Crumb de l'underground à la Genèse

In front of the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris

Exhibition handout, Signed R. Crumb

Exhibition catalog

Exhibition poster, signed R. Crumb

The Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris held what is possibly the largest ever retrospective of Crumb's work. It was mind-bogging to see all the stuff he has done over the years. Really quite prolific! The accompanying catalog is exhaustive featuring a repertoire of his main works.

Quiet Study

Robert Crumb, Quiet Study, 2009, Etching, 12 x 15 inches (embossed area 9 x 6 inches, image 7.8 x 4.8 inches), Number 25 of edition of 45, signed "R. Crumb '09" lower right.

Wildwood etching released in November 2009. Supposedly one of Crumb's favorite drawings. Appears in Odds & Ends; originated as a 1990 calendar for Carlson & Turner bookstore (where the title is listed as "The Book Reader").

Flag of the European Union

“The circle of gold stars represents solidarity and harmony between the peoples of Europe...There are twelve stars because the number twelve is traditionally the symbol of perfection, completeness and unity. ”—"The European Flag" http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/index_en.htm

Robert Crumb. 2009. Flag of the European Union. Color computer print. 11 3/4 by 8 1/4 inches. Signed "R. Crumb Prague 2009" in lower right.

Crumb was commissioned to do a "flag" for the Prague Writers' Festival. Michael March, the President of the festival, gave me the copy above which Mr. Crumb kindly signed when I met him in Prague. The flag was hung in the interior of the Laterna Magika theater during the festival.

Robert Crumb presenting Janet Joplin with Cheap Thrills

Drew Friedman. 2009. Cheap Thrills. Pigment ink on heavyweight (310g) natural white rag paper. Image area is 13-3/4" high x 13-5/8" wide on an untrimmed 22" x 17" sheet. Signed "11/30-Cheap Thrills-Drew Friedman" on the bottom. © Drew Friedman.

Drew Friedman did this image of Crumb presenting his Cheap Thrills album cover to Janis Joplin, an incident taking place in 1968. The scene is described here. Friedman is a long time colleague of Crumb, contributed to Weirdo magazine and counts Crumb as his favorite artist. The Friedman technique is ingenious and detailed with masterful daubs of color to simulate a photo. The technical details regarding the print production is here.

A Short History of America

Robert Crumb. 2009. Print. A Short History of America. Giclee color print. 24 x 20 inches (paper size) 22 x 15 inches (image size). Limited edition. Signed "59/500" in lower right.

Crumb's iconic drawing of the transformation of America. A fair number of reproductions have been made over the years. It has also been transformed into a YouTube video to the music of Joni Mitchell (whose portrait was done by artist Mary Fleener).

☜Robert Crumb. "A Short History of America." CoEvolution Quarterly. Fall 1979. # 23. pp 21-24.

The original came out as a four page black & white spread in the CoEvolution Quarterly. The answer to "WHAT NEXT?!!" in the last panel is answered almost a decade later in a back cover for an issue of The Whole Earth Review.

There's a black and white YouTube version set to piano music.

Cheap Thrills

Robert Crumb. 2008 (original 1968). Cheap Thrills. Giclee print. Numbered "147/500" in lower right. Paper Size: 23" x 24" Image Size: 17" x 17".

Crumb's iconic Cheap Thrills cover for Janis Joplin and her Big Brother and the Holding Company band second album. Each song is illustrated with a different cartoon. The lettering, drawing, coloring and overall composition are impeccable, showing off Crumb's skills at the peak of his "hippie" period.