Among the more unusual figures in the art world is cartoonist Robert Crumb (or R. Crumb, as he signs his work), whose upcoming August 30 birthday will be his 77th. “I was born weird,” he’s said, and anyone familiar with his contributions to the underground comix movement of the 1960s and 70s has no doubt of that statement’s truth. A seminal figure in counterculture cartooning, Crumb is most famous for creating the characters Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, and the iconic “Keep on Truckin’” guy with the slouching walk and huge shoes seen in posters hanging on countless college dorm room walls.

Crumb’s art has been both praised and condemned for its singular blend of satire, eccentric drawing style, and touchy subject matter that includes violence and grotesque sexuality. He’s been attacked by feminists for his depictions of women and by other critics, including cartoonists, for his inclusion of racial stereotypes, though he defends their use as holding up a mirror to society’s bigotry. But he’s been celebrated by nearly everyone for his imaginative imagery, bizarre humor, and unflinching willingness to expose both his own and America’s hang-ups.

In 1972, Ralph Bakshi’s Fritz the Cat became the first X-rated animated film ever made. Though it was based on Crumb’s own cartoons and turned out to be a huge hit, Crumb disliked it and fell out with Bakshi afterwards. So distasteful was the experience for him, he actually killed off Fritz in a later comic so he would never have to draw the character again. Crumb was also unhappy with the portrayal of himself (by actor James Urbaniak) in American Splendor (2003), an innovative mix of autobiography, documentary, and animation about the life of friend and fellow underground cartoonist Harvey Pekar (2003).

He fares much better, however, in the major cinematic work devoted to him, Crumb, a 1995 documentary that provides a rich and revealing introduction to his life and strange family background, innovative work, and dyspeptic outlook on the world. It won raves from critics and several major awards, including the Documentary Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. (It was snubbed by the Academy Awards, however, causing a scandal.) Directed by Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World), it took nine years to complete and is on a few lists of the best documentaries ever made. Reportedly, Crumb wasn’t much impressed with it, but he hasn’t spent his life bashing it either, so presumably he’s less dissatisfied with this film than with the others.

August must be the month for oddball artists. We’ve come around again to the first one I wrote about for this newsletter, Andy Warhol. Here’s a brief blast from the past: “Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to ignore the impact he had on modern art and American popular culture.  With his distinct look and outsize celebrity status, it’s no surprise he showed up as a character in movies recounting the feverish New York City art scene of the 1960s and 1970s.  He’s been portrayed by Jared Harris in I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) and Guy Pearce in Factory Girl (2006), films centered on women who were part of Warhol’s circle.  But most memorable is musician David Bowie’s otherworldly turn as the older Warhol in Basquiat, a 1996 biographical film about Jean-Michel Basquiat, the New York graffiti artist turned 1980s Pop Art sensation with Warhol’s help.”

A year later, it’s all still true!

Recordings of the the recent Art in the Afternoon programs on Zoom are now available on the ArtiFactory YouTube channel.