Quicksilver Messenger Service Poster
The 1st printing poster was printed before the concert and is characterized by the vertical "rows" pattern most noticeable on the back of the poster. The front of the poster appears relatively pattern-free. The stock matches that of the postcard, and the poster is blacker than other printings. It measures 14" x 20".
The 2nd printing was printed after the concert and is identified by horizontal "rows" pattern located on the front of the poster. It appears more blue than the original printing, and it measures 14" x 20".
The 3rd printing poster (see FD101-A) was printed in 1976 by Rick Griffin to distribute at a show in England. It is easily identified by its larger size, which measures 20 3/8" x 29". The posters were numbered throughout the print run.
The 4th printing was done in 1990 by Pyramid Books in England. It is on thick, high-gloss paper stock. 11 7/8" x 16 1/2".
The 5th printing does not have "rows" or a woven texture. These are not bright black as the other prints and were printed in a small number of copies. 14" x 20 1/8".
Rick Griffin grew up in the surfing culture of Southern California, a milieu which had a profound influence on his art. After high school, he worked on the staff of Surfer magazine and created the best-known surfing cartoon character of the time, Murphy. After his move to San Francisco in 1967, be began combining eclectic typefaces and decorative borders with brilliant colors in his concert posters. Griffin's compositions were complex without being illegible. A perfectionist, Griffin often applied dozens of overlays and redrew lettering again and again until he was satisfied. In the early 1970s, Griffin became a born-again Christian and religious themes dominated his work until his death in a motorcycle accident in 1991.