Sunday, December 4, 2016

New R. Crumb Etching: "Le Monde Selon Crumb"

RCRUMB.COM is proud to announce the release of our new Crumb Etching Edition. 

This illustration was originally drawn in 1991 as a poster for a comic show in Angouleme, France. At the top of the poster are the French words "Le Monde Selon Crumb" which translates to The World According to Crumb. These are some of the characters exploding from Crumb's head: Devil Girl, Flakey Foont, Stan Schnooter, a Ruff-Tuff Cream-puff, Fritz the Cat, Patricia Pig, Angelfood McSpade, the Id, Eggs Ackley, Doggo, the Vulture Demoness, Snoid and last but not least, Mr. Natural.


It's interesting that Mr. Natural is saying "Nov Shmoz K' Pop"
in this etching because there was speculation that Crumb's Mr. Natural character was influenced by Gene Ahern's character The Little Hitchhiker found in the funny papers in the 1930's and '40's. The Little Hitchhiker would only speak in Slavic-sounding gibberish, and he indeed did say "Nov Shmoz Ka Pop." But after speaking with Robert about this, he told me he was not consciously influenced by Ahern's character when he created Mr. Natural in 1966.  According to Crumb, he was drawing in his sketchbook while in Chicago listening to the radio when the DJ referred to someone who wore their hair in the then fashionable "afro" hair style as "Mr. Natural". So many years later, as a joke, Robert drew Mr. Natural saying "Nov Shmoz K' Pop" after he reread Don Fiene's theory (written in his book R. Crumb Checklist) about when and how Mr. Natural was created. Complicated and perhaps unimportant, but I'm just trying to keep everything straight!


This 40 print edition is numbered, signed and dated by Crumb. The white Hahnemuhle paper is 12 by 14 inches. The embossed area is 8 x  9.75 inches. The image is 7 x 8.5 inches. Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed.

Sorry Folks, Sold Out!