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Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life
Not yet published
Expected 15 Apr 25Win a free print copy of this book!
8 days and 19:19:21
30 copies available
U.S. only
The first biography of Robert Crumb鈥攐ne of the most profound and influential artists of the 20th century鈥攚hose iconic, radically frank and meticulously rendered cartoons and comics inspired generations of readers and cartoonists, from Art Spiegelman to Alison Bechdel.
Robert Crumb is often credited with single-handedly transforming the comics medium into a place for adult expression, in the process pioneering the underground comic book industry, and transforming the vernacular language of 20th-century America into an instantly recognizable and popular aesthetic, as iconic as Walt Disney or Charles Schulz. Now, for the first time, Dan Nadel, a curator and writer specializing in comics and art, shares how this complicated artist survived childhood abuse, fame in his twenties, more fame, and came out the other side intact.
More than just a biography of an iconic cartoonist, Crumb is the story of a richly complex life at the forefront of both the underground and popular cultures of post-war America. Including forty-five stunning black-and-white images throughout and a sixteen-page color insert featuring images both iconic and obscure, Crumb spans the pressures of 1950s suburban America and Crumb鈥檚 highly dysfunctional early family life; the history of comics and graphic satire; 20th century popular music; the world of the counterculture; the birth of underground comic books in 1960s San Francisco with Crumb鈥檚 Zap Comix; the economic challenges and dissolution of the hippie dream; and the path Robert Crumb blazed through it all.
Written with Crumb鈥檚 cooperation, this fascinating, rollicking book takes in seven decades of Crumb鈥檚 iconic works, including Fritz the Cat, Weirdo, and his final book-length comic of The Book of Genesis; capturing, in the process, the essence of an extraordinary artist and his times.
Robert Crumb is often credited with single-handedly transforming the comics medium into a place for adult expression, in the process pioneering the underground comic book industry, and transforming the vernacular language of 20th-century America into an instantly recognizable and popular aesthetic, as iconic as Walt Disney or Charles Schulz. Now, for the first time, Dan Nadel, a curator and writer specializing in comics and art, shares how this complicated artist survived childhood abuse, fame in his twenties, more fame, and came out the other side intact.
More than just a biography of an iconic cartoonist, Crumb is the story of a richly complex life at the forefront of both the underground and popular cultures of post-war America. Including forty-five stunning black-and-white images throughout and a sixteen-page color insert featuring images both iconic and obscure, Crumb spans the pressures of 1950s suburban America and Crumb鈥檚 highly dysfunctional early family life; the history of comics and graphic satire; 20th century popular music; the world of the counterculture; the birth of underground comic books in 1960s San Francisco with Crumb鈥檚 Zap Comix; the economic challenges and dissolution of the hippie dream; and the path Robert Crumb blazed through it all.
Written with Crumb鈥檚 cooperation, this fascinating, rollicking book takes in seven decades of Crumb鈥檚 iconic works, including Fritz the Cat, Weirdo, and his final book-length comic of The Book of Genesis; capturing, in the process, the essence of an extraordinary artist and his times.
480 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 15, 2025
4 people are currently reading
6,897 people want to read
About the author
Dan Nadel
6听books42听followersDan Nadel is the author of Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life (Scribner, April 2025). His previous books include, It鈥檚 Life as a I See It: Black Cartoonists in Chicago, 1940鈥�1980; Peter Saul: Professional Artist Correspondence, 1945鈥�1976; and Art Out of Time: Unknown Comic Visionaries, 1900鈥�1969. Nadel has curated exhibitions for galleries and museums internationally including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, UC Davis, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He is the founder of PictureBox, a publishing and packaging company that produced over one hundred books, objects, and zines from 2000 to 2014, including the Grammy Award鈥搘inning design for Wilco鈥檚 2004 album A Ghost Is Born. Dan is the curator-at-large for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 14, 2024
Interesting,well written and slightly disturbing bio of R.Crumb. Thanks to NetGalley,the author, and the publisher for the ARC.
While now considered the grand old man of underground comics, Crumb鈥檚 subject matter hasn鈥檛 aged well. He鈥檚 like an artifact of a time gone by, when it was ok to publish his weird compulsions. I enjoyed the book ,especially Aline, who grounded him.
While now considered the grand old man of underground comics, Crumb鈥檚 subject matter hasn鈥檛 aged well. He鈥檚 like an artifact of a time gone by, when it was ok to publish his weird compulsions. I enjoyed the book ,especially Aline, who grounded him.
February 3, 2025
This is a comprehensive, warts-and-all, biography of the cartoonist, Robert Crumb. It is a dense tome, giving in-depth attention to periods of his life 1914-2024 (he was born in 1943). Much of the information is gleaned from Crumb鈥檚 own writings and drawings. I now have a more intimate understanding about him and his family than I have of my own.
There are a few examples of his drawings (my ARC was blurry; maybe the actual book will be easier to see/read). I think this is the book for aficionados of him and his work.
I would like to thank Scribner and 欧宝娱乐 for the opportunity to read and review this book.
There are a few examples of his drawings (my ARC was blurry; maybe the actual book will be easier to see/read). I think this is the book for aficionados of him and his work.
I would like to thank Scribner and 欧宝娱乐 for the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 3, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this biography on a true pioneer in art, changing the way comic books were, viewed, helping other artists get noticed and a man who has lived his life the way he was wanted it, no matter the cost.
I have loved comic books since I started reading, but came to the world of underground comics late in my childhood. There were really no comic book stories around, so my Dad would take my brother and I on road trips to other towns, usually down a long flight of stairs into dim little basements, loaded with wonders. My brother was quick with his money, but I was someone who was well a little more picky. I would look for issues to complete certain runs, things I had heard of, then splurge in the bargain bins. And what wonders I found. Between bargain bins and flea markets I had comics that I knew had never seen a comic code. Nor in some places a good editor. Some were amazing, some were not. They were different, odd, personal, angry, mean, dark, funny, made a young man feel funny, and weird. It was love at first sight in many case to me. All this I owe to Robert Crumb. Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life by curator and comic historian Dan Nadel is a look at the life of this exceptional man, with exceptionally off the beaten paths taste, and incredible talent.
The book begins with a look at the world of comics and the backgrounds of the parents of the artist Robert Crumb. Even from their beginnings Crumb had a lot to get past to become the man he became. Their traumas later affected Robert and his many siblings, limiting and scarring them all for life, with only Robert and his sister Carol seeming to get free. The Crumb siblings shared a love of comics, creating entire runs of funny animal stories, with detailed art, stories, and even subscriptions. Robert escaped to Cleveland after high school, finding a job at American Greetings card company drawing cards, and soon designing, as others could see his skill. Robert also found something else. Women. Soon Robert was married, after a long courtship, and travelling the world, working on his art, selling his stories, and honing his craft. San Francisco opened him to more opportunities, as well as LSD, which helped him deal with, and be more open about himself, which he began to put into his art. Art that took comics into strange new places. Places that are still being discusses to this day.
A wonderful biography, done with permission and with the assistance of Crumb, family and friends. I remember years ago watching the documentary, Crumb, and thinking why aren't we talking more about the art, and stop making his family seem like a freak show. Nadel handles all facets of Crumbs life with aplomb. As a comic historian Nadel can explain Crumb's style, and what he has done for comic history. As a writer he can portray Crumb honestly, like Crumbs asks, as a man who has failed at being a father in some ways, a husband in others, but has more than succeeded at being an artist. Nadel is really good at breaking one's heart. There is a lot of sadness, so much wasted potential, lost to drugs, illness, past trauma, and just in many cases bad luck.
Nadel really soars at explaining the art. The book has quite a lot of examples an Nadel an explain why this works, why this doesn't, as well as give brief summaries of Crumb's fellow creators. One learns about publishing, the history of comic books, the underground and much more. Some of the stories are great, some are again quite sad. All make for compelling reading.
One of the best biographies I have read. I learned so much. This is the perfect book for comic fans, comic historians, artists, want-to-be artists and dreamers.
I have loved comic books since I started reading, but came to the world of underground comics late in my childhood. There were really no comic book stories around, so my Dad would take my brother and I on road trips to other towns, usually down a long flight of stairs into dim little basements, loaded with wonders. My brother was quick with his money, but I was someone who was well a little more picky. I would look for issues to complete certain runs, things I had heard of, then splurge in the bargain bins. And what wonders I found. Between bargain bins and flea markets I had comics that I knew had never seen a comic code. Nor in some places a good editor. Some were amazing, some were not. They were different, odd, personal, angry, mean, dark, funny, made a young man feel funny, and weird. It was love at first sight in many case to me. All this I owe to Robert Crumb. Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life by curator and comic historian Dan Nadel is a look at the life of this exceptional man, with exceptionally off the beaten paths taste, and incredible talent.
The book begins with a look at the world of comics and the backgrounds of the parents of the artist Robert Crumb. Even from their beginnings Crumb had a lot to get past to become the man he became. Their traumas later affected Robert and his many siblings, limiting and scarring them all for life, with only Robert and his sister Carol seeming to get free. The Crumb siblings shared a love of comics, creating entire runs of funny animal stories, with detailed art, stories, and even subscriptions. Robert escaped to Cleveland after high school, finding a job at American Greetings card company drawing cards, and soon designing, as others could see his skill. Robert also found something else. Women. Soon Robert was married, after a long courtship, and travelling the world, working on his art, selling his stories, and honing his craft. San Francisco opened him to more opportunities, as well as LSD, which helped him deal with, and be more open about himself, which he began to put into his art. Art that took comics into strange new places. Places that are still being discusses to this day.
A wonderful biography, done with permission and with the assistance of Crumb, family and friends. I remember years ago watching the documentary, Crumb, and thinking why aren't we talking more about the art, and stop making his family seem like a freak show. Nadel handles all facets of Crumbs life with aplomb. As a comic historian Nadel can explain Crumb's style, and what he has done for comic history. As a writer he can portray Crumb honestly, like Crumbs asks, as a man who has failed at being a father in some ways, a husband in others, but has more than succeeded at being an artist. Nadel is really good at breaking one's heart. There is a lot of sadness, so much wasted potential, lost to drugs, illness, past trauma, and just in many cases bad luck.
Nadel really soars at explaining the art. The book has quite a lot of examples an Nadel an explain why this works, why this doesn't, as well as give brief summaries of Crumb's fellow creators. One learns about publishing, the history of comic books, the underground and much more. Some of the stories are great, some are again quite sad. All make for compelling reading.
One of the best biographies I have read. I learned so much. This is the perfect book for comic fans, comic historians, artists, want-to-be artists and dreamers.
February 1, 2025
I won this in a 欧宝娱乐 giveaway!
DID NOT READ. I entered the giveaway because I thought it was a book OF cartoons. It is not. It is a very long thick book about the cartoonist that I am not interested in whatsoever. Also the paper was so thin, grey, and the printing was totally messed up on a lot of pages. Definitely not my favorite giveaway.
DID NOT READ. I entered the giveaway because I thought it was a book OF cartoons. It is not. It is a very long thick book about the cartoonist that I am not interested in whatsoever. Also the paper was so thin, grey, and the printing was totally messed up on a lot of pages. Definitely not my favorite giveaway.
February 14, 2025
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