The Complete Crumb Comics
| Complete Crumb Comics | |
|---|---|
Cover to Volume 3 of the Complete Crumb Comics
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fantagraphics Books |
| Schedule | irregular |
| Genre | Underground comix |
| Publication date | 1987 – 2005 |
| Number of issues | 17 |
| Creative team | |
| Creator(s) | Robert Crumb |
The Complete Crumb Comics is an award-winning series of collections from Fantagraphics Books which was intended to reproduce the entire body of American cartoonist and comic book artist/writer Robert Crumb's comics work in chronological order, beginning with his fanzine work from as early as 1958.
While the series was intended to be complete, there is some material missing (most notably The Yum Yum Book, the copyright of which is owned by Crumb's ex-wife Dana,[1] but which has otherwise been in print as Big Yum Yum Book: the Story of Oggie and the Beanstalk).
Its publication is considered to have brought more serious attention to Crumb's oeuvre, and was one of the earliest attempts to collect a cartoonist's full body of work.[2] The series lasted 17 volumes and was published up until 2005. After this, Crumb's work will be collected in individually titled collections, and not be part of the official numbered series.[note 1]
Contents
Volumes
All volumes have been published at some point in both softcover and hardcover editions. Two box sets have also been produced, collected Volumes #1-5 and #6-10, with a slip case and signed plate, limited to 400 sets each.
The first two volumes contain material going back as far as Crumb's teenage years, from before he had had his comics professionally. Some consider this material to be non-essential, and that it would be better for a newcomer to start with later volumes.[note 2][note 3]
| Vol | Year | Title | Period | ISBN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 1987 | The Early Years of Bitter Struggle | 1958–1962 | ISBN 0-930193-42-3 | Introduction by Marty Pahls Expanded in 2012[2] |
| 2 | May 1988 | Some More Early Years of Bitter Struggle | 1959–1964 | ISBN 978-0-930193-62-1 | Introduction by Marty Pahls |
| 3 | 1988 | Starring Fritz the Cat | 1960-1966 | ISBN 0-930193-79-2 | 1989 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[3] Introduction by Marty Pahls |
| 4 | Dec 1988 | Mr. Sixties! | 1966–1967 | ISBN 978-0-930193-79-9 | Reproduces Zap #0 and #1 |
| 5 | 1990 | Happy Hippy Comix | 1967–1969 | ISBN 0-930193-92-X | Reprints stories from East Village Other (1967-1968), Zap # 2-3 (1968), Bijou # 1 (1968), Motor City # 1 (1969), and other publications (1968-1969) |
| 6 | 1990 | On the Crest of a Wave | ISBN 1-56097-057-X | 1991 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[4] includes the notoriously X-rated Joe Blow |
|
| 7 | 1991 | Hot 'n' Heavy | 1970–1971 | ISBN 978-1-56097-061-3 | 1992 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[5] |
| 8 | 1992 | Featuring the Death of Fritz the Cat | 1972 | ISBN 1-56097-076-6 | |
| 9 | 1992 | R. Crumb versus the Sisterhood | ISBN 978-1-56097-107-8 | ||
| 10 | 1994 | Crumb Advocates Violent Overthrow | ISBN 1-56097-138-X | 1995 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[6] | |
| 11 | 1995 | MR. NATURAL COMMITTED TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION!!! | ISBN 978-1-56097-172-6 | 1996 Eisner Award for Best Archival Collection;[7] 1996 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[8] | |
| 12 | 1996 | We're Livin' in the "Lap o' Luxury"! | 1976–1979 | ISBN 978-1-56097-264-8 | |
| 13 | 1998 | The Season of the Snoid | 1976–1980 | ISBN 978-1-56097-296-9 | |
| 14 | 2001 | The Early 1980s and Weirdo Magazine | Early 1980s | ISBN 978-1-56097-413-0 | earliest Weirdo comics |
| 15 | 2001 | Featuring Mode O'Day and her Pals | Mid-1980s | ISBN 978-1-56097-413-0 | Introduction by Peter Bagge |
| 16 | 2002 | The Mid-1980s: More Years of Valiant Struggle | ISBN 1-56097-460-5 | ||
| 17 | 2005 | Cave Wimp, Mode O'Day, Aline 'N' Bob, R. Crumb Goes to the Academy Awards | ISBN 1-56097-537-7 |
Awards
| Year | Organization | Volume | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Harvey Awards | 3 | Best Domestic Reprint Project |
| 1991 | 6 | ||
| 1992 | 7 | ||
| 1995 | 10 | ||
| 1996 | Eisner Awards | 11 | Best Archival Collection |
| 1997 | Harvey Awards | 12 | Best Domestic Reprint Project |
Notes
- ↑ Volume 17 of "The Complete Crumb Comics", which will be the final volume in the numbered series of compilations. Subsequent volumes will be individually titled collections of various bodies of work, such as "Hup" and "Mystic Funnies."
- ↑ "Avoid
The first two volumes of Complete Crumb consist of early work from his teen-age years and early '20s, and thus are for serious fans who want to see how far he's progressed. It's awkward, juvenile material[...]and really not the place for neophytes to start. Wait until you get a feel for his later work and personality before diving into these books."
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References
- ↑ Pahls, Marty. Introduction to The Complete Crumb Comics Vol 2. Fantagraphics Books 1988. ISBN 978-0-930193-62-1
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External links
- Series product page at Fantagraphics Books' website
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