Counterculture Comics Revisited #2: Net Profit and the Birth of “Save the Whales
A monthly dive into the underground comix that reshaped counterculture
When people think of underground comix, the first images that come to mind are often irreverent, psychedelic, and defiantly antiestablishment. But the movement was not just about breaking taboos. It was also a vehicle for activism. One of the most striking examples is Net Profit (1974), an environmental comic published by Project Jonah, an early group dedicated to protecting whales and dolphins.
Founded in 1972 by Joan McIntyre in Bolinas, California, Project Jonah quickly grew into an international “Save the Whales” movement. McIntyre recognized that comics, being cheap and youth-oriented, could reach an audience that cared about ecology and social justice. Net Profit became a perfect artifact of early 1970s activism: idealistic, educational, and determined to change hearts through story.
The comic mixes myth, education, and testimony. Its centerpiece, “How I Became a Horrible Porpoise-Killing Monster,” recounts the experiences of two former tuna fishermen, exposing the brutal reality of dolphins trapped and slaughtered in nets. The art, mainly by Michael J. Becker with contributions from Shelby Sampson, is straightforward and clear, prioritizing message over style.
At the time, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 was in effect, but enforcement was limited. Net Profit confronted this failure and called for a tuna boycott years before “dolphin safe” labels appeared. In many ways, it anticipated later edu-comics, such as Leonard Rifas’ All-Atomic Comics, and stands alongside Abortion Eve (1973) as an early example of comics used for advocacy.
Reading Net Profit today reveals how underground comix can be more than just satire and shock. Like Timothy Leary’s Neurocomics, reimagining consciousness, Net Profit reimagines our relationship with the ocean’s most intelligent creatures. Its message is still urgent: how we treat nonhuman life reflects the kind of species we choose to be.
Counterculture Comics Revisited Series
This is the second entry in my Counterculture Comics Revisited series, where I explore the underground and alternative comics that shaped generations. From the psychedelic science of Neurocomics to the ecological urgency of Net Profit, these comics remind us that art has always been a battleground for the future.
You can download the PDF from the button below or going to the “Reading Room” that has a library of pdfs.
