Books by R Crumb

The R. Crumb Handbook

by R Crumb, Peter Poplaski

This collection of original cartoons and never-before-published work takes readers on a unique journey through the life and times of one of the 20th century's most notorious and influential counter-culture artists.

The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb

by R Crumb

Nominated for three 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards: From Creation to the death of Joseph, here are all 50 chapters of the Book of Genesis, revealingly illustrated as never before. Envisioning the first book of the bible like no one before him, R. Crumb, the legendary illustrator, reveals here the story of Genesis in a profoundly honest and deeply moving way. Originally thinking that we would do a take off of Adam and Eve, Crumb became so fascinated by the Bible’s language, “a text so great and so strange that it lends itself readily to graphic depictions,” that he decided instead to do a literal interpretation using the text word for word in a version primarily assembled from the translations of Robert Alter and the King James bible.

Now, readers of every persuasion―Crumb fans, comic book lovers, and believers―can gain astonishing new insights from these harrowing, tragic, and even juicy stories. Crumb’s Book of Genesis reintroduces us to the bountiful tree lined garden of Adam and Eve, the massive ark of Noah with beasts of every kind, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by brimstone and fire that rained from the heavens, and the Egypt of the Pharaoh, where Joseph’s embalmed body is carried in a coffin, in a scene as elegiac as any in Genesis. Using clues from the text and peeling away the theological and scholarly interpretation that have often obscured the Bible’s most dramatic stories, Crumb fleshes out a parade of Biblical originals: from the serpent in Eden, the humanoid reptile appearing like an alien out of a science fiction movie, to Jacob, a “kind’ve depressed guy who doesn’t strike you as physically courageous,” and his bother, Esau, “a rough and kick ass guy,” to Abraham’s wife Sarah, more fetching than most woman at 90, to God himself, “a standard Charlton Heston-like figure with long white hair and a flowing beard.”

As Crumb writes in his introduction, “the stories of these people, the Hebrews, were something more than just stories. They were the foundation, the source, in writing of religious and political power, handed down by God himself.” Crumb’s Book of Genesis, the culmination of 5 years of painstaking work, is a tapestry of masterly detail and storytelling which celebrates the astonishing diversity of the one of our greatest artistic geniuses.

Nominated for three 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards: Best Adaptation from Another Work, Best Graphic Album, Best Writer/Artist.

Sophie Crumb: Evolution of a Crazy Artist

by R Crumb, Sophie Crumb, A. Crumb

A groundbreaking work of striking originality that charts a young artist's life through her own drawings-from toddlerhood to motherhood. Sophie Crumb's startlingly expressive drawings track her development as an artist from age two to twenty-eight. Sifting through dozens of their daughter's remarkable sketchbooks, our generation's most celebrated graphic artists have, with their only child, Sophie, now selected more than three hundred paintings and drawings that depict her artistic and psychological maturation. Revealing how an original artistic sensibility is both innate and nurtured, the book features six separate developmental stages, including Sophie's earliest drawings, the elaborate fantasy world of her childhood, her late adolescent rebellion, and her coming of age in the milieu of the Paris circus world and New York's "seventh circle of hell." The drawings from her early twenties―of tattoo artists, dangerous men―reflect a personal anguish that finally ends with her becoming a mother and creating a family of her own. Illuminating and intimate, this book is a dramatic yet subtle statement on the evolution of personality as seen through art. Four-color illustrations throughout

Scorched Art: The Incendiary Aesthetic of FlameRite Zippos

by Daniel Clowes, R Crumb, Tom Hazelmyer, Coop, Shag

For almost a decade, the radical art group Flame Rite has been producing Zippo lighters featuring the work of prominent comic artists. These "miniature billboards" that normally display a corporate logo have been reinvented as witty pop-art confections. Charles Burns’s ominous Smoking Skull, Daniel Clowes’s creepy-comic Eightball, Big Daddy Roth’s wacky Rat Fink, the fabulous retroisms of Niagara’s All Girls Are Bad and Shag’s Ooguh Booguh — all these and more (130 total) are on lurid display. The book includes the work of more than 30 prominent artists including R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes, and Shag, exclusive, previously unpublished art from 20 artists in the Flame Rite lineup, and every "metal canvas" that Flame Rite Zippo produced, featuring rare and out-of-print models.

R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country

by R Crumb

"Gorgeous. One of the music—and art—books of the year." (The Guardian)

A characteristically idiosyncratic tribute by an underground icon to the musical innovators who helped inspire him, R. Crumb’s Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country is a must-have collection for Crumb aficionados, comics fans, and music lovers alike.

Anyone who knows R. Crumb’s work as an illustrator knows of his passion for music. And all those who collect his work prize the Heroes of the Blues, Early Jazz Greats, and Pioneers of Country Music trading card sets he created in the early to mid-1980s. Now they are packaged together for the first time in book form, along with an exclusive 21-track CD of music selected and compiled by Crumb (featuring original recordings by Charley Patton, “Dock” Boggs, “Jelly Roll” Morton, and others).

A bio of each musician is provided, along with a full-color original illustration by the cartoonist. Includes an introduction by Terry Zwigoff, award-winning director of Crumb.

Drawn Together: The Collected Works of R. and A. Crumb

by R Crumb, A. Crumb

Rumored for years, Drawn Together finally charts the daily exploits and erotic craziness of this “First Couple” of comics. Who could have imagined that in 1972, when Aline Kominsky, a Long Island escapee and bodaciously talented artist, broke her foot one rainy fall day, it would result in the most unique collaboration in comics history? Laid up in her house, she was persuaded by R. Crumb, her nerdy, neurotic boyfriend, to pass the time drawing together a “two-man” comic. The result is a jaw-dropping yet tender account, not only of the joys and challenges of a legendary marriage but also of the obstacles faced by struggling female artists. In Drawn Together, our foremost male-female cartooning couple recall their success at shocking America with Weirdo Magazine, the life-altering birth of their precocious daughter Sophie, and their astonishing move to the safe haven of France. With an irresistible introduction and a striking four-color section, Drawn Together becomes a graphic cause-célebre and a must-have for any comics devotee.

Kafka

by R Crumb, Klaus Wagenbach, David Zane Mairowitz

David Zane Mairowitz's brilliant text and the illustrations and comic panels of the world's greatest cartoonist, Robert Crumb (himself no stranger to self-loathing and alienation), help us to understand the essence of Kafka and provide insight beyond the cliché "Kafkaesque," peering through Kafka's glass wall like no other book before it. The book is a wonderful educational tool for those unfamiliar with Kafka, including a brief but inclusive biography as well as the plots of many of his works, all illustrated by Crumb, making this newly designed edition a must-have for admirers of both Kafka and Crumb.

Kafka

by R Crumb, Klaus Wagenbach, David Zane Mairowitz

In Kafka's writing, Albert Camus tells us, we travel "to the limits of human thought." And in this book, the world's leading Kafka authority conducts us to the deepest reaches of Kafka's own troubled psyche, to reveal the inner workings of the man who gave his name to a central facet of modern experience, the Kafkaesque. Klaus Wagenbach, who wrote the first major critical biography of Kafka, draws upon a wealth of new and recent information to produce a concise but finely nuanced portrait of the author, an ideal introduction to this quintessential figure of modernity.

With extensive reference to Kafka's extraordinary letters and diaries, Wagenbach shows us the author of Metamorphosis and The Trial perpetually caught between the irresistible attractions of the world and his ruthless desire for solitude and isolation. It was this tension, Wagenbach tells us, that gave Kafka's writing its uncanny quality and that haunted his intense, unresolved relationships with women. And it was in this tension that both his misery and mastery inhered, making his one of the most painfully powerful voices of the experience of the twentieth century.

Little Blues Book

by R Crumb, Brian Robertson

Illustrations by R. Crumb. A collection of lyrics and lore that captures the very heart and soul of the blues. From Blind Lemon Jefferson to Alberta Hunter, dozens of blues masters offer words of wisdom on subjects including luck (both good and bad), love, loss, and the raw material of life.

The Life and Death of Fritz the Cat

by R Crumb

Robert Crumb’s first great character ― in fact, his second-best-known character next to Mr. Natural ― was Fritz the Cat, the horny, hip-talking feline whose success caused Crumb to kill him off. The Life and Death of Fritz the Cat, back in print as an inexpensive hardcover as a companion to The Book of Mr. Natural, contains all the Fritz stories from the earliest sketchbook-drawn tales (“Hey, Ol’ Cat!” and “Fritz Comes On Strong”) to the wild adventure stories (“Special Agent for the C.I.A.”) to the classic “peak” Fritz stories (“Fritz the No-Good”) all the way to the despairing “Fritz the Cat, Superstar” with its infamous ice-pick ending.

The Life and Death of Fritz the Cat

by R Crumb

Robert Crumb's first iconic character -- and still possibly his most -- was Fritz the Cat: the horny, high, hipster feline whose wild adventures and sexual escapades captivated countercultural audiences from the mid-'60s until 1972, when Ralph Bakshi turned the strips into an X-rated animated film that Crumb hated so much, he famously killed off the character and never returned to him.

The Life and Death of Fritz the Cat contains all the Fritz stories from the earliest sketchbook-drawn tales ("Hey, Ol' Cat!" and "Fritz Comes On Strong") to the wild adventure stories ("Special Agent for the C.I.A.") to the classic "peak" Fritz stories ("Fritz the No-Good") all the way to the despairing "Fritz the Cat, Superstar" with its infamous icepick ending. Plus an introduction by Crumb, sketchbook pages, and more in a new paperback edition.

Zap Comix #16

by R Crumb, Robert Williams, S. Clay Wilson, Gilbert Shelton, Spain Rodriguez, Victor Moscoso, Paul Mavrides, Rick Griffin

This blowout issue not only includes work by all eight Zap artists (plus a collaboration with cartoonist Aline Kominsky), but also three double-page jams by the group. Plus: Zap’s first-and-only color section, featuring comics by R. Crumb and Gilbert Shelton (his final Zap Wonder Wart-hog episode, no less). Paul Mavrides provides an alternately embellished version of Gilbert Shelton’s and his Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers episode, “Phineas Becomes a Suicide Bomber” (originally inked in the Complete Zap by Shelton). Front cover by R. Crumb. Back cover by Moscoso.

R. Crumb: Existential Comics: Selected Stories 1979–2004

by R Crumb

This volume brings together twenty-five of R. Crumb’s most ambitious, acclaimed, and profound comics.

One of the most influential and iconic cartoonists of our time, R. Crumb is celebrated for pushing the boundaries of representation, mass consumerism, and polite society. The comics in this volume exemplify Crumb’s creative output over twenty-five years following his early experimentation in the 1960s and 1970s.

The comics collected here depict characters searching for an understanding of the world around and within themselves. Through adaptation, autobiography, biography, and short fiction, Crumb—much like his subjects—demands we pay attention to our darkest desires, compulsions, fears, and obsessions. Existential Comics also features a new, introductory comic strip by Crumb, reflecting on his practice in the context of this volume.

Editor Dan Nadel’s essay further weaves together Crumb’s life, career, and influences, delving into the creative environment that informed some of the artist’s most outstanding comics.

The Sweeter Side of R. Crumb

by R Crumb

The "nasty, negative, misanthropic" comic genius proves he has a sweet side. Cute little kittens, angels, and babies? Flowers, ice cream cones, and German boy bands? Coming from, supposedly, the creepiest and most pessimistic artist of his generation? Yes indeed, there is a "sweeter side" to R. Crumb. These delectable illustrations―whether depicting Bernie the Cat pawing for his master's affection, the timeworn beauty of a French village cul-de-sac, or a quiet night chez Crumb―wonderfully exemplify the many tender moments that have, until now, played second fiddle to the cult icon's more raunchy sketches. Now Crumb harkens back to his humble American beginnings as a Cleveland greeting card illustrator, when his innate knack for the grotesque had to be suppressed for the perennial appeal of "cute." The result is this cheery and blue-skied world, where readers of every conceivable personality type, age group, even sexual persuasion can finally enjoy the artist's momentary lapse from naughty to nice. Color and black-and-white illustrations throughout

The Complete Crumb Vol. 11: Mr. Natural Committed to a Mental Institution!

by R Crumb

Crumb classics from Dirty Laundry and Arcade, full-cover covers for books, comics and LPs, and Crumb’s complete serial from the pages of the Village Voice. This volume contains Crumb classics Dirty Laundry #2 (the ground-breaking Crumb/Kominsky jam), the last of the Arcade strips, full-cover covers for books, comics and LPs, and Crumb’s complete 40-page epic Mr. Natural serial from the pages of the Village Voice. In it, our hero, having given up on the "wise man" business, has sent away all his students and lives a quiet life. But during a particularly arduous meditation, he wrestles with the Devil, and at last achieves total enlightenment.

He's locked up in a nut house right away, of course. Thus endeth the Age of Aquarius.

Other classic stories include "I Once Lived the Life of a Millionaire" (the Snoid vs. The Revolution) and "Josephine and the Cross-Eyed Quadroon" (which covers just about all the bases, political incorrectness-wise). Re-live the 20th Century with Crumb!

The Complete Crumb Comics, Volume 17: Cave Wimp

by R Crumb

"Cave Wimp" (Vol. 17) completes the 1980s and leads into the 1990s, a creatively fertile period for Crumb, who had given up the editorial reins of his own Weirdo magazine to get back to the proverbial drawing board. Included are Crumb's contributions to Weirdo from this period, as well as work from Whole Earth Review, Zap Comix, Premiere magazine, and many other rare gems. Featured are classics including the title story "Cave Wimp" -- the story of the first nerd -- and "A Short History of America," amongst others. This volume includes a new introduction by Crumb, full-color cover portfolio sections, and a brand new cover.

R. CRUMB: From the Underground to GENESIS

by R Crumb

Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris presents a premiere retrospective exhibit on one of the greatest illustrators of the past fifty years: Robert Crumb. A founding pioneer of Underground comics, he represents a mythical figure in American counter-culture. His satirical stories tear down moral constraints and provide a sharp critique of society and its absurdities.

Robert Crumb is the quintessential underground artist. His masterfully rendered comics and sketchbook drawings spanning nearly five decades, markedly lacking in concession or self-censorship, offer a profound cultural critique filtered through demanding psychological self-reflection. Crumb’s art, which pioneered the transformation of comics into an adult literary form, addresses a plethora of personal and political themes within a multidimensional narrative framework. The work starkly depicts sex, violence, and race, among many other subjects, offering revelatory insight into the human condition within the snarled jumble of a radically changing America. He combines the keen critical voice of the master satirist with some of the most impressive draftsmanship seen in contemporary art, and his work has proved endlessly insightful, controversial, and provocative.

Art and Beauty Drawings by R. Crumb

by R Crumb

Art & Beauty Magazine is at once a satirical take on aesthetics and a continued exploration of Crumb's subversion of sexuality and mainstream values. Drawings of women in positions ranging from lascivious to modest or mid-sport are accompanied by quotations from artists like Leonardo da Vinci, George Grosz, William de Kooning, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Harvey Kurtzman. Mining his own obsessions and fantasies, Crumb reimagines the history of art, challenging notions of beauty, along with society's mores and expectations of propriety around the female form. The images appeal to a mostly erotic sensibility, which in turn is undercut by the inclusion of sometimes ironic and frequently philosophical prose. The images drag philosophy back down to earth, while the writing challenges the pure eroticism of Crumb's drawings.

Presenting all three issues of the series in one book, Art & Beauty Magazine is arranged chronologically, from the earliest images in the 1990s to drawings completed in 2016. Paul Morris, longtime gallerist and supporter of Crumb's practice, writes an introduction that contextualizes this body of work and the artist's career.