Book Description: Volume 17 of the complete works of America's most infamous cartoonist!
After many Eisner and Harvey comics awards, the Complete Crumb series comes to a close (at least in its current format—we will continue to collect the entirety of Crumb's career in single-volume collections like Hup and Mystic Funnies, beginning in 2005). This 17th volume collects a creatively fertile period for Crumb, having given up the editorial reins of his own legendary Weirdo magazine, allowing Crumb 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, as well as many other rare gems. This volume, as with all volumes, includes a new introduction by Crumb as well as a new cover. The Complete Crumb series leaves no stone unturned, publishing everything from Crumb's most well-known comics to little-seen commercial art and rarely-if-ever seen treasures from private collections and the artist's archives.
"You're looking particularly lovely today, Mrs. Cleaver..." If, God help me, I ever get disgusted enough with the 21st century to start looking back to the 50s and early 60s of my childhood with fond nostalgia, I hope that someone will whack me with an R. Crumb book. If there's anybody who can pop nostalgia bubbles for that horrible period, it's Crumb. His satire is unexcelled at reminding us of the empty-souled, plastic, picket-fenced hypocrisy of the Ike decade. He also reminds us of how much of that whole disgusting period we still carry around with us. If his work wasn't so damn funny, it'd be almost unbearable.
The Complete Crumb #17 collects some of his very, very best "Zap" and "Weirdo" satire on the June and Ward Cleaver ethos. Typical of Crumb, he not only pokes fun at it, but also at himself when he falls into patterns in his own life that replicates it. So in "Mode O'Day," which Crumb considers one of his best storylines, and "Academy Awards," Crumb dissects (or is it vivisects?) the middle-class's adulation of money, fast cars, and glitzy movie stars, as well as its cultural pretensions. In "Aline 'n' Bob In Our Lovely Home" and "I'm Grateful!, I'm Grateful!", he takes a few swipes at his own comfortably middle-class lifestyle (no more bohemian, struggling artist for this guy!). The neat thing about this piece, as with so many of Crumb's family-oriented autobiographical stories, is that it's great satire but also reveals genuine and tender affection for his wife and daughter. The brilliant "The Adventures of Wichita the Rat Dancer," one of the best things he's ever done, is a Peyton Place-like soap opera satire on sex and the beautiful people. And speaking of sex: the entire collection is prefaced by one of Crumb's crazy (and, for some, highly offensive) sexual reminiscences ("Memories Are Made of This") that's bound to remind many of us of the stupid things we used to do when we were young and full of hormones.
But my absolutely favorite piece in the book is "Cave Wimp," in which Crumb imagines a caveman Crumb--neurotic, skinny, nerdy, and sexually frustrated--who finds a way to beat the system, the neanderthal June and Ward Cleaver cave culture, through art. Crumb claims that "Cave Wimp" is the second best planned strip he ever wrote and drew. It's fantastic.
Good ...but not essential.
Buying this, and rating it, depends on your level of dedication to all things Crumb -- bear in mind, that at least half of the book is taken up by glossy art work, comic covers, private sketches, and a peppering of his wife's artwork.
To some this will be a plus -- to me , it is a minus point. Much as I love Crumb's cover art/sketches, I buy his work to read his misanthropic,hateful, resentful, self mocking, self deprecating STORIES, and not to browse at his coffee table art.
This is not to denigrate his artwork -- I am simply saying that the buyer has their priorities.
Having said that there are some startling stories included here -- "Memories" the first tale in the book is written around the theme of his own self loathing and uncontrollable, self mocking, hateful lust.It's classic Crumb, and a tale of his seeking out dysfucntional women to "seduce". Though that may be the wrong word when we observe Crumb's inadequate fumblings.
"I am Grateful" is a tale of all the things Crumb is grateful for in life, and , Harvey Pekar style, investigates his love of rare rare vinyl, his love of everyday pleasures such as reading a good book, and seeking out girls, usually unsucessfully.
"Cave Wimp" is the peak of the book -- it's set in the stone age, with a lead character clearly representing Crumb.
The lead character is an alienated intellectual, a weak pathetic, sexually obssessed, awkward figure, who is rejected by the rest of the tribe.
So, it has it's excellent , outstanding moments -- but for those of you not particularly interested in his ( albeit beautiful ) artwork -- it may be wise to check out other books first.
If you are a Crumb completist, well you sure won't have a thing to complain about here.
Memories are made of this! This volume of The Complete Crumb reprints comics from 1988 to 1992. Highlights include the great "Cave Wimp" and the last "Mode O'Day" story. Really good stuff here, fans of Crumb should get this book.
Better and BETTER!!! Every volume of this series is a treasure. I missed out on Weirdo when it first came out, so to have those stories together in a few volumes is fantastic.
Crumb's writing and artwork are phenominal in this volume. "Cave Wimp" and (sadly) the last published "Mode O'Day" story are great.
The real treat in this book is the parody of Omaha, the Cat Dancer. Entitled "Wichita, The Rat Dancer", Crumb gives a dead-on portrayal of the artwork and rambling, beyond-trivial dialog. Absolutely HILLARIOUS!!
Can't wait for the next volume. Will they have the guts to have the cover portraying one of Crumb's best stories, "When the N****** Take Over America"? We shall see...
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