History Creator / RobertCrumb

Robert Dennis Crumb (born August 30, 1943)is a UndergroundComics creator best known for ''Zap Comix'', "Keep on Truckin'", ''ComicBook/FritzTheCat'', ''Mr. Natural'' and the album cover for Big Brother and the Holding Company's ''Music/CheapThrills (1968)''. He began his career working for Topps and the American Greetings corporation; there, he drew several of the earliest ''Fritz the Cat'' comics and the graphic novel ''Oggie and the Beanstalk''. He had some work published by Harvey Kurtzman in ''Help!'' magazine, but [[EverybodyMustGetStoned experiences with LSD]] led him to create some of his best-known comics, which he either published himself or submitted to other underground publications.

R. Crumb is a UndergroundComics creator best known for ''Zap Comix'', "Keep on Truckin'", ''ComicBook/FritzTheCat'', ''Mr. Natural'' and the album cover for Big Brother and the Holding Company's ''Music/CheapThrills (1968)''. He began his career working for Topps and the American Greetings corporation; there, he drew several of the earliest ''Fritz the Cat'' comics and the graphic novel ''Oggie and the Beanstalk''. He had some work published by Harvey Kurtzman in ''Help!'' magazine, but [[EverybodyMustGetStoned experiences with LSD]] led him to create some of his best-known comics, which he either published himself or submitted to other underground publications.

* UsefulNotes/FurryFandom: Mostly enjoyed and drew only FunnyAnimal comics when he was younger; later in his career, he became less interested in this genre, and rarely draws anthropomorphic characters these days.

* ''Literature/TheBible'': Adapted and drew ''The Book of Genesis Illustrated''. Played straight throughout. Initially, Crumb planned to parody it but found the original text far more stranger, weirder and brilliantly written than he expected so he decided to ''illustrate'' it using the exact same words in the text, without alteration for narrative convenience.

* FollowTheLeader: Though not the first adult comic strip artist, nor even the first underground comics cartoonist, Crumb did become the most famous one in his field, inspiring countless graphic artists and cartoonists to draw whatever they damn well pleased. An entire industry of sex comics, politically subversive counterculture comics and autobiographical graphic novels can be directly attributed to them.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Outside of his parodies, LSD-inspired comics and FunnyAnimal work, Crumb is best known for autobiographical material drawn people and events in his real life. Crumb also drew some of the artwork for Creator/HarveyPekar's ''ComicBook/AmericanSplendor'', which is in the same vein, although not quite as grotesque as Crumb's often-disturbing depictions of his sexual history and fetishes.

* HeManWomanHater: Many of Crumb's comics were blatantly misogynistic, depicting abuse, assault and rape of women. His portrayals of women [[ItGetsBetter got better]] in the 1980s, however.

* HeyItsThatGuy!: Crumb sometimes gave characters from other franchises a cameo in his own work, including WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}}, [[Magazine/{{MadMagazine}} Alfred E. Neuman]], WesternAnimation/BugsBunny, Creator/TheMarxBrothers, [[Creator/CarlBarks Little Helper]], ComicStrip/{{Pud}} from the Dubble Bubble bubblegum comics,...

* NonstandardCharacterDesign/SharedUniverse: Aline Kominsky-Crumb would draw herself in ''Dirty Laundry'', while almost everything else was drawn by Robert. This led to an in-comic argument over her art skill. In a few ''Dirty Laundry'' stories, their daughter Sophie drew herself as well.

* NonstandardCharacterDesign: Aline Kominsky-Crumb would draw herself in ''Dirty Laundry'', while almost everything else was drawn by Robert. This led to an in-comic argument over her art skill. In a few ''Dirty Laundry'' stories, their daughter Sophie drew herself as well.

* AuthorAppeal: Crumb explains his ideal female body type [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fu0OW5tLy0 here]].

Became famous again in the 1990s as the subject of the critically-acclaimed biopic ''Crumb'', which is similar in many ways to ''ComicBook/AmericanSplendor'', the semi-autobiographical adaptation of the life of fellow underground cartoonist Harvey Pekar, which Crumb also contributed to. Crumb is a character in the movie adaptation of ''American Splendor'', played by James Urbaniak. Other artists heavily influenced by Crumb include [[ComicStrip/ZippyThePinhead Bill Griffith]], [[ComicBook/CartoonHistoryOfTheUniverse Larry Gonick]], and (early) [[ComicBook/{{Maus}} Art Spiegelman]].

Crumb's earliest comics could also be considered an early example of FurryFandom, being that he and his brother mostly enjoyed reading FunnyAnimal comics and drew these kinds of comics as children.

* FurryFandom: Mostly enjoyed and drew only FunnyAnimal comics when he was younger; later in his career, he became less interested in this genre, and rarely draws anthropomorphic characters these days.

* CreatorThumbprint: Among his non-sexual interests include classic cartoons and comics, blues and jazz music. He has an express dislike for modern-sounding music, recounting that he "fell asleep" at Music/TheGratefulDead and Music/JimiHendrix concerts, and thought that certain modern blues musicians would be more appealing to him if they played ''acoustic'' guitars, finding the sound of the electric guitar to be intolerable. Crumb also founded a retro-based band, the Cheap Suit Serenaders, which plays 1920s jazz, blues, country, Hawaiian and pop songs, although he hasn't played with them since the late 70s. (Another known member of the band, Terry Zwigoff, later directed the documentary ''Crumb'', and some mainstream films like ''Film/GhostWorld'', ''ComicBook/ArtSchoolConfidential'', and ''Film/BadSanta''.)

* CreatorThumbprint: Among his non-sexual interests include classic cartoons and comics, blues and jazz music. He has an express dislike for modern-sounding music, recounting that he "fell asleep" at Music/TheGratefulDead and Music/JimiHendrix concerts, and thought that certain modern blues musicians would be more appealing to him if they played ''acoustic'' guitars, finding the sound of the electric guitar to be intolerable. Crumb also founded a retro-based band, the Cheap Suit Serenaders, which plays 1920s jazz, blues, country, Hawaiian and pop songs, although he hasn't played with them since the late 70s. (Another known member of the band, Terry Zwigoff, later directed the documentary ''Crumb'', and some mainstream films like ''GhostWorld'', ''ComicBook/ArtSchoolConfidential'', and ''Film/BadSanta''.)

* AllWomenAreLustful: In Crumb's comics, anyway.

* Creator/FranzKafka: Crumb drew a graphic novel about him, combining comic book adaptations from scenes of his most famous novels and short stories, with analyses of Kafka's own life.

Became famous again in the 1990s as the subject of the critically-acclaimed biopic ''Crumb'', which is similar in many ways to ''ComicBook/AmericanSplendor'', the semi-autobiographical adaptation of the life of fellow underground cartoonist Harvey Pekar, which Crumb also contributed to. Other artists heavily influenced by Crumb include [[ComicStrip/ZippyThePinhead Bill Griffith]], [[ComicBook/CartoonHistoryOfTheUniverse Larry Gonick]], and (early) [[ComicBook/{{Maus}} Art Spiegelman]].

He also illustrated album covers, the most noteworthy example being ''Cheap Thrills'' ([[Music/JanisJoplin Big Brother and the Holding Company]]).

* ValueBeforeReason: Crumb has refused many commercial offers, despite sometimes needing the money, because he detested "selling out" and only took illustrating jobs he personally liked.

R. Crumb is a UndergroundComics creator best known for ''Zap Comix'', "Keep on Truckin'", ''ComicBook/FritzTheCat'', ''Mr. Natural'' and the album cover for Big Brother and the Holding Company's ''Cheap Thrills''. He began his career working for Topps and the American Greetings corporation; there, he drew several of the earliest ''Fritz the Cat'' comics and the graphic novel ''Oggie and the Beanstalk''. He had some work published by Harvey Kurtzman in ''Help!'' magazine, but [[EverybodyMustGetStoned experiences with LSD]] led him to create some of his best-known comics, which he either published himself or submitted to other underground publications.

** Angelfood McSpade too, hell, most women in his work.

** Crumb's work is highly personal and deals with many of his own interests, including his love for 1920s and 1930s music and his own sexual phantasies.

* PopCulturalOsmosis: Even if you've never heard of his work, you've seen "Mr. Natural" and his famous motto, ''"Keep on Truckin'!!"'' and other big-footed Crumb characters on the mudflaps of hippie truckers and bikers everywhere.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Outside of his parodies, LSD-inspired comics and FunnyAnimal work, Crumb is best known for autobiographical material drawn people and events in his real life. Crumb also drew some of the artwork for Harvey Pekar's ''American Splendor'', which is in the same vein, although not quite as grotesque as Crumb's often-disturbing depictions of his sexual history and fetishes.

R. Crumb is a UndergroundComics creator best known for ''Zap Comix'', "Keep on Truckin'", ''ComicBook/FritzTheCat'', ''Mr. Natural'' and the album cover for Big Brother and the Holding Company's ''Cheap Thrills''. He began his career working for Topps and the American Greetings corporation; there, he drew several of the earliest ''Fritz the Cat'' comics and the graphic novel ''Oggie and the Beanstalk''. He had some work published by Harvey Kurtzman in ''Help!'' magazine, but [[EverybodyMustGetStoned experiences with LSD]] led him to create some of his best-known comics, which he either published himself or submitted to other underground publications.

* CreatorBacklash: Crumb hated the Fritz the Cat movie so much he killed the character shortly after. [[spoiler: Fritz is killed by a jealous ex-girlfriend while he's on his way to a talk show to promote his movie.]]

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Many of the characters in Crumb's comics, particularly his autobiographical work, are drawn from his actual friends and family.

* ButtMonkey: [[UpToEleven Flakey Floont]]

Most recently, Crumb illustrated a comic book adaptation of the Book of Genesis. In his notes in the back of the volume, the gnostic Crumb points out with some pride that his comic book version of the Book of Genesis contains the whole Book, while most Christian comic book versions heavily abridge it.

Became famous again in the 1990s as the subject of the critically-acclaimed biopic ''Crumb'', which is similar in many ways to ''ComicBook/AmericanSplendor'', the semi-autobiographical adaptation of the life of fellow underground cartoonist Harvey Pekar, which Crumb also contributed to. Other artists heavily influenced by Crumb include [[ComicStrip/ZippyThePinhead Bill Griffith]], [[CartoonHistoryOfTheUniverse Larry Gonick]], and (early) [[ComicBook/{{Maus}} Art Spiegelman]].

* ''Literature/TheBible'': Adapted and drew ''The Book of Genesis Illustrated''. Played straight throughout.