CRUMB, R.
Raymond Danowski and John Martin collection of R. Crumb material, 1958-2000

Restrictions on Access

Special restrictions apply: Use copies have not been made for audiovisual material in this collection. Researchers must contact the Rose Library at least two weeks in advance for access to these items. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the Rose Library's ability to provide access to audiovisual material.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Separated Material

Some items from this collection have been cataloged individually. These materials may be located in the Emory University online catalog by searching for: Raymond Danowski and John Martin Collection of R. Crumb Material.

Source

Purchase, 2011.

Custodial History

Originally received as part of the Raymond Danowski poetry library collection.

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], Raymond Danowski and John Martin collection of R. Crumb material, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University.

Processing

Processed by Laura Starratt, Margaret Greaves, and Will Love, 2013.

Biographical Note

R. Crumb (Robert Dennis Crumb) was born on August 30, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of the five children of Charles and Beatrice Crumb. He is widely considered to be the father of the underground comics, or "comix," movement and is regarded as the movement's most prominent figure. Crumb developed his career outside of the mainstream comic publishing industry. Crumb first entered the public eye as an underground cartoonist during the late 1960s as the creator of Zap Comix in 1968, and is widely known for his "Keep Truckin'" comic. His most recognizable characters include Devil Girl, Mr. Natural, and Fritz the Cat. Many of Crumb's comic characters originated through collaboration with his older brother, Charles, a co-writer of Crumb's earliest comics.

In the early 1960s, Crumb worked as an illustrator for American Greeting Corporation before moving to San Francisco in 1967 and becoming involved in the counterculture movement. In the 1970s, Crumb moved into a commune in Potter Valley where he created characters including Mr. Natural. In the 1980s, his career continued to grow when he created the magazine Weirdo to feature other graphic artists outside of the mainstream. Several years later, Crumb's friend Terry Zwigoff produced the documentary film Crumb, which received an Oscar nomination. Crumb moved with his second wife, Aline Kominsky Crumb, and their daughter, Sophie, to the south of France in 1984 where he currently lives

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of material, collected by Raymond Danowski and John Martin, relating to comic creator, Robert Crumb. Materials include correspondence, printed material, memorabilia/objects, and audiovisual material, including compact discs, LP records and video recordings. The correspondence contains postcards and letters, dated from the 1970s through 1985, from Crumb to Martin, and several letters from Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb. Other correspondence refers to comics by Crumb or artistic projects in which he was engaged. Primarily, however, the correspondence details John Martin's collection of the materials with dealers and other comic collectors. Among these correspondents is Bruce Sweeney, Jay Kennedy, don Donahue, Chris Duffy, among others. There is significant correspondence between Martin and Crumb regarding Crumb's work with Black Sparrow Press.

Printed material primarily consists of articles about Crumb and comics and articles by Crumb. Articles about Crumb include interviews and letters to the editor, some of which also contain reprints of his original work. Other printed material by Crumb includes comics; exhibit catalogs; sales catalogs; and two unpublished versions of his graphic novel, Big Yum Yum Book: Oggie and the Beanstalk (1963). Included in printed material are also works by Crumb's younger brother, Maxon, and Crumb's wife, Aline, as well as periodicals collected by John Martin that do not have an obvious relation to Crumb.

Audiovisual material consists primarily of compact discs and LP records featuring cover art by Crumb and music by and inspired by him. Also included are two VHS versions of Terry Zwigoff's documentary film Crumb (1994). The photographs are comprised of a sheet of contact prints and negatives of Crumb and Aline.

Memorabilia includes trading cards, key chains, calendars, Devil Girl chocolates, a bottle of "snake oil," a bicycle wheel patch kit, rubber stamps, and t-shirts depicting Crumb's characters and artwork. There are also three statuettes, two of Mr. Natural and one entitled Anal Antics.

Arrangement Note

Arranged by record type.