Created in 1967 after R. Diggs had seen Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra (1963), The Life and Loves of Cleopatra is prove positive horny fanfiction is not a modern invention.
According to the foreword in this 1991 Rip-off Press reprint, this was never intended for publication originally since it was far too filthy to not fall foul of obscenity laws. It was purely made for his own pleasure and maybe that of a few close friends. Somebody snatched it though and started selling duplicates. Fast forward a few years and Diggs met Don Donahue of Apex Novelties, who published a lot of the riskier underground titles and would also publish Cleopatra.
Originally published in oblong format, this reprint puts two of the original pages on each standard comics sized page. Each half page has a drawing with some accompanying text, the text telling the story of Cleopatra. The drawings themselves need no narration, being mostly Cleopatra in various compromising situations. The art is great and Digg has a sense of humour about it all which explains why it was popular. Not necessarily a book you want to read one-handed though.
Because the story only runs to fifteen pages, the book is rounded off by three stories featuring one “Easy Lickens”, your typical sex crazed blonde nympho. Each story has her trying and mostly failing to find a man who can satisfy her, going so far as to tie herself up so she can be molested in the park. These are okay, not that funny and a bit cliche.
I got this at a local con only a few weeks ago because I came across it in a bargain bin and I liked the cover. Not an essential underground comic, but nevertheless glad I did come across it.
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