Late 20th Century
Beyond Detroit, anarchism in the late 20th century found new figureheads in Noam Chomsky for propaganda by the word and Ted Kaczynski for propaganda by the deed, melded with punk rock and other “alternative music” counterculture, and both accelerated with and remained obfuscated by information technologies. Queer anarchisms and anarchisms of color have only become more visible since this period but are nonetheless still marginalized by more hegemonic aspects and iterations of popular culture and radicalism. In Detroit, anarchism came to align more with post-punk and queer anarchism through Babyfish, in part aesthetically through extensive use of collage that wasn’t nearly as practical before Xerox. Very shortly after the year 2000, Detroit’s comeback narrative started gaining momentum which, by the ‘10s, was a very real problem for anything radical or underground in Detroit as gentrification demanded order.
Felix J. Rogers Papers 1982-2001
Felix J. Rogers was a physician involved with peace organizations, notably Physicians for Social Responsibility, an organization opposed to nuclear weapons testing and the construction of nuclear power plants, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (based in Detroit), and the Cranbrook Peace Foundation. While these items do not show Rogers or his compatriots explicitly identifying as anarchists, they do show their affinity not only with contemporary local and international anarchists, such as Babyfish and the Fifth Estate, as well as their affinity with historic currents less represented in Detroit, such as Christian anarchism.
The Babyfish Papers 1988-1996
Andy "Sunfrog" Smith (born c. 1950s) is an American anarchist, activist, and graphic artist, known for his involvement in various countercultural and anarchist movements, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. Smith became especially known for his "Sunfrog" persona, which became a symbol of his creative work and engagement in anarchist activism. His contributions to the movement included promoting direct action, anti-capitalism, and social justice through his art and participation in protests. His work under the title Babyfish was a self-published zine that ran from the late 80's into the mid-90s. As Babyfish repeatedly demonstrates, he maintained connections to the local punk rock scene, radical queer movement, and more poetic forms of anarchism like Discordianism and was involved in various grassroots organizations both locally and nationally. Babyfish also featured contributions from Detroit activists and creatives, such as the rapper Brick Wall, and the sexual liberationist Lisa Lust. Smith and Lust would go on to create the zine called Hell Bound Sexpots, which focused on anarcha-feminism and sexual liberation. After Babyfish, Smith became custodian of The Fifth Estate, a Detroit anarchist magazine and the nation’s longest running radical publication.
Anarchy Poster #1
This poster expresses anti-war sentiment, critiquing the United States involvment in the Gulf war in the 1990s. The poster appropriates a 1950's style single panel comic, Smith using collage to superimpose text to transform the image.
Intra material worlds unravel a rope into the non-material
Smith included musings on the metaphysical, tying in ideas of existence, autonomy, and reality in the context of anarchical practice
Automotive Earth
A page of Smith's collaboration with Lisa Lust, created after The Babyfish Papers project ended.
Dewey Ann Papers
Dewey Ann was an LGBTQIA+ activist and community organizer active primarily through the 1980s and 1990s.
Michigan Peaceworks 2001-2011
Michigan Peaceworks (MPW) was an Ann Arbor based grassroots organization dedicated to peace, social justice, and human rights that was founded in 2001 following the September 11th attacks. MPW continued the anarchistic tradition of Detroit-oriented, Ann Arbor-based student organizations initiated by Students for a Democratic Society, the Weather Underground, and White Panthers.
