R. Crumb Draws the Blues

by Robert Crumb

An accomplished musician on banjo, guitar and ukelele and an avid collector of early jazz and blues records, Robert Crumb constantly writes and draws about music of all kinds. Brought together for the first time from all stages of his career these strips range from the silly to the serious. Real people and real problems are the substance of stories like Jelly Roll Morton's Voodoo Curse and Patton while Crumb's celebrated light-hearted zaniness can be seen in Cubist Be-Bop Comics, The Old Songs are The Best Songs and Sunny side up. Crumb is as obssessed with music as he is with sex, and his extraordinary talent shines throughout this collection.

Genres: Comics, Music, Graphic Novels, Art, Comix, Nonfiction

52 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Robert Dennis Crumb (born August 30, 1943)— 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 as its most prominent figure. Though one of the most celebrated of comic book artists, Crumb's entire career has unfolded outside the mainstream comic book publishing industry. One of his most recognized works is the "Keep on Truckin'" comic, which became a widely distributed fixture of pop culture in the 1970s. Others are the characters "Devil Girl", "Fritz the Cat", and "Mr. Natural".

He was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1991.

Reviews

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an oddish collection of R. Crumb panels of varying quality. But the overall effect is a fun one. The best one here is the first, his homage to the life of Delta bluesman Charley Patton, beautifully rendered. Almost of comparable quality is the story of jazzman Jelly Roll Morton's struggle with a career-damaging voodoo curse. Crumb's fondness for pre-war (WWII) country and blues records predominates the panels even when those are not the subjects of the strips. There are several pieces here that are outright screeds against modern music, and by "modern" he means all the way back to swing music, though his venom is especially directed at rock and pop since the 1960s. There are some surreal off-the-cuff doodlings here. They almost seem like filler but provide a refreshing view of Crumb's freewheeling stream-of-consciousness humor. Some of the panels involving rural black folk will probably offend some, though Crumb seems to speak truth in his down and dirty and honest depictions of harsh rural life. The story about Tommy Grady might be one of these, though it's a fascinating account of how an obscure country bluesman left the farm, cut a few sides in Memphis, was immediately shot by a jealous husband, and forgotten for decades, his few remaining records rotting away in attics until their rediscovery by white record enthusiasts in the 1970s.
This is a fast read. The Patton story is probably really the only essential work here, but it's all worth a look.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the retelling of Charley Patton’s life (educational af actually) and the illustrated versions of actual interviews with/stories about bluesmen. A nice companion to the later compendium of musicians illustrated by Crumb in 2006 that gave me more context to his personal appreciation for acoustic blues music (also funny to read his repudiation of Keep on Truckin’ and understand a bit more his disgust at modern music).

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Gasp's printing of a Knockabout "Crack Edition"

Interesting and informative.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never found so many neat books about America until I spent five years in England. I somehow completely missed them when I lived in America. I found more British, Welsh, Scottish and Irish that knew more American history than most Americans I've met (no matter what country I live in.)



A copy of this was being passed around the homeless community in Bath about 2003, of which I was a member. One of Crumb's best. It made me forget I was homeless. Yes, Crumb can be vicious at times but he is always an equal opportunity destroyer.



If you've been reading a bunch of rock history books or biographies of rock music legends (and if not why not?) and may wonder at all of the references to American blues artists. Here is a great way to get a crash course in the blues (crash being the operative word.)

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amerikkalaisen underground-legendan Robert Crumbin musiikkiaiheisia sarjakuvia yhteen kokoavassa albumissa "Blues" (Like, 1993) kerrotaan muun muassa Charley Pattonin elämätarina, pohdiskellaan vaikuttivatko jazzmuusikko Jelly Roll Mortonin ympärillä saatanalliset voodoo-voimat, harmitellaan isovanhempiemme kauniin musiikin katoamista ja kuvitetaan "Purple Hazen" kaltaisia lauluja. Laadukas pakettihan tämä on, ei siitä pääse yli eikä ympäri.

[Al McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential cartooning/comics.
Robert Crumb tells the life story of blues musician Charlie Patton, followed by an earlier piece involving the life of the musicians and the struggle to find the old records by collectors like himself and his pal Terry Zwigoff. "The Old Songs Are The Best Songs." "Jelly Roll Morton's Voodoo Curse."
A very personal piece: "Where Has It Gone, All The Beautiful Music of Our Grandparents?", "Cubist Be-Bop Comics" from the 70's, and a very important bit: "What is it about People When They're Boppin' and Jivin' That's So Repugnant to Me?? (The Repudiation of Keep on Trucking'")...It's...It's...A Dance of DEATH!
Everyone needs this slim volume on their shelf.

[Aapo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viihdyttävimpiä olivat ne pätkät, joissa Crumb lyttää nykymusiikin ja haikailee vanhan, akustisen kansanmusiikin perään. (Blues)muusikoista kertovat sarjat taas ovat tietokirjamaista kerrontaa, ja toki niissäkin ihastellaan vanhan musiikin omaperäisyyttä ja voimakkuutta. Pitääpäs tsekata kirjastojen kokoelmista, olisiko saatavilla sellaista Crumbia, jota en olisi lukenut (tämänkin olin lukenut aiemmin, mutta niin kauan sitten, että en tästä paljon muistanut).

[Roderick Mcgillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informed, informative, wacky, and witty.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title is a bit of a misnomer. The book is barely about the blues. The section on Charley Patton has a couple interesting inaccuracies which makes it tough to swallow as a biography (for one it was his wife Bertha who tried to kill Patton by cutting his throat with a butcher knife- he survived and they stayed together, but he had a scar the rest of his life). And the story about Jelly Roll Morton is about his incredible encounter with Voodoo, not about his music. That being said, this book was great. Not to be missed are R.Crumb's struggles with contemporary music and his Cubist Be-Bop Comics.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apesar de indelevelmente conotado com a contra-cultura dos anos 60, Robert Crumb é também um grande amante dos Blues. E não de qualquer género, mas sim dos blues de raiz, dos percursores do género musical que viviam de terra em terra, a tocar as suas violas acústicas e a cantar canções de tristeza ou alegria. Blues é a homenagem do autor a este género musical, coligindo contos biográficos sobre algumas personalidades quase desconhecidas, elegias ao coleccionismo de antigos discos e capas de albuns ilustradas por Crumb no seu estilo distinto.

[Luca Dipierro · Rating 5 out of 5]

On of the books of my life. It's far from being the best Crumb, but there's something about this book that I can't define but with the word "pleasure". Plus: one of my musical passions is early, pre-war blues. It's not just music, it's stories, visions. I never care about pure music. On my right arm I have tattooed the first drawing of this book, the face of Charlie Patton. To me it's more about storytelling than about music.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crumb's passion for folk music and Blues just oozes out of this book. A collection of stories all about music and the life of some early blues musicians. Wonderful variation in styles demonstrates Crumbs versatility as an artist. Indeed a priceless book!

[Rebecca Bourgeois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not his most vibrant work but does show his passion for music. It's a good introduction for novice blues fans.

[Paul Secor · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kansas City Frank Melrose in 'Pass the Jug'" is a classic. Gave it an extra star because of that one.