Product Description
Blues music laid the foundation for rock and roll. Some of the most well known musicians of early rock such as Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis borrowed heavily from the blues both lyrically and melodically. In this wonderful card set, thirty-six early blues musicians are lovingly depicted by famed cartoonist R. Crumb, with concise biographies on reverse. Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Memphis Minnie, Charley Patton, Jaybird Coleman, Blind Willie Johnson, the Mississippi Sheiks, Sleepy John Estes, Roosevelt Sykes & many others, both giants in the field and obscure. These are printed on heavy card stock and housed in a very cool gift box. Heroes of the Blues is part of a set of three boxed trading cards that also includes Early Jazz Greats and Pioneers of Country Music. These are hugely popular with fans of both blues music and Crumb. These perennial sellers are sure to please. They make great gifts or stocking stuffers for musicians, music lovers and comics collectors alike. All from Denis Kitchen Publishing Co. -- Size 3 x 4 x 1 inches -- Boxed set of 36 cards -- ISBN # 0-9710080-2-7 -- 2004 Printing ... Read more

Product Description
This out-of-sequence first volume in Hans Ulrich Obrist's Conversation Series is devoted to the influential cult comics artist, Robert Crumb-creator of Fritz the Cat, Zap Comics and Mr. Natural, among many other iconic underground mainstays. Both Obrist and Crumb are great conversationalists, and here they make a great match:
Obrist: Could you tell me a little bit about how you feel about America and world politics right now?
Crumb: Well, when I was young I really believed in the revolution. I don't really believe in revolution any more; I'm too old now. I think that any violent over-turning of a government or society causes a reaction that is bad or worse than the thing that they were revolting against to begin with... In the early 1970s I believed in that whole thing. I had basically left-wing sympathies but, I don't know, as someone said about communism: great idea, wrong species! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not much there for a book of this price -- but it is Crumb

For Crumb collectors I guess they will have to have this, or for anyone studying what makes the man tick. However I found this book to be less than in-depth. I must say I am surprised this was made into a book rather than, say, an article in a magazine. Still, getting an interview with Crumb is not an easy task these days. I read an awful account by some journalist (from California I believe) who went so far as to go to France to interview him even though s/he can been told NO. This journalist went on to give Crumb and his wife Aline a cock and bull story about how s/he was there because his/her boss would fire him/her if s/he had not come there anyway. The Crumbs did not give the journalist and interview but opened their hearts for an evening and invited the jerk/jerkess to dinner. I don't blame the Crumbs one bit if they never do an interview again with people like that stalking them. In the words of Oggie, "'Tis sad."

High end art isn't for Crumb
If there's one clear message that comes through in this interview with R. Crumb, it's that he has a deep connection with what he calls "lowbrow" culture, and a deep suspicion of "professional" critics, art entrepeneurs, museum curators, and trendsetters from the "highbrow" art scene.From his earliest days, Crumb has appreciated certain "established" artists, but he's felt much more comfortable with folk art and popular culture.They have a ring of authenticity that, to him, is sadly lacking in institutionalized art.

Hans Ulrich Obrist, a London-based commentator on the arts, conducted this intelligent and revealing interview with Crumb, who was 61 at the time.Although short, the interview ranged across a wide spectrum of topics that included Crumb's personal life, his political and artistic views, and his future projects.Some of the material is familiar to anyone who knows anything about Crumb.But some of it is either brand new, or fascinating elaborations on brief comments Crumb has made elsewhere.

For example, Crumb argues that the best thing about the pop art movement was that it encouraged the public to really look at everyday objects which, because of their familiarity, are frequently taken for granted (p. 21).This refocusing on the quotidian in such a way as to help the reader see it freshly is, after all, one of the hallmarks of Crumb's work (as also the work, for example, of Harvey Pekar).Visual and musical arts have suffered from commercialization that both creates canned pieces and "professionalizes" art by segregating it from the everyday (pp. 23-26).

Crumb claims to no longer be terribly political, although he does confess that he once believed in revolution (p. 31).Now, he worries that the post-9/11 U.S. is turning toward fascism, and that the American public, intent above all on security, is willing to give up freedom for the promise of safety (p. 32).In fact, Crumb sees this as a portent of the future, which in his eyes is more likely to be dystopian than utopian(pp. 35-36).

Throughout the interview, Crumb comes across as a guy who's both reflective and well-read.He comfortably discusses books (Kunstler's The City in Mind, Sacco's Palestine, Brzezinski's The Grand Chessboard, and Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities) as well as the high-end art he claims to disdain.He doesn't like the turmoil of big cities and doesn't use the internet, presumably because he needs quiet to think and create.In short, as he ages, Crumb seems is growing into a Mr. Natural-type of persona.

Now, for the bad news.The book is horribly over-priced to have a mere 44 pages of text; the publication date (2006) gives the impression that the interview is much more recent than it is (it was actually recorded in 2004); and the text is sprinkled with bad translations, although they're sometimes rather endearing--such as "beholding" for "beholden" (p. 41).But none of this takes away from the quality of the questions Obrist asks or the quality of the responses Crumb gives.Highly recommended, both for Crumb fans and students of popular culture in general. ... Read more

Product Description
"What do I have in common with the Jews? I don't even have anything in common with myself". Nothing could better express the essence of Franz Kafka, a man described by his friends as living behind a "glass wall". Kafka wrote in the tradition of the great Yiddish storytellers, whose stock-in-trade was bizarre fantasy, tainted with hilarity and self-abasement. What he brought to this tradition was an almost unbearably expanded consciousness. Alienated from his roots, his family, his surroundings and primarily from his own body, Kafka created a unique literary language in which to hide away, transforming himself into a cockroach, an ape, a dog, a mole or a circus artiste who starves himself to death in front of admiring crowds.Amazon.com Review
This book is indeed a great introduction to Franz Kafka. Partillustrated biography, part comics adaptation, IntroducingKafka is the perfect starting point for those new to Kafka and aperfect next step for those who have read him for years. RobertCrumb's idiosyncratic illustrations add a new dimension to the alreadyidiosyncratic world of Kafka. Includes adaptations of "The Judgment,""The Trial," "The Castle," "A Hunger Artist," and "The Metamorphosis." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

For People who Don't Know Wisdom from Wierdness
If you've lived life fully and had experiences intense and fringey, enlightening and regrettable, you won't find Franz Kafka says anything about any of them.

He was different and attention-getting because, as they say, of his famous sense of alienation (which seems to be as close as he comes to ever meaning anything); but it must be added that this alienation never brings him to the point of actually stating any knowledge about anything.

If you're a deep thinker, and you care about culture, you'll probably want to help brush Kafka quietly under the carpet.

Great
The "Introducing..." series is quite uneven: there are some great books in it, but also some very dull ones. In general, books about authors are good, since they can combine the life of the writers with part of their stories. I love the one about Proust and the one about Camus; those about Joyce and Tolkien weren't so good on the other hand. The one about Kafka is one of the best, and this is due in no small part to the drawings of author Robert Crumb, who was able to bring to life (sorry about the cliche) Kafka's perverted imagination (yes, perverted is the right word) as probably few other artists would. Strongly recommended.

Simplifying Kafka 101
I dug this book and I recommend it to everyone out there.Fans of Kafka and/or Crumb should really enjoy this.

I recall the first time I read Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", I was in my early twenties.I really hated it.I didn't really get it, nor did I desire to spend any time and mental energy trying to get it.Then again, what do you expect from a twenty-five year old bachelor?Enlightment?Nah, think again.Come to think of it, the only reason I read it in the first place was to impress some girl I was dating at the time.Needless to say it was a challenge for me trying to stay awake while reading it.I mean for one thing, how in the hell are we supposed to get excited, let alone even interested, about some guy who wakes up one day only to find that he's transformed into a giant bug.YAWN!Anyway, I did finally finish the book, however that was the first and last time I dared to pick up a novel by Franz Kafka again.The guy was just too damn doleful and morose for my taste.If I want to be depressed I'll start watching daytime television.

So anyway, about three weeks ago I was checking out this used book store in San Luis Obispo and just so happened to come across this little book.Now I have to tell you up front that I have never been a huge fan of Mr. Crumb's salacious sketches.No doubt about it, the man is one talented artist, incredibly original and a unique innovator.However, like I said, he just doesn't quite do it for me personally.So the million dollar question is - 'why would I purchase this book if I am not a fan of either artist?'The answer is simply because I have been promising myself for a while now that I need to try and tackle Kafka one more time (after all, I am so much more enlightened, open-minded, & mature now than I was fifteen plus years ago.At least that's what I keep trying to convince myself, others, like my wife for example, may beg to differ with me).Ergo, I was hoping that this short, breezy bio would educate me a bit on this rather unconventional writer.Also, I enjoyed the fact that this book was designed to be a bit humorous as well (hence Crumb's irreverent illustrations).God knows that Kafka is depressing enough, so this bit of humor (the author David Mairowitz also deserves credit for this as well) certainly helps.

All in all, this turned out to be an excellent little read.It's not going to blow your mind.It's not abstract or esoteric by any stretch.However, it is interesting.It is a tad educational as well.To sum it all up in one cliche line - it's a clever, pithy, picturesque little bio that is sure to assist anyone who is brave and intelligent enough to tackle Franz Kafka.

Well written by David Zane Mairowitz.And of course the illustrations by Crumb are absolutely amazing and for him, very, very tame.PG-13 tame in fact. This is the first book of this introductory series I've read so far, I am definitely interested in checking out the others in the series real soon.

Enjoy!

Informative Author Biography with Cute Comics Artwork by a Great Comics Artist: R. Crumb
INTRODUCING KAFKA is a great way to enjoy R. Crumb artwork without feeling slimed by his unfortunate obsessions with perversity, and you will learn a lot about the life of the very famous author named Kafka, too.

Most of the pages have more space given to the artwork than the body text, drawn in the typical R. Crumb style, cute with edgy content.

Overall, after reading this book, I realized that I no longer am interested in the type of work done by Kafka, which is story writing that is VERY depressive and dreary, though imaginative.

I used to be a much more involved reader of R. Crumb, but I have since lost interest in his pornography overloads, so this INTRODUCING KAFKA book is a nice little souvenir of R. Crumb that I can safely keep in the house, without fear of upsetting anybody if they should ever find it.

There is very mild "adult" content in R. Crumb's artwork, especially mild compared to R. Crumb's independent, anything goes, usual work.

This book is a perfect fit for a biography of oddball author Kafka, presented and illustrated with R. Crumb work, doing a rare, non-offense project, for most mainstream readers' sensibilities.

Awesome
Crumb was definitely the perfect illustrator for this book.Wow! The stories are "broken down" and visually interpreted, which really enriches the reading experience of the actual stories later (if you choose to do so).Overall, a very interesting look inside the life of a mysterious, dark-minded writer that most people don't know too much about.I'm really glad I read this book, I learned a lot! ... Read more

Product Description

A book length collaboration between two underground legends, Charles Bukowski and Robert Crumb. Bukowski's last journals candidly and humorously reveal the events in the writer's life as death draws inexorably nearer, thereby illuminating our own lives and natures, and to give new meaning to what was once only familiar. Crumb has illustrated the text with 12 full-page drawings and a portrait of Bukowski.

Customer Reviews (13)

Good Quick Read
You can tell he is older...He has a computer and enjoys typing on it.I can hear the buttons being pushed and the symphony music in the background in some entries.He still goes to the races.Death emerges as a theme in these pages more than anything else I have read of his, I have mostly read his earlier stuff.But the collection of essays were good and kept me entertained.He is one of the best and even to the end he kept his work honest, or so I think.

Death and the Mare-den
Charles Bukowski, The Captain Is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship (Black Sparrow, 1998)

A year in the life of Charles Bukowski, 1991-92, as he neared death. He knew he was nearing death; he writes about it as often as he wrote about the deaths of other things in his poetry. Of course, his is not the only death to mention in these pages; car accidents, a falling neighbor, etc.

Other than death, Buk's diary talks a lot about horseplaying. Great for me. Perhaps not so great for others.

Bukowski was always a better poet than he was a prose stylist, but The Captain Is Out to Lunch... is likely the most readable piece of Buk's prose I have ever come across. Probably because there was nothing to writing it; instead of coming up with characters, plot, theme, etc., they're sitting there at the track or in the neighborhood waiting for you.

Worthwhile. One of the better posthumously published works. *** ½

You haven't heard the last of Hank
I had an indirect contact with Bukowski in the 1970s when I was working at a Long Beach college newspaper and our Arts editor had just gotten back from seeing him at one of his poetry readings. I was asked to write the headline for the rave review on it we were publishing, and as a young poet I was more than happy to do so.

In the headline I called him "Buk the bard" and they gave it the go ahead for printing. But the editor had met his friends and they'd mentioned that Buk no longer lived in Hollywood and had moved to the notorious San Pedro area.

We all got very concerned for him and told Buk's friends that he shouldn't live there, and that L.A., Belmont Shore, Long Beach - almost anywhere else, in fact - would be preferable. As I recall, at that time there was a stabbing in Pedro almost every weekend.

Soonafter we got word in the newsroom of what Buk thought of the suggestion by us little upscale college smartasses - he said it was a rather dumb one, and that he actually regarded it as an insult, as if we'd just ridiculed his new jacket.

Since his writing didn't float much on the waters of pretense, he enjoyed being where the action was, even if it was now within a very dangerous environment for a guy getting on in years. He planned to stay put anyway and he indeed did exactly that.

I was surprised to hear years later that he'd lasted until 1994, because I'd always bet that, even escaping any physical injury, and with his seeming million gallon booze capacity, he still wouldn't last past 1980.

But don't worry, the old warhorse will still be running new words at the literary track for quite some time. The godsend that was John Martin's Black Sparrow press still has more of Hank's unpublished stuff in their files, so the Captain journal won't be the last you hear of our favorite pulp fiction barfly.

Hopefully lots of them will also have more of those groovy drawings by underground komix king Robert Crumb, too. Now that would be a good day at the races.

minute by minute of an observable perceptive guy
my favorite passage from this book ' i wonder what the next step will be after the computer? you'll probably just press your fingers to your temples and out will come this mass of perfect wordage. Of course, you'll have to fill up before you start but there will always be some lucky ones who can do that. Let's hope.'
good stuff and a smooth read--my reason mainly for reading bukowski

Not Much New
I was hoping to gain some new insights into the writer/man that was Bukowski by reading this collection of journal writings. To be honest, not much new ground was covered. I did find out out about a failed TV deal I'd never heard of, and some other trivial points, but nothing much deeper. The R. Crumb drawings are worth the price of the book, and well, hell it's Bukowski so I enjoyed it. This is, however, one of the few Buk books I haven't read more than twice, which is as close to a "bad" review as I can get. ... Read more