Anything Goes! #4

Anything Goes! was an anthology comic series published by Fantagraphics Books between 1986 and 1988, serving as a platform for the creative talents associated with the Raw Books & Graphics circle. The series was designed to showcase an eclectic range of styles, moving away from traditional superhero tropes to emphasize the personal voices of underground and alternative cartoonists. Issue number four, released in 1987, exemplified this editorial mission by featuring a diverse array of short stories, experimental layouts, and humorous vignettes that blurred the lines between high art and the pulp comic medium.

The creative direction of the series was heavily influenced by the aesthetic sensibilities of editor Gary Groth and the contributors who were pushing the boundaries of independent comics at the time. Issue four featured work from notable artists such as Mark Beyer, whose stark, neurotic illustrative style was a hallmark of the era's avant-garde output. Critics and readers of the period generally received the publication as a significant effort to legitimize the medium of comics for an adult audience, marking it as a historical artifact of the late-eighties alternative comics explosion.