This year I fully expect Robert Crumb’s new graphic novel; “The Book Of Genesis” to be everywhere. The press for it will be huge. There will be glowing reviews and articles on Crumb’s cultural position in the Guardian, there will be scathing attacks on Crumb’s book from the religious right and I can even see the Sun getting involved if the promotions team at his UK publisher, Jonathan Cape, really push the boat out on it’s publicity.
(Crumb’s Book Of Genesis. Image borrowed from Tom Spurgeon’s Comics Reporter.)
Because the “Book Of Genesis” is THE Book Of Genesis. God. The Creation. Adam. Eve. Floods etc etc.
“According to his publisher, Jonathan Cape, Robert Crumb’s Book of Genesis is a “scandalous satire” which “presents a complex, even subversive, narrative that calls for a significant re-examination of both the Bible’s content and its role in our culture”. It will be published simultaneously in the US and the UK on 19 October.” (From the Guardian Mar 31st 2009)
I can see the headlines now. But in the run up to that I can see the comics press (us included) jumping on every little morsel and flogging the hell out of it. This week saw the New Yorker print an 11 page preview of the book. I haven’t been able to find it online yet; the New Yorker is a pay subscription site, but I’d imagine it will appear somewhere at some point. if you happen to find it online, please post the link into the comments.
Guardian article March 31 2009.
New Yorker article June 1 2009.
The Robert Crumb Book Of Genesis should be published in October.
Sat, Jun 6, 2009
General, News