Jelly Roll Morton's Voodoo Curse!

In 2002, Crumb created a new illustration for the cover of The Complete Crumb, Volume 16. This year, he enlarged that drawing (and edited other elements) to create our new serigraph edition. This is an edition of 90 prints using 17 colors. The image size is 12" x 11." The white paper is 19" x 18." Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity and your complete satisfaction or your money back. Signed by Robert Crumb. Below is the copy Crumb wrote for the certificate:

Jelly Roll Morton's Voodoo Curse

This drawing was originally made for the cover of The Complete Crumb, Volume 16 (2002), which contained a story of the same name, which in turn originally appeared in an issue of Raw Magazine (issue #7, 1985). This story was my graphic adaptation from a segment of the book Mister Jelly Roll by Alan Lomax, published in 1950. In this book, Lomax transcribed Jelly Roll Morton himself telling his own life story, recorded by Lomax for the Library of Congress circa 1940. These recordings of Jelly Roll Morton, in which he intermittently plays tunes on the piano and talks, are now commercially available to the public in a multi-volume set.

Jelly Roll Morton was born in New Orleans in the early 1880's of "Creole" parentage. Morton claimed that he "invented" jazz music in the year 1902. Although an arrogant, overbearing character, Morton was, in fact, a superior musician, composer and band leader. His career culminated in the late 1920's, a period in which he recorded many jazz masterpieces, mostly his own compositions, piano solos as well as small and large band performances.

Morton's supreme self-confidence began to falter around 1930 and bit by bit the trappings of worldly success fell away from him. His music publishing business failed, he suffered loss of prestige among his colleagues, his personal life went all to pieces. He attributed these misfortunes to the "underground forces" of Voodoo – the power of curses, spells, rituals, powders and potions imbued with the psychic power to cause him harm or bring bad luck. New Orleans, where he came from, had a very strong tradition of "Black Arts." Superstition? Who can say? I wouldn't presume.

-- R. Crumb, Southern France, 2014

$340 Each

Buy Me 

All Four Hup Titles Now Available!

The Official Crumb Site is very pleased to announce the release of Crumb's Hup comics. Part of a four series collection, these comic books have been out of print for many years now. Written and drawn in the early '80's, Crumb brings back Mr. Natural and Flakey Foont and also introduces Cheryl Borck, The Devil Girl! 

Many of Crumb's readers are only familiar with his work from the late 60's and early 70's. Yes, of course he created many inspired comics at that time. But the Hup Series takes on a whole new level of story-telling. In 1977, Crumb and his friend Terry Zwigoff spent months and months writing and rewriting scripts of Whiteman Meets Bigfoot to present to several producers in Hollywood. Crumb learned a lot about outlining, scripting and writing during that, what turned out to be, unsuccessful project. But it wasn't entirely unsuccessful; his comics changed after that. Instead of sitting down and starting with an empty page and letting the drawing lead him on, now Crumb would write the story before he drew it. It changed the cohesive nature of the strips, while strengthening his own style of writing and tempo. His illustrating had become stronger too.

Hup 1 starts with the Ruff-tuff Cream-Puffs as they Take Charge! Crumb amazingly predicts the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld Administration, which occurred some twenty years after he drew the piece. Next Crumb brings back Mr. Natural! Then the famous My Troubles with Women Part 2 follows that and Crumb finishes with Mr. Natural's return, but only this time with Cheryl Borck, the Devil Girl!

Hup #1 $5 Each  Buy Me 

Hup 2 presents The Mighty Power Fems, Crumb's x-rated satire of super hero comics. Next is his hilarious If I Were King, finishing off with the continuation of Flakey Foont's obsession with The Devil Girl in The Meeting. Who could blame him?

Hup #2 $5 Each  Buy Me 

Hup 3 (1989) contains: Crumb's whimsical, allegorical satire of himself with The Story of My Life!; an abridged excerpt of Sartre's Nausea; Crumb's take on the ugliness of America (Donald Trump); and the continuing story of Mr. Natural, Flakey Foont and THE DEVIL GIRL!

Hup #3 $5 Each  Buy Me 

Hup 4 (1992) contains: Can You Stand Alone and Face Up To the Universe?; Crumb illustrates his excursion to the Academy Awards; Crumb continues his obsession with women with You Can't Have Them All (Magnificent Specimens I Have Seen); and Crumb concludes with Mr. Natural, Flakey Foont and, what is to be the last story depicting THE DEVIL GIRL.

Hup #4 $5 Each  Buy Me 

 Please visit the Official R.Crumb Site (http://www.rcrumb.com) for more Crumb comix.

Upcoming Serigraph Edition

Crumb has revised and enlarged a drawing he made for the cover of The Complete Crumb Volume 16 (published in 2002) titled Jelly Roll Morton's Voodoo Curse. He made specific color changes and we are in the process of printing it right now. The expected 100 piece edition will be finished by the time Crumb is on the west coast so he can sign the edition without the added transatlantic shipping expense (and customs hassle). It will be finished, signed and released in late May. Below is a black-and-white preview of the image, which will be printed in full color.

New Comix Release

  

The Official R.Crumb Site is very pleased to announce the release of Crumb's Hup 1 and Hup 2 comics books. Part of a four series collection (Hup 3 and Hup 4 will be released next month), these comic books have been out of print for many years now. Written and drawn in the early '80s, Crumb brings back Mr. Natural and Flakey Foont and also introduces Cheryl Borck, The Devil Girl! 

Many of Crumb's readers are only familiar with his work from the late '60s and early '70s. Yes, of course he created many inspired comics at that time. But the Hup Series takes on a whole new level of story-telling. In 1977, Crumb and his friend Terry Zwigoff spent months and months writing and rewriting scripts of Whiteman Meets Bigfoot to present to several producers in Hollywood. Crumb learned a lot about outlining, scripting and writing during that, what turned out to be, unsuccessful project. But it wasn't entirely unsuccessful; his comics changed after that. Instead of sitting down and starting with an empty page and letting the drawing lead him on, now Crumb would write the story before he drew it. It changed the cohesive nature of the strips, while strengthening his own style of writing and tempo. His illustrating had become stronger too. 

Hup 1 starts with the Ruff-tuff Cream-Puffs as they Take Charge! Crumb amazingly predicts the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld Administration, which occurred some twenty years after he drew the piece. Next Crumb brings back Mr. Natural! Then the famous My Troubles with Women Part 2 follows that and Crumb finishes with Mr. Natural's return, but only this time with Cheryl Borck, the Devil Girl!

Hup 2 presents The Mighty Power Fems, Crumb's x-rated satire of super hero comics. Next is his hilarious If I Were King, finishing off with the continuation of Flakey Foont's obsession with The Devil Girl in The Meeting. Who could blame him?

Hup #1 $5 Each  Buy Me 

Hup #2 $5 Each  Buy Me  

 Please visit the Official R.Crumb Site (http://www.rcrumb.com) for more Crumb comix.

New "Crumb on Others" Interview

Read the latest "Crumb on Others" interview (part eight) between Robert and Wildwood Serigraphs publisher Alex Wood. Crumb gives his opinions on the famous and infamous, including frank comments on his parents and brother Charles.

Also, we have updated our collection of Robert's Custom Signatures on prints made by Wildwood over the last twelve years with new submissions by our readers, thank you.

New Site Design

Please check out our new "mobile-friendly" site design. The site is now viewable on phones and tablets, as well as computers.

(http://www.rcrumb.com)

The R.Crumb Site is pleased to announce a new etching edition, 

On the Crest of a Wave.

In 1990, Crumb drew this cartoon for the cover of Fantagraphic's The Complete Crumb Volume 6. The volume contained his work created on the crest of the wave, late 1969 and early 1970, just before the youth movement came crashing down. Crumb's talents as an editorial cartoonist are well displayed here, humorously summarizing his generation's youthful and naive expectation for a better world. Crumb recently told printer Alex Wood, "There were very few people who were aware the wave was going to crash when we were on the crest." And the cartoon depicts this: there are several terrified hippies who are aware of the impending confrontation with reality. Crumb reworked the illustration for this etching edition.

Image size: aproximately 9" x 7". Emboss size: 10" x 8.5". Paper size: 14" x 13".

Printed on archival Hahnemuhle paper. 50 in the edition, 5 artist proofs, 3 printer proofs. Guaranteed satisfaction.

$350 Each  

Buy Me 

 Please visit the Official R.Crumb Site (http://www.rcrumb.com) for more authorized Robert Crumb prints.