"[1] Frequent contributors to Slow Death included Greg Irons, Jaxon, Dave Sheridan, Richard Corben, Jim Osborne, Tom Veitch, and Dennis Ellefson.

The first issue, titled Slow Death Funnies, was produced by San Francisco State University graduate student[3] Ron Turner as a benefit for a local ecology center.

Turner borrowed $2,500, and with the help of San Francisco Comic Book Company's Gary Arlington,[4] printed 20,000 copies, which were published on April 15, 1970.

Slow Death Funnies #1 featured underground comix stars such as Robert Crumb, Kim Deitch, Jaxon, Rory Hayes, Fred Schrier, Dave Sheridan, Gilbert Shelton, Gary Grimshaw, Greg Irons, and Jim Evans taking on such targets as the auto industry, corporate polluters, litterers, and other perceived abusers of the planet.

[1] The second issue took on a post-apocalyptic science fiction theme, with dark stories by Jaxon, Dave Sheridan, Jim Osborne, and Richard Corben.