The Complete Crumb Comics
Encyclopedia
The Complete Crumb Comics was 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, but which is otherwise in print as of 2011 as Big Yum Yum Book: the Story of Oggie and the Beanstalk).
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.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."
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.
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
which was intended to reproduce the entire body of American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist/writer Robert Crumb
Robert Crumb
Robert Dennis Crumb —known as Robert Crumb and R. Crumb—is an American artist, illustrator, and musician recognized for the distinctive style of his drawings and his critical, satirical, subversive view of the American mainstream.Crumb was a founder of the underground comix movement and is regarded...
'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, but which is otherwise in print as of 2011 as Big Yum Yum Book: the Story of Oggie and the Beanstalk).
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.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."
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.
| Vol | Year | Title | Period | ISBN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 1987 | Early Years of Bitter Struggle | 1958-1962 | ISBN 0-930139-42-3 | Introduction by Marty Pahls |
| 2 | May 1988 | Some More Early Years of Bitter Struggle | 1959-1964 | ISBN 978-0930193621 | Introduction by Marty Pahls |
| 3 | 1988 | Starring Fritz the Cat | 1960-1966 | ISBN 0-930193-79-2 | 1989 Harvey Award Harvey Award The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are... for Best Domestic Reprint Project 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 | |
| 6 | 1990 | On the Crest of a Wave | ISBN 1-56097-057-X | 1991 Harvey Award Harvey Award The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are... for Best Domestic Reprint Project includes the notoriously X-rated Joe Blow |
|
| 7 | 1991 | Hot 'n' Heavy | 1970-1971 | ISBN 978-1-56097-061-3 | 1992 Harvey Award Harvey Award The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are... for Best Domestic Reprint Project |
| 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 Harvey Award The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are... for Best Domestic Reprint Project |
|
| 11 | 1995 | MR. NATURAL COMMITED TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION!!! | ISBN 978-1-56097-172-6 | 1996 Eisner Award Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the... for Best Archival Collection |
|
| 12 | 1996 | We're Livin' in the "Lap o' Luxury"! | 1976-1979 | ISBN 978-1-56097-264-8 | 1997 Harvey Award Harvey Award The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are... for Best Domestic Reprint Project |
| 13 | 1998 | The Season of the Snoid | 1976–1980 | ISBN 978-1-56097-296-9 | |
| 14 | 2001 | The Early '80s 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 Peter Bagge Peter Bagge is an American cartoonist. He is the creator of Buddy Bradley, Hate, Neat Stuff, Martini Baton, and Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd and Other Lives. His stories often use black humor and exaggerated cartooning to dramatize the reduced expectations of middle-class American youth... |
| 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 Award Harvey Award The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are... s |
3 | Best Domestic Reprint Project |
| 1991 | 6 | ||
| 1992 | 7 | ||
| 1995 | 10 | ||
| 1996 | Eisner Award Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the... s |
11 | Best Archival Collection |
| 1997 | Harvey Award Harvey Award The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are... s |
12 | Best Domestic Reprint Project |
External links
- Series product page at Fantagraphics BooksFantagraphics BooksFantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
' website