 | | |
Book Details
|
The Pocket Essential Robert Crumb
By: Holm, D.K.
Published By: Pocket Essentials
Edition: 2
| ePub for Digital Editions Price: |
$7.99 |
| PDF for Digital Editions Price: |
$7.99 |
| Mobipocket Reader Price: |
$7.99 |
| Microsoft Reader Price: |
$7.99 |
Available to read online in eb20
(what's this?) |
|
|
|
The "Godfather" of the underground comics movement begun in the '60s, Robert Crumb is also one of the most important figures in twentieth century art. Born in Philadelphia in 1943, Crumb, like Mark Twain and the later Beat writers, has lived all over America, giving him a unique perspective from which to satirize his home country.
In San Francisco in 1967, at the height of the hippie movement, Crumb began producing independent black and white comic books drawn in a style that seemed both old fashioned and up-to-date at the same time, a dense, thick-lined style presented in comic strip panels often packed with activity, a style that harked back to the work of E. C. Segar, Walt Kelly, Gene Ahern, and others. In these books he created characters such as Mr. Natural and Fritz the Cat, and introduced such phrases as "Keep on Truckin'" into the vernacular.
In later years Crumb edited his own magazine (Weirdo), and turned to confessional stories, which he wrote alone and in collaboration with his wife Aline Kominsky He moved to France in the early '90s, his art began to make appearances in galleries and magazines like the New Yorker, and he was the subject of Crumb, Terry Zwigoff's popular documentary.
But Crumb isn't just a great cartoonist. He is a great writer as well. His sardonic view of the world is literary and sophisticated, and in his introductions to books and anthologies, as well as in his letters and other writings, Crumb is revealed as a writer with a style as distinctive as his cartoons and with a comic timing just as finely honed. To answer the question, the people who read Crumb include anyone who values biting satire, good writing, and great art.
|
Excerpt
Yes, who actually reads R. Crumb?
At first thought, you’d think that everyone would
read the internationally famous cartoonist who created
characters such as Mr Natural and Fritz the Cat and
popularized phrases such as ‘Keep on truckin’.’You’d
think that everyone would respect the ‘godfather’ of the
underground comics revolution of the Sixties, when his
psychedelic and confessional content expanded the
limitations of a medium that traditionally favoured
superheroes or funny animals.
Crumb’s Head Comix in 1970 and The R. Crumb
Coffee Table Art Book in 1997 bookmark an era of
profound change in the nature of a medium once
viewed as kids’ stuff. Both books were bestsellers, and
Crumb is also the recipient of the weird honour of
having his complete oeuvre published in more or less
chronological order in his lifetime. His letters and
sketchbooks have seen print, the sort of honour usually
reserved for grand old men of the arts community.
Popular movies have been made of his work, an awardwinning
documentary has been made about him,
galleries and museums have exhibited his work, and
merchandising – everything from calendars to statuettes – helps to keep his imagery and worldview in the
public eye.
But who actually reads Crumb?
Hardcore feminists certainly don’t. Crumb’s rise to
prominence coincided with the hippie movement but
also the rise of feminism. Just as the cartoonist was
enjoying a new-found freedom of expression, feminists
were coming down on him for just the sort of fantasies
he expressed. Cartoonist Trina Robbins, interviewed in
Crumb, is characteristic of feminist reaction to Crumb:
‘I was used to what he had been doing which was really
quite sweet.Then he did this one that was just incredibly
hostile to women, very sexually hostile, and I
wasn’t expecting it. I was really shocked. It’s hard for me
to believe that he can’t just channel himself into doing
better work.’
And he was certainly spurned by art critics. Except
for a few, including Robert Hughes, Time magazine’s
wide-ranging art critic, and Kirk Varnadoe, who
included Crumb in his Metropolitan Museum of
Modern Art show, ‘High and Low,’ Crumb has been as
much ignored by the critics as were Will Eisner,Walt
Kelly, and a host of other comic artists before them.
Critical silence has greeted most of Crumb’s publications.
No New York Times review, no Art In America
profiles, despite the fact that Crumb, after a brief slowdown
in the early Seventies, has been producing interesting,
varied, and controversial work without
interruption. Only recently has a change occurred in
Crumb’s critical reception.
Related eBooks
| More eBooks in this subject
|
Related Subjects
- Academic > Literature > Literary history > By period > Medieval (to 1500)
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Comedy > General works
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Comedy > Special topics
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Tragedy > General works
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Tragedy > History and criticism
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Tragedy > Special topics A-Z
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Historical Plays > General works
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Historical Plays > Special topics A-Z
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Comprehensive, American and English
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Compends, outlines, etc.
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Medieval, general works
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Medieval miracle plays, mysteries,
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Renaissance, general works
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Renaissance, special topics
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Modern, general works
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > Modern, special topics
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > 17th century
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > 18th century
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > 19th century
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History > 20th century
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Technique of dramatic composition > General works, American and English
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Technique of dramatic composition > General works, German
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Technique of dramatic composition > Tragic effect
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Technique of dramatic composition > Irony
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Technique of dramatic composition > Character treatment
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Technique of dramatic composition > Play within a play
- Academic > Literature > Collections of general literature > Comic books, strips, etc.
- Academic > Literature > Literary history > By period
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Technique of dramatic composition
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Study and Teaching
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Criticism
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Biography of Critics
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > History
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Historical Plays
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Tragedy
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater > Comedy
- Academic > Performing Arts > Theater
- Academic > Literature > Periodicals
- Academic > Literature > Study and teaching
- Academic > Literature > Literary history
- Academic > Literature > Collections of general literature
- Academic > Literature
- Academic > Performing Arts
- Academic > Humanities
- Art > History
- Literary Criticism > Humor
- Biography & Autobiography > Literary
- Biography & Autobiography
- Literary Criticism
- Art
Latest Release Alerts
Stay ahead of the game! Register your subject interests to receive an email alert when we release new ebooks in your field of interest. There are over 50 subjects to choose from.
Receive occasional email alerts when we receive new eBooks on the site.
Register »
eBook Formats
The eBook you are interested in is available for purchase in the following formats:
| | Biography & Autobiography Best Sellers
Special Offers
 First time to eBooks.com?
Easy steps to using eBooks
Sign up for Email Alerts
Receive an email alert when we release new books in your field.
New York Times Bestsellers - $9.99
eBook versions of the New York Times Best Sellers - at just $9.99
Best Selling Fiction Titles
Books that are definitely worth a read - our Best Selling Fiction
Free Excerpts
Free excerpts for titles which are new, noteworthy or strongly in demand this month.
Just Arrived!
We're adding hundreds of great titles each month.
Recently Reduced Titles
On Sale - Our favorite and most popular ebooks!
Featured Authors
20% off titles by our favorite authors!
Maintain Your Brain
Is your grey matter in need of a tune up??? Take a look at some of these excellent titles, to stimulate your synapses!
Visit the Cambridge University Press eBook Store
Cambridge University Press, the oldest university press in the world, has just launched its own eBook Store, powered by eBooks.com.
Wealth Building
Be inspired to gain control of your financial future with titles that give you the motivation and information necessary to create abundance.
John Wiley Bestsellers
Bestsellers from John Wiley
Gift Certificates
Give the gift of reading with an eBooks.com Gift Certificate
| |
