Underground Classics

Robert Crumb. "Fight the Big Companies..." [Cover] In Denis Kitchen and James Danky. 2009. Underground Classics: The Transformation of Comics into Comix. Co-edition with Chazen Museum of Art. Abrams ComicArts. Signed "Dennis Kitchen 5/5/09" along with drawing on title page. Also signed by R. Crumb, A. Kominsky Crumb and Gilbert Shelton on pages 61, 92 and 119.

The catalog for the exhibition at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, Wisconsin, May 2 to July 12, 2009. This is a comprehensive catalog with works of all of the major American comix artists. There are also several essays that put the work into the socio-cultural context of the time as well as a number of photos that put a face behind the cartoonists. Essential reference for any comix lover.

CRUMB-ology & Checklist

Richter, Carl. 1995. CRUMB-ology: The Works of R. Crumb 1981-1994. Water Row Press.
---. 1998. Crumb-ology Supplement Summer 1994 to August 1998. Water Row Books.
Don Fiene. 1981. R. Crumb Checklist. Boatner Norton Press.

These three books are indispensable for any Crumb collector. They painstakinly document his huge output and are organized in a logical way. They also interrelate where the same piece is used in different media. The latest two were compiled by Carl Richter (covering works done between 1981-1994) and build upon the original groundbreaking work by Don Fiene (covering the period through 1981). A fairly comprehensive selection of work done since 1998 is compiled on Uncle Carl's What's New.