Biography for
Robert Crumb (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

Spouse

Trade Mark

Raunchy, bitter and often disturbingly strange underground comic books stories that often had a strong, sometimes violent, objectification of women.

Wears black frame glasses and a boater hat.

Trivia

Gifted cartoonist who first achieved fame with his "Keep On Truckin'" character he named "Mr. Natural."

Created characters like Fritz the Cat and the Snoid.

Self-taught artist.

Plays the ukelele.

Has recorded and performed with two jazz bands: "R. Crumb and his Keep On Truckin' Orchestra" and "R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders"

Is often credited with creating the first "underground" comic book, "Zap Comix".

Worked with American Greetings as a color seperator and greeting card illustrator.

Has a large collection of vintage 78 RPM records, mostly rare jazz from the 1920's.

Is an accomplished banjo player.

His daughter, Sophie Crumb, is an accomplished cartoonist in her own right. 2004 saw the publication of her own comic book, "Belly Button Comix".

Friend of underground "everyman" comic writer Harvey Pekar and independent filmmaker Terry Zwigoff.

Animation legend Matt Groening ("The Simpsons" (1989) and "Life Is Hell") was a fan in his youth and still is, though he keeps Crumb's books hidden from his own children.

Is the most famous and successful underground cartoonist in history and was the first to become mainstream.

Drew the famed cover for the Big Brother & The Holding Co. "Cheap Thrills" album featuring Janis Joplin. Encouraged by the strong response, other record labels offered Crumb similar deals, but he turned them all down.

Turned down an offer to appear as a guest band on "Saturday Night Live" (1975) with his band, the Cheap Suit Serenaders.

Credits his older brother Charles Crumb for introducing him to art as a means of venting his emotional distress. Charles would actually bully Robert into drawing and creating.

Brother of Maxon Crumb, son of Beatrice Crumb, father of Jesse Crumb.

Was portrayed by James Urbaniak in American Splendor (2003).

Brother of Sandra and Carole.

Brother Charles committed suicide a year after the filming of _Crumb (1994 documentary)_.

Personal Quotes

"You must thank the gods for art, those of us who have been fortunate enough to stumble onto this means of venting our craziness, our meanness, our towering disgust."

"People now don't have any concept that there was ever a culture outside of this thing that was created to make money. Whatever is the biggest, latest thing, they're into it. You get disgusted after a while at humanity."

[Putting to rest rumors that he hung out with the Grateful Dead in the 1960s]: "I never had anything to do with those guys. I hated their music. I went to some of their concerts and fell asleep."

(On Adults only Animation pioneer Ralph Bakshi): "He wanted to be the new hip Walt Disney. He was so neurotic and high-strung. He had beads of sweat all down his head."

(On the hit movie "Fritz the Cat" which was based on his comics): "They put words in Fritz's mouth I never would've had him say. It was not my movie. I had nothing to do with it. They just used a couple of my stories. But a lot of people seem to think I was involved - that bothers me."

Where Are They Now

(February 2001) Presently living in the south of France with his wife and daughter.

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