The Outsider 1-3 in Custom Boxes: Number 1 Inscribed by Gypsy Lou, Number 3 Signed by Charles Bukowski

This set includes Outsider Issues 1-3, each with a matching custom-made box with accompanying labels of the front and spine identifying each issue.

Outsider 1 is in Near Fine-plus condition with a very nice inscription by Louise Webb:

Gypsy Lou has also written over the original $1 price tag in silver ink and changed it to $3.

Outsider #2 is not signed, but is in in Near Fine-minus condition with small bumps to all four corners, the ones on the top and bottom corners very minimally impacting the interior pages.

Outsider #3 is signed by Charles Bukowski on the title page with a nice tone of golden ink printed on the page. This copy has a translucent book jacket that I don’t believe is original to the magazine, but has certainly preserved the cover nicely. The page edges also are adorned with gold ink and make this copy even more attractive. I would rate this copy as Near Fine-plus. Note: The signature is not a period Bukowski signature and was added at a later date from publication.

John Edgar Webb and Louise “Gypsy Lou” Webb were the founders of LouJon Press.  They published four issues of The Outsider magazine, which became the standard for poetry journals at the time. No other publication attracted nearly the talent that appeared in its pages and the production value of the magazine itself was unrivaled. Bukowski appeared in all four issues, with a large collection of poems in Outsider 1 (1961) and as the named “Outside of the Year” in Outsider 3 (1963), featuring Bukowski on the cover and a large center section.

The Webbs were also responsible for transforming Bukowski into an established writer, even if fame wouldn’t occur until years later. They published Bukowski’s first true books, “It Catches My Heart In Its Hands” (1963) and “Crucifix in a Deathhand” (1965). These books are true works of art in and of themselves. The detail, the printing methods, the craftsmanship, and the pure insanity it took to undertake these endeavors was as unparalleled then and as it is today.

File Box 1