Underground Comics: ROBERT CRUMB

Robert Crumb and R. Crumb, is an American cartoonist and musician. Crumb is noted to be the most influencial underground comics artist that emerged from the psychedelic era His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American culture. His work has attracted controversy, especially for his depiction of women and non-white races. Crumb approach towards his story line is that he rarely starts a comic with a clear idea of where he wants to go, and usually employs a stream-of-consciousness method when drawing. Placing himself as the narrator in certain scenarios. The main characteristics of his drawing is the exemplary use of cross hatching in his work.

Robert Crumb was born on August 30, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a Catholic household of English and Scottish ancestry. At a young age Crumb was inspired by the works of Walt Kelly, Fleischer Brothers animation, and others, Crumb and his brothers drew their own comics and sold them door to door. Crumb started his career working for greetings card company American Greetings. At this stage he worked with another famous cartoon illustrator Harvey Krutzman who published some of Crumbs satirical comics in his editorial ‘Help!’. During the period crumb started using LSD and could not bare working at American Greetings. He moved away to New York city. His work was discovered in underground newspapers by the Califonia Counter culture and moved to California in 1967. In 1968 Zap Comix #1 appeared early that year, followed by #2 and #0; later issues also featured work by Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, Spain Rodriguez, Robert Williams, and S. Clay Wilson. Which all were influential artists of the Psychedelic movement.

   

Crumbs comics were filled with gratuitous sex, drugs, and violence; it sold well, and marked the beginning of the comics era. Crumb was a prolific cartoonist in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He produced much of his best-known work then, including his Keep on Truckin' strip, and strips featuring characters such as the bohemian Fritz the Cat, spiritual guru Mr. Natural, and oversexed African-American stereotype Angelfood McSpade.Through the fame of his cartoons Crumb would later also work designing music album covers. Crumb has illustrated many album covers, including most prominently Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company and the compilation album The Music Never Stopped: Roots of the Grateful Dead. Between 1974 and 1984, Crumb drew at least 17 album covers for Yazoo Records/Blue Goose Records, including those of the Cheap Suit Serenaders. He also created the revised logo and record label designs of Blue Goose Records that were used from 1974 onward. Besides music Crumb also was the first to have a cartoon which appealed only to adults. The movie was based on a cat character he created Fritz the cat. This was shown in the theatres in the early 70’s.

Robert crumb was an influential cartoonist and graphic novelist of the underground comic culture. His work influenced coming counter cultures punk and grunge which would emerge in the 70’s and 90’s.



http://www.biography.com/people/robert-crumb-9262692

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlT4QZchxQw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlT4QZchxQw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ym5n-ZZWUs



accessed 24/01/2014 1500