On New Year Eve’s Day, Jesse was involved in a serious automobile accident on Highway 101 in Northern California, as he was on his way to pick up his wife Erica. He died on January 3rd in critical care. He never regained consciousness.
However erratic, Jesse was a kind and extremely sensitive person who will be missed by many who knew him. I worked with him for more than 10 years. It was his energy and vision that brought Crumb’s serigraph editions to fruition. He acted as a liaison between Robert and me, the printer, and it was, initially, fun and exciting to work with him.
Jesse originally started the website crumbproducts.com on his own. After a few years, the site proved to be high-maintenance, and he offered to sell it to me with his continued counsel and guidance. Not only were his ideas inventive and creative, but we still implement the graphic look he developed for the site because it’s so effective.
He was a talented artist in his own right, but growing up in the shadows of his father was no easy task — one that no one felt more keenly than Jesse.
He married his high school sweetheart Erica–they were together for more than thirty years. This is obviously a difficult time for her. Robert and Aline have offered to assist in any way they can, as have I and others who have had the pleasure to know both Jesse and Erica. Our thoughts and prayers are with both of them.
Alex Wood
