sold in the States, the UK, France and Japan. What is a graphzine you ask? Peter Dako, the creator of Casual Casual says:

“But is it art? Of course it is, when it’s not being something else legitimate: Commercial design, advertising, promotion, magazine or calendar illustrations, or whatever. Though this stuff usually is being something else, it’s still interesting, as an array of the definitive design style that’s emerged to greet (and sell things to) the alienated, rich kids of the 1980s.”

But it wasn’t always like that.

Cover by Carel Moiseiwitsch

Casual Casual comics, by Casual Casual Enterprise, was created by Peter Dako in Toronto in 1983. The first issues were released in black and white, much like most zines, and all 8 of its pages feature the work of Dako himself. This carried on, as Dako published the zine twice monthly throughout October of that year to December, and slowly, Dako increased his content and page count. By December 1983, the zine had 12 pages and in March 1984, issue number 9 contained contributions from Sean Leaning and Dai Skuse.

It wasn’t until the 10th issue that the “graphzine” really began to take shape. The issue went from 12 pages to 16 pages and featured the work of 6 other artists including some of Chester Brown’s earliest work.

After this, Casual Casual exploded. The price, advertising costs, pages and artist content all increased. Within a year Casual Casual is distributed in over six countries including France, the US, the UK and Japan, with artists from those countries. A regular crew of writers and artists joined the lineup, covering a broad range of subject including social commentary, interviews and, I guess, just general humour. It was around this time that the graphzine changed its title to Casual Casual Graphix Magazine.

Cover By Cathy Millet.

The series finished with the Casual Casual Cultural Exchange at the Artculture Resource Centre in April of 1987. This exchange travelled to the above countries on a tour and the resulting tome was a special edition, containing issues 19 and 20. The book covered the event, some of the work of the attending artists and writers and the more regular crew like Carel Moiseiwitsch and Barbara Klunder.

If you’re interested in more of Peter Dako’s work, or would just like to read more about this series, you can visit his website here. Also, there is a full list of Casual Casual Cultural Exchange artists and contributors at the bottom of this post. And finally, much of Chester Brown’s work that appeared in Casual Casual can be found in his book The Little Man: Short Strips, 1980-1995. The final issue definitely represents a global generation of comic book artists and styles from comic “hotspots”. Worth checking out if you have the chance.

Issue #10

• Why, Big Boy? Letters:
• Mr. D, the Comic: Sean Leaning
• Snappy Jack Jones: Ed Hore
• Grim Fairytales: Rumplezitskin: Barbara Klunder
• Big Boy: Peter Dako
• About Brad’s Enlightenment: Chester Brown
• Tales from the Igloo: Peter Dako
• The End Bar and Grill: Kat Cruickshank
• Mickey Mouse Ad: John Pagani (Rendezvous)

• Editorial
• Why, Big Boy? Letters:
• The End of the Nuclear Family: Carel Moiseiwitsch
• Grim Fairy Tales: Handsome and Gruesome: Barbara Klunder
• Little Orphan P.T.: Peter Dako
• In Around Town: Renata Janizewski
• Young Lizzie Biscuit: Julie Voyce
• The Modern Hippie: Myra Hancock
• End Bar and Grill: Kat Cruickshank
• North BayGold: Lorne J. Wagman
• Day in Day out: John Colapinto
• Art Bar: Update: Peter Dako
• Family Story: Placid
• Bedtime Story: PT Boy (Who I think is Peter Dako)
• Zulu Days: Sean Leaning and P Boy (Also Peter Dako)
• I Have Seen the Wind: Michael Will
• My Old Neighbourhood: Chester Brown
• Big Boy: Peter Dako
• I’m Down Man: Alex Currie
• Happy Birthday Mr. D: Sean Leaning
• Ehore: Ed Hore
• About Our Artists:
• Cover: Long Wok

• Editorial
• Why, Big Boy? Letters:
• Hands Off, He’s Mine: Myra Hancock
• Big Boy: Peter Dako
• In and Around the Town: Renata Janizewski
• The Art of Tragedy: Carel Moiseiwitsch
• Big Al: Alex Currie
• The Bird and the Pumpkin go to Mars: Chester Brown
• Love Story: Placid
• Average Average: John E.
• Reading Room:
• TurkeyTime: Peter Dako and Sean Leaning
• Grim Fairy Tales: Rapunzel: Barbara Klunder
• Security Shaman: Dai Skuse
• Life as a Small Particle: Julie Voyce
• A Tale from Gimbley: Phil Elliot
• The Potato Boy on the Road to Recovery: Peter Dako
• Cover: Placid

• Editorial
• Why, Big Boy? Letters:
• In a Doubtful Fight: Placid
• I See But I do Not, I See But I See the Animal: Chester Brown
• Police May have Erred in Slaying: Carel Moiseiwitsch
• Books in Review
• Big Boy in Free Education: Peter Dako
• Macdoodle Street: Peter Dako and Stamaty
• Grim Fairy Tales #8: Barbara Klunder
• The Realistic Rachel Random: Rae Johnson
• Security Shaman: Dai Skuse
• Seven Sins In Eight Pages: Mark Newgarden
• I Have Seen the Wind: Michael Will
• Jacob’s Hat; Casual Casual Exclusive: Phil Elliot
• Artists in this Issue
• Cover: Carel Moiseiwitsch

• Sing-a-long Casual Song
• Editorial
• Why, Big Boy? Letters:
• A Tale from Gimbley: Phil Elliot
• Complex Complex: Bob X
• Dogo and Bog Danone: Jocelin
• I Have Seen the Wind: Michael Will
• Douglas: Phil Elliot
• The C.I.A. War Manual for Rebels: Carel Moiseiwitsch
• Our Story So Far: Whatta Wally
• From Big Boy With Love: Peter Dako
• Reading Room: Chester Brown
• The Realistic Rachel Random: Rae Johnson
• Fish-Head: James Stubbs
• Rei De Surf (Surf King!): Peter Dako
• Un Amor Di Flora: Brian Shein
• Why Don’t They Just Die: Alex Currie
• The Return of Mr. D: Sean Leaning
• Casual Casual Artists:

• Editorial:
• Why, Big Boy? Letters:
• Drunking Skull: y5p5
• Mojo: Mary Fleener
• Washington DC GO*GO: T. Yumura
• Identified Objects: Brian Shein
• Mr. Steel: Alain Pilon
• Oh Canada Our Home and Native Land: Carel Moiseiwitsch
• My Fight is Yours! Let’s Exterminate the White Race: Interview with cover artist Romain Slocombe
• Shock Treatment: Text by Max Fournier Art by Romain Slocombe
• Learn to Read: Bruno Richard
• I Have Seen the Wind: Michael Will
• Allo Mina!: Placid from Zoulou reprint
• Man of Mystery Exposed: Placid Interview
• Big Boy Meets Jim Bones: Y5P5, Peter Dako
• Big Boy and Rita Meet Mr. Howl: Peter Dako
• About the Artists:

• Why, Big Boy? Letters:
• Sexmalice Sucesoir: Placid/Toffe
• A Tale From Gimbley: Phil Elliot
• Crazy Tommy Finds Money: Martha Hamilton
• It Does Happen Here!: Peter Dako
• With Love and Affection: Henriette Valium
• The Jim Bones Games #1 and 2: Y5P5
• The Patience Party for Diet People: Akiko Miura
• The Party at P.’s Home: Bruno Richard
• Zoo Phobie: Phillipe Lagautriere
• Garcon: Hideki Nakazawa
• Corpsemeat Comix 11/2: Savage Pencil
• Mr. Big Boy He’s Dead: Peter Dako
• Ou Donc Daddy Fait Dodo?: Marc Caro
• I Have Seen the Wind: Michael Will
• Angels: Omuzi Suenaga
• Love is Where You Find it: Carel Moiseiwitsch
• Excerpt from “Femmes Pratiques”: Willem
• Web of Horror: Peter Dako, Placid
• Godzilla: Mary Fleener
• Death Bar: Peter Dako
• Sav X. How Big is Your Sex? (Interview): Peter Dako
• Carel Moiseiwitsch Talks Too…(Interview): Brian Shein
• Reviews: