[1] Set on a desert island with a group of beachcombers as the main characters, the strip addressed serious issues of its time.

Despite an initial dip immediately after this, Conchy's newspaper circulation soon reached an all-time high, achieving modest commercial success.

Facing family and financial difficulties in addition to a custody battle with his ex-wife, Childress committed suicide in 1977.

Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés are among comics professionals who feel Conchy deserves wider attention today.

Evanier wrote in his blog on December 29, 2005, "I'd like to see someone do a big book that collected the entirety of Conchy, a short-lived but wonderful newspaper strip."