Crumb Compendium

Sunday, January 13, 2013

19. The Crumb Compendium (Carl Richter) 3

Well, the latest buzz about this book is that the release is now postponed until late June of this year...

Thursday, January 10, 2013

18. The Complete Crumb Comics Volume 2

Some More Early Years of Bitter Struggle

1959-1964 - Intro by Marty Pahls

Little Billy Bean
Fun With Jim and Mabel
Jim
Fritz the Cat
Fritz the Cat
Fritz the Cat
Roberta Smith, Office Girl (American Greeting newsletter, also in Promethean Ent. #5)
R. Crumb Comics and Stories (Rip Off Press, 1969)
Sketchbooks March-April 1962
Ecolian
Arcade
letters to Marty Pahls [Note]
letters to Mike Britt [Farb]
cover: Arcade # 9
cover: Arcade # 26
cover: R. Crumb Comics and Stories
Sketchbooks April-December 1962

This one is for real Crumb fans only (one step down from the hardcore fans). We're rolling along here on our way to the Crumb style most people are familiar with. And the exception of Little Billy Bean and the Notes and Farbs, which are just okay, we think this is all great stuff.

Most of it is unpublished elsewhere.

At the moment of this writing, the Fantagraphics website says a reprint of this volume is AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER.

* 7. Drawn Together (repost)

Well now THAT'S weird.....

Post Number 7 has DISAPPEARED!

So to recap: you'll need DRAWN TOGETHER by Bob & Aline Crumb, along with many guest appearances, like Sophie Crumb, Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman and more!

17. The Complete Crumb Comics Volume 1

The Early Years of Bitter Struggle

Extended Edition (reprint)

1958-1962 - Intro by Marty Pahls

    Report From the Brussels World's Fair (Foo # 1)
    My Encounter With Dracula (Foo # 2)
    Clod of the Month Award (Foo # 2)
    Khruschev Visits U.S. (Foo # 3)
    Noah's Ark (Foo # 3)
    Treasure Island Days [w/ Charles Crumb]
    Cat Life
    Robin Hood
    Animal Town
    Fuzzy and Brombo
    letters to Marty Pahls [Almanac]
    covers: Arcade # 4 ; # 5; # 6; # 9; # 22; #26
    title page Arcade # 22

    A Christmas Tale
    One Page Strips
    Animal Town
    Animal Town
    Animal Town
    Mabel
    A Sad Comic Strip
    The Complete Arcade # 22 featuring Animal Town and Jim
(not in the original edition)

Okay, we're going to be completely honest here. This one is for hardcore Crumb fans only. This is very early stuff, some of it not immediately recognizable as Crumb's work. Taken as part of the entire catalog of art, along with Crumb's biography, there is some really interesting stuff here. But the casual fan won't be interested (unless you like the old-old-school Crumb girls).

Most of this stuff is unpublished elsewhere. Foo was a self-published comic made and sold (almost) by Robert & Charles Crumb.

Highlights:

- pp. 91, 93, 94, 108 bottom strip

- Fritz strip beginning p. 111

- gorgeous girls on p.133, 135, 157, 164, 165, 171-188, 191

You need the reprint edition, otherwise you won't get The Complete Arcade # 22. At the moment of this writing, the Fantagraphics website says this volume is SOLD OUT.