R. Crumb's Underground

part of his seldom seen Spool collection

July 11-August 16, 2009

On July 11, 2009, Grand Central Art Center becomes the only Southern California venue to exhibit the Yerba Buena's Center for the Arts traveling exhibition, R.Crumb's Underground. This exhibition salutes local San Francisco treasure Robert Crumb with an eclectic exhibit of early work, collaborations old and new, and the world premiere of his "spool" drawings.

link

Read more...

R. Crumb Update

R. Crumb Update

Robert is planning on coming to America this summer to attend a family reunion in the Midwest. While in the Midwest, he'll sign a couple of new editions we're now printing. He's been working diligently on the Genesis project and is now on page 167—rounding the bend and coming down the final stretch.

In September 2004, I posted about this same Genesis project and here we are 4 years later, Bob. Obvs you're not doing it for the jack but we're kinda getting anxious to see this new work.

Rumor is he's getting even better at his illustrations.

The Genesis project is nonfiction in a graphic novel format. It's based on a 'literal' interpretation of Genesis, the first book of the Bible or, in sound byte form, "The Passion of the Christ for the NPR Crowd."

Read more...

R Crumb's Kafka

.

Introducing... Kafka

Go beyond the Kafkaesque cliché as Robert Crumb illustrates the true portrait of Kafka - alienated from his roots, his family, his surroundings, and primarily from his own body, Kafka created a unique literary language in which to hide away, transforming himself into a cockroach, an ape, a dog, a mole, or a circus artiste who starves himself to death in front of admiring crowds.

via: Book Slut | A re-issue by David Zane Mairowitz; Illo is all Crumb

Read more...

Robert Crumb Retrospective

Robert Crumb retrospective curated by Todd Hignite just opened at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. It runs from March 16 to July 8, 2007. The show includes over 200 of the best examples of Crumb's art, spanning his prolific and rich lifetime body of work. [via]

NSFW
Here's 81 photos taken on the opening day.

Read more...

Fantagraphics now has a blog called, Flog.

Features all the greats: Dame Darcy, Daniel Clowes, R Crumb, Dave Cooper, Jim Woodring, and many more comix I've featured here on EBC over the years.

via

Read more...

I ran across a blog today by R Crumb. More precisely, it appears to be written by Aline about their daily lives, events, and appearances She speaks of making art, attending the Paris fashion show with her friend, the weather, life with Robert and surviving a recent media blitz at their home. The site, with news and the weblog is in conjunction with his new presentation, The R Crumb Handbook, which is out now, March 2005.

The R Crumb Handbook, is 440 pages in hardback, including hundreds of drawings, cartoons, photographs, a free CD of Crumb music and never before seen material from his personal archives, The R. Crumb Handbook is the most comprehensive presentation to date of the life, trials and ideas of one of the most influential artists of the last 40 years. It's gotta be great! Crumb Blog

Read more...

One of comics’ most acclaimed voices is back at the drawing board for the next two years. Publisher’s Weekly recently broke the news that Robert (R.) Crumb has signed with W.W. Norton for his next nonfiction project in graphic novel format. It's based on a 'literal' interpretation of Genesis, the first book of the Bible or, in sound byte form, "The Passion of the Christ for the NPR Crowd."



If he stays true to form, how can he have sassy, big-legged women and horny guys without overwhelming public outrage? Or maybe he's going to put a different slant on it. Stay tuned... Link



Sending warm regards to those of you enjoying a long holiday weekend.

Read more...

Happy Fourth! Hope you are enjoying some leisure time this holiday weekend. Sky is visiting friends so it's blissfully calm and quiet here. Only the soothing and familiar sounds of Sebastian doing the buzzkill shuffle as he passes through the house bitching about any and everything. This evening we'll join friends for a thrashing of guitars, mandolins, (thrashing mandolins?) and banjos with an outdoor buffet in the country where everything's homegrown. Everything. I'm ready to twist one up, chow down and get into some porch pickin'.



Kane has a nice July 4 family memory of going to the drive-in. Remember those? And with apologies to my friend, Kane, my twisted mind deviates to X-rated cartoons.



The last movie I saw at a drive-in was Fritz the Cat. The first full-length X-rated cartoon and based on an R Crumb character, the DVD is available for this 1972 release. It was hilarious back then.

Read more...

Gary Baseman's art is currently showing at LaLuz deJesus Gallery in Seattle.



The Thief Of Baghdad

Americans paid Ahmad Chalabi to gull them [Americans] into a war that is costing them a billion a week — and a precious human cost. Cops dealing with their snitches check out the information better than the Bush administration did.



Introducing Sofie Crumb, author of "Belly Button Comix," and daughter of R.



Oprah's Birthday Greedfest - In all it's ostentatious glory.



Ashcroft Subpoenas Medical Records of Women Who Had Abortions - The Justice Department is demanding that at least six hospitals in New York City, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor and other cities turn over hundreds of patient medical records on certain abortions performed there. No matter what side of this issue you're on, you should be concerned that Ashcroft is going after private hospital records.



How Do I Love Thee? Let me count the ways. 13 Reasons why Firefox is better than IE.

Marriage is love.

[via: just another diva mom]



Nascar dads play race card.

Read more...

Good Morning... !



Happy Birthday, Alex!




Hope it was a special day for you.



I'm not usually a procrastinator. Except each year at tax time. I've always done my own taxes and this will be my fourth year of filing online. It's much more convenient and inexpensive. Last year was the first time I had to apply for an extention simply because I really dread getting started and kept putting it off. But I really should get started on it soon.



In honor of Mr Natural's posted pic today, here's an R Crumb site with him, Fritz the Cat and the rest of the crew. We used to buy these comics when they came out and laugh like hell for days. I bet these are very collectible now.



'Do Not Call' is now a law. Those who call listed people could be fined up to $11,000 for each violation. Telemarketers say this could put them out of business. Oh, really?



Happy Birthday, March 12

»James Taylor - in 1948 (age 55) "The Best Of James Taylor", a new Warner Brothers JT collection due for release April 8.

»Paul Kantner - of Jefferson Airplane/Starship fame in 1942 (age 61)

»Johnny Knoxville had a birthday yesterday. He celebrated by holding his balls over the candles on his cake.



This is How We Cut & Paste

»Keywest Webcams. Watching one of these could be a stress-buster.

»Like yardsales? This site has national listings for yard sales, thrift stores, etc.

»I don't know how many times I've tried in vain to tie on a Japanese loincloth, but can't find my instructions.

»Food is icky, tables are sticky, waitress has a hickey, stay home if you're picky. This and other outtakes from the Zagat Restaurant Guide.

»Fresh out of silly toys and novelty items?

»Neil Young is added to the list of groups appearing at Bonnaro 2003, along with Flaming Lips, Alyson Krauss, the Meters, and others. The Meters were very cool when I saw them years ago with the Stones.



Very rarely is a legendary band able to come up with new, credible material. Jam band progenitors the Allman Brothers have done better than that, tapping into some of the spark that made them one of the most influential American bands of their time. 'Hittin' The Note' is out March 18. Pretty good review on Amazon. I wonder if this will be any good. Or just sound old and trite.



Quotes For Today

"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders."

~Jewish Proverb

"We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."

~C. G. Jung



Don't squat with your spurs on.

Read more...

Did anybody get the license number of that bus that ran over me? Or maybe I should stop mixing peyote in with my breakfast cereal. The flu had me in bed most of Sunday (*and Monday). I watched a lot of movies and basketball. 'In The Bedroom', with haunting performances by Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson that's still fresh in my mind. That, to me, is a pretty good indication of a good movie. Thinking about the movie or performances a day or so later, it's a good movie. And I saw a repeat of the R Crumb biography---his personal life is downright disgusting, but it's neat hearing about the ideas behind the drawings and comics I grew to love in the late 60's, early 70's--his Fritz The Cat I saw at the drive-in theater. Wasn't it the first R-rated cartoon?



The All-Star basketball game was great fun to watch, too. All the best players. MJ almost won it for the East at the end of the first OT. With five seconds to go, he put East ahead 120-118. The at one second to go, Kobe (West) got fouled by the East, and he made 2 of 3 foul shots, tying the score and putting them into double OT. The West just ran away with it from there.



Quote Of The Day

Don't be afraid that your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin.

~Unknown



*Update: 11:54pm--Monday..... back to bed. Please. Shoot. Me. Now.

Read more...

Happy Birthday, R Crumb


R Crumb is celebrating his 59th birthday today, August 30. Here's Mr Natural, just one of his creations I've enjoyed for many, many years.

Read more...