The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book

Whole Earth, Spring, 1998 by Phil Frank

The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book

Peter Poplaski, ed. 1997:256 pp, $40. Little, Brown and Company.

Crumb, in my opinion, is not of this society. He exists beside it. He is our best observer of the American social scene and he is his own favorite subject. Everything he draws is a peek inside the dark corners of his psyche. It is constantly fascinating, inevitably bizarre, and always beautifully drawn. Most cartoonists (myself included) are just that--cartoonists. Robert Crumb is a real artist. Cartooning is his medium of choice. It is his first love, his escape, his sexual release, and his therapist.

Welcome to his big book (11" x 13" x 1"), jammed with lots of the oft-seen Crumb classics, some seldom seen, and many that are new. You've seen the movie. You've met his family. You've read the cartoon revelations of his childhood and the acid years. You've watched him grapple with his sexuality and his political incorrectness. Now, see the entire enchilada crammed into one book. I think you'll enjoy it. I did.