Spanning the most important part of his life, from the painful formative years of his early adolescence to the fame and fortune of his adulthood, this collection of underground giant Robert Crumb's personal correspondence sheds light on the artistic development, bitter struggle, and ultimate triumph of the greatest cartoonist of the 20th century. A powerful literary view into the mind of an artisic genius, and an entertaining read even for those few not familiar with Crumb's legendary body of work. The most exciting publishing event of the year.

I feel that my work is but a feeble expression of something that in itself is vague and doubtful ... Sometimes when I probe myself I find that my intentions in art aren't as sincere as they should be ... I realize that I'm fairly good at drawing, but you see that's only because I've done so much of it, and it seems sometimes that the only reason I have stuck at it so diligently is because I have to sort of get even with society for not accepting me ... Subconsciously I want to make myself immortal among men, leave my mark on the earth to compensate for social inadequacy ... So I draw.

This exclusive collection of haunting images of people and places reveals the tender side of R. Crumb, a 1960s counter-culture artist who broke into the fine art world with great acclaim.

The early work of the pioneering feminist cartoonist plus her acclaimed new story “Dream House" Aline Kominsky-Crumb immediately made her mark in the Bay Area’s underground comix scene with unabashedly raw, dirty, unfiltered comics chronicling the thoughts and desires of a woman coming of age in the 1960s. Kominsky-Crumb didn’t worry about self-flattery. In fact, her darkest secrets and deepest insecurities were all the more fodder for groundbreaking stories. Her exaggerated comix alter ego, Bunch, is self-destructive and grotesque but crackles with the self-deprecating humor and honesty of a cartoonist confident in the story she wants to tell. Collecting comics from the 1970s through today, Love That Bunch is shockingly prescient while still being an authentic story of its era. Kominsky-Crumb was ahead of her time in juxtaposing the contradictory nature of female sexuality with a proud, complicated feminism. Most important, she does so without apology. One of the most famous and idiosyncratic cartoonists of our time, Kominsky-Crumb traces her steps from a Beatles-loving fangirl, an East Village groupie, an adult grappling with her childhood, and a 1980s housewife and mother, to a new thirty-page story, “Dream House,” that looks back on her childhood forty years later. Love That Bunch will be Kominsky-Crumb’s only solo-authored book in print. Originally published as a book in 1990, this new expanded edition follows her to the present, including an afterword penned by the noted comics scholar Hillary Chute.

"For almost forty years, Robert Crumb has been at the forefront of the underground cartooning movement. From his early sketches for the newspaper Yarrowstalks to recent comic books such as Mystic Funnies, Crumb has both defined the world of "comix" and tested the limits of what makes a comic book story." "What's in this book? Crumb's complicated life is laid out and his numerous pop culture influences are cataloged. From Crumb's childhood letters and first attempts at comics to his vastly influential early books such as Zap and Motor City Comics, the most significant and interesting work by Crumb is analyzed. Also covered is Crumb's relationship to music, the movies by and about him, and the remarkable change his work took in the '80s. Also in this book, which is the first critical study of Crumb's work published in English, the cartoonist is assessed as an important writer. The book concludes with a rare interview with the reclusive cartoonist."--BOOK JACKET.

Collection of cartoons, caricatures and some comic strips by R. Crumb.

This accessible writer's guide provides a helpful framework for creating poetry and navigates contemporary concerns and practices. Stephen Dobyns, author of the classic book on the beauty of poetry, Best Words, Best Order, moves into new terrain in this remarkable book. Bringing years of experience to bear on issues such as subject matter, the mechanics of poetry, and the revision process, Dobyns explores the complex relationship between writers and their work. From Philip Larkin to Pablo Neruda to William Butler Yeats, every chapter reveals useful lessons in these renowned poets' work. Both enlightening and encouraging, Next Word, Better Word demystifies a subtle art form and shows writers how to overcome obstacles in the creative process.

Collects tributes to the controversial artist and underground comix pioneer by Roger Ebert, Alan Moore, Harvey Kurtzman, and Matt Groening.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1877.