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| ROBERT CRUMB |
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THE
BOOK OF
MR.
NATURAL |
| by Robert Crumb |
Paperback: 112 pages
Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 1560971940 |
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$12.95
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| Mr. Natural
is a 1960s guru, "th' only knower of th' cosmic mysteries alive at this
time." Calling him a "mystic madcap" gives the crass, less-than-compassionate
charlatan the benefit of the doubt. He is not particularly wise or helpful;
in fact, he's a lecherous, grumbling old geezer who gives advice such as
"When you arise in the morning, you should do last night's dirty dishes
. . . then you should sing a simple melody (of your own choice) . . . then
you should call somebody up (not me) . . . then go to the store . . . buy
some asparagus." |
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| 'twas ever thus!
True to the collection's
name and R. Crumb's reputation, the stories are sometimes sexually graphic
(especially in the scenes with Devil Girl) and a bit on the violent side.
Still, there's an innocent, upbeat quality to this comic reflection of
America's most notoriously freewheeling decade.
.
From Booklist , February
15, 1996
Seminal
underground comics artist Crumb has lately gained wider recognition, thanks
to an acclaimed documentary about him. Libraries wanting some representative
Crumb in the wake of the movie may be better served by this single volume
featuring one of his most famous creations than by the multivolume reprinting
of all of his work that Fantagraphics has about half-completed. The bearded,
robed, curmudgeonly guru Mr. Natural hasn't changed much since his 1967
debut. An ever-serene-but-horny philosopher-for-hire, dispensing enlightenment
to an undeserving world--is he a wise, grizzled mystic or a cynical charlatan?
A teller of timeless truths or a sixties anachronism?
Wherever
he appears, so do his most loyal acolyte, Flakey Foont, and his obsession,
the lusty Devil Girl. The collection constitutes a sheer delight for those
who have followed the Natch's exploits over the years, yet it is completely
accessible to nonaficionados--at least those undaunted by the raunchiness
that is another thing that hasn't changed since the sage's early days.
--Gordon
Flagg
Copyright©
1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved.
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| ROBERT CRUMB |
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THE
COMPLETE CRUMB
Volume Five:
HAPPY
HIPPY COMIX |
| by Robert Crumb |
Paperback
Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 093019392X |
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$18.95
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The publisher,Fantagraphics
Books
Alternative comics!
This
volume includes lots of early Mr. Natural stories, plus such disreputable
Crumb work as SNATCH and the "Angelfood McSpade" stories. Rarities include
the original, rarely seen alternate cover to "Cheap Thrills", an alternate
cover for ZAP #3, and much more!
--Chris
Jacobs
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| ROBERT CRUMB |
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THE
COMPLETE CRUMB
Volume Thirteen:
SEASON
OF THE SNOID |
| by Robert Crumb |
Paperback: 144 pages
Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 1560972963 |
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$18.95
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| Fantagraphics'
comprehensive collection of Crumb's work continues with this, the 13th
volume. |
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From Booklist
, May 15, 1998
Fantagraphics' series reprinting
all Crumb's comics in chronology reaches the late 1970s, when the Snoid
first appeared. That Crumb creation is a devilish imp, all id and no conscience,
that some say is an alter ego of Crumb. Other highlights here include early
collaborations with autobiographical comics writer Harvey Pekar and a color
section of covers Crumb drew for records by old-time blues and jazz musicians,
including his own band, the Cheap Suit Serenaders, that beautifully convey
his nostalgia for America's musical past. An even more heartfelt tribute
to a vanished America and one of Crumb's most acclaimed works, "A Short
History of America," whose 12 panels chart the nation's progress--or deterioration--from
unspoiled pastoral landscape to a strip mall scene clogged with cars, telephone
poles, and overhead wires, also appears. Crumb's brother Max, whom viewers
of the documentary film Crumb will remember as an impecunious yogi who
sleeps on a bed of nails, contributes an idiosyncratic introduction offering
a unique, if largely impenetrable, perspective on Robert's early years.
Copyright ©
1998, American Library Association. All rights reserved.
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| BOB FINGERMAN |
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MINIMUM
WAGEBOOK ONE |
| by Bob Fingerman |
Paperback
Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 1560971878 |
$12.95
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| "Minimum
Wage features a cast that is full of energy and life."
--Wizard
Magazine
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| "STARK
YET HILARIOUS REALITY"
"The
sort of earthy realism so often missing from conventional prose novels."
--Entertainment
Weekly
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| BOB FINGERMAN |
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MINIMUM
WAGE
BOOK
TWO:
THE
TALES OF HOFFMAN |
| by Bob Fingerman |
Paperback: 120 pages
Seven Hills Book Distributors
ISBN: 1560972866 |
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$12.95
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| "Bob
Fingerman has grounded his stories in stark yet hilarious reality. Unlike
most writers, who bring their characters to the brink of disaster and then
veer them off into safety, Bob plunges them headlong into the maw of it.
Just like life. That's why his work resonates. That is the pendulum upon
which Minimum Wage swings."
--stand-up
comic Dana Gould, the star of his own HBO comedy specials, from the Foreword
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| Minimum Wage:
Book Two is a thoroughly enjoyable twentysomething slice of life. Even
though this is the second collection of Bob Fingerman's Minimum Wage stories,
it reads well as a stand-alone volume: all of the characters are properly
reintroduced and are distinctive enough to immediately engage new readers.
The first two of the five chapters deal with protagonists Rob and Sylvia
looking for an apartment together in New York City. Anyone who's had a
hard time looking for a place to live or who hates to move will find plenty
of humor in these pages. The fourth chapter, which centers on a comic-book
convention (Rob is a cartoonist), is chock full of funny scenes and comics-industry
cameos, which can be pretty darn funny if you're in on the jokes (if you're
not up on comics convention humor, though, the chapter may not be as engaging).
The volume ends slightly anticlimactically, leaving room for a third book,
but don't let that deter you. Minimum Wage is great reading. |
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| Grant
Geissman & Fred Von Bernewitz |
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TALES
OF TERROR!
The EC Companion |
| by Grant Geissman & Fred Von Bernewitz |
Paperback: 288 pages
Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 1560974028 |
$24.95
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John Landis,
film director:
"A wonderful book! An EC
lover's dream come true." |
From Booklist:
Nearly 50 years after they
were crushed by moral guardians outraged by their Grand Guignol excesses,
the genre comic books published by EC Comics still enthrall readers who
grew up with them and generations of younger fans, too. EC's horror, science
fiction, and war comics remain unsurpassed, and the early EC issues of
Mad vitally influenced a generation of humorists and cartoonists. EC's
output has been the subject of many lavish publications, including slipcased,
oversize reprints of the runs of several titles and massive coffee-table
tributes, but this book by two longtime fans is something else again. Its
heart is a checklist, with detailed writer and artist credits, of every
single EC comic book. This core is rounded out with interviews of comics
creators, photos, private sketches, and other memorabilia, such as EC publisher
William Gaines' testimony before the U.S. Senate subcommittee investigating
horror comics. Most of the previous books about EC were designed for a
relatively mainstream audience. This one aims at the hardcore fan-addicts--and
should hit that target dead center.
Gordon Flagg
Copyright ©
American Library Association. All rights reserved.
Dimensions (in inches): 0.73 x 12.02 x 9.12
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