Last Gasp

Last Gasp is a San Francisco–based book publisher with a lowbrow art and counterculture focus. Owned and operated by Ron Turner, for most of its existence Last Gasp was a publisher, distributor, and wholesaler of underground comix and books of all types. Last Gasp was established in 1970. Although the company came onto the scene a bit later than some of the other underground publishers, Last Gasp continued publishing comics far longer than most of its competitors. In addition to publishing notable original titles like Slow Death, Wimmen's Comix, Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary, and Weirdo, it also picked up the publishing reins of important titles—such as Zap Comix and Young Lust—from rivals who had gone out of business.

From the Wikipedia article “Last Gasp (publisher)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Comics and manga publishers typically acquire through creator pitches, portfolio reviews at conventions, contests and agents. A pitch package normally includes a series synopsis, character designs and several finished sample pages. Many publishers post open-submission windows; outside them, unsolicited material may be discarded.