Kenny spotted this article in the NYT over the weekend: the New York Times in anticipation of the release of Aline Kominsky-Crumb’s book – “Need More Love” – has an article touching on the domestic lives of the “World’s Only Cartooning couple” as they brand themselves in one of the cartoons accompanying the piece (not sure we would agree: “only” – probably most famous though – we shouldn’t ignore Matt Madden/Jessica Abel or Eleanor Davis/Drew Weing). It touches on comics, discussing the couples cartooning history together and briefly Crumb’s adaptation of “The Bible” which he has embarked on – the report having him working still on Genesis – so a ways to go there then. It also paints a slightly ‘Hello’ magazine for freaks portrait of the band of counter-culture types and artisans who have slowly coalesced around them. Lots of revealing hints at the Crumb’s allegedly free lifestyle, part in village life and domestic photo’s including one of their doorbell!! All in all a fun read – and they look like they are having fun. As the Times has it, even Crumb seems content.
“In recent years he has taken to sitting in a chair every morning and meditating for 45 minutes, following the rising and falling of his breath. The resulting inner calm has changed his vibe. As a younger man he was a gerbil-like creature with a whiskery moustache and a twitchy demeanour. Now he seems more like a small Lincoln or van Gogh, a bearded, although still bony, thinker with a certain gravity.”
(Photo borrowed from NYT, taken by Allen Salken)
The link picked up from Phoebe Gloeckner’s always interesting, occasionally harrowing site. Phoebe is a giant of alt comics who we don’t see enough new material from – her blog and website will give you a clue why as she takes part in many other projects like teaching at the University of Michigan. Hopefully there will be a new book soon – when there is go buy it.
Also over the weekend Boing Boing posted a link to Cryptomundo, home of the more unusual animals tales and images, who have posted up some cover by R. Crumb for the old journal Fate (”true stories of the strange and unknown”). I never realised how many possibly mythical creatures had large bottoms.
January 29th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Good one.
What you show in your blog from my blog on “R. Crumb and Bigfoot” at Cryptomundo, however, is the cover of a book owned by the company now publishing Fate, not the Bigfoot cover from Fate, two of which appear in my blog.
Keep on truckin’
Loren Coleman
Cryptozoologist, Author