By the fifth issue of The Sunday Paper, founder and editor John Bryan was probably getting a little worried about finances. As well he should have, since the paper would close up shop in about two weeks. I'm not sure how many people had paid for six-month or year-long subscriptions to the The Sunday Paper (offered in every issue), which would've helped raise capital outside of mere street sales. However many it was, I wonder if any got a refund when the paper went under? I've often asked myself that same question about other subscription ads I've seen in short-lived periodicals that offer long-term subscriptions just weeks before they close up shop.

In this issue, The Sunday Paper reveals its desperation for income by recruiting street vendors for the paper. The small ad on page six boldly states, "The Sunday Paper is becoming the fastest selling publication on the streets of San Francisco, East Bay, Marin and the peninsula" and offers to sell copies to street vendors for a dime each: "You make fifteen cents profit on each paper sold." They'll even drop ship orders for free to anyone in San Francisco who buys 50 copies or more. Needless to say, this new marketing angle was not enough to save the paper, but it probably explains why Don Donahue said "there were newsboys hawking it on the street corners."

After this issue, I'm wonder if it was worth saving anyway. There's some decent (there's that word again) stuff, but the "Pop 'N' Roll" column reviews the Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show album for the second time, after having reviewed it just two weeks ago (at least they spell the band's name right this time). There's a senseless article ("How the Mob Hires New Shills") about a gambling scam that never goes anywhere or explains anything. The supposedly playful article about entering a turtle as a presidential candidate falls considerably flat. Even the reliable John Wilcock's "Other Scenes" column hits a low mark.

The more bearable articles include how (and why) the Social Security number we all hold near and dear was once much more private than it is today; an analysis of the gay scene in San Francisco, complete with a list of places considered "Gay Rallying Points"; and the threat of an uncontrollable virus being leaked from government-sponsored research laboratories, potentially creating a deadly plague that would quickly sweep from coast to coast (yeah, that didn't happen...yet).

The saving grace of this issue, for underground comics fans at least, is the full page article by Clay Geerdes, "This Land of the Funnies." It's a breezy, extended look at what's going on in the underground, with updates about what's just been or just about to be published. There's even several paragraphs devoted to advising aspiring underground artists how to break into the scene. Manna from heaven for UG geeks.

Comics Section Update: Bill Griffith returns after missing a couple issues and provides one of the funniest strips in the paper's history with a wickedly rude Hopalong Cassidy. Willy Murphy jumps in with one of his better strips as well, called "Big Blowout in the Donut Shop." Gary King, Gary Hallgren and (especially) Justin Green contribute solid strips too, making this week's comics section the strongest group of cartoons yet. So wait, I take back everything I said about the comics being just "decent" in my last review!

Well, leave it to the comic creators and Clay Geerdes to rescue the weakest issue yet of The Sunday Paper. Unfortunately, it's also the last issue I can write a full review for, since I'm missing the news section of the next issue and don't have the seventh and final issue at all.

Despite some of my less charitable opinions on some of the content, I'm a big fan of John Bryan and admire everything he tried to do with The Sunday Paper. You can't argue with his passion and his belief that he could always build a better newspaper for the discerning reader. If only the readers had bought a few more issues of his final stab at a major newspaper for the people.



HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
It is currently unknown how many copies of this newspaper were printed. None of the seven issues were reprinted.

COMIC CREATORS:
Bill Griffith
Willy Murphy
Gary King
Gary Hallgren
Justin Green