Black and White Comics

    (Apex Novelties, 1973)
™ and © 1973 R. Crumb

Robert Crumb has shocked, entertained, titillated, and challenged the imaginations of comic book fans the world over. His voluptuous, acid-inspired romps of the1960s gave way to comparatively sober, introspective dialogues and biting indictments of American culture. As is typical of Crumb, this title is unflinchingly honest, regardless of how unsympathetic he or anyone else appears. Very few artists would risk depicting—‘an urge to return to the womb’ as Crumb does in one story. Nonetheless Crumb’s stories are effective satire as his message is delivered throughout the body of the narrative in a perfectly unabashed, undisguised and undaunted manner. All of this gooey and unpleasant stuff is deeply embedded in our culture and our collective subconscious. It simmers under pressure and the next moment it erupts like a geyser. Hallucinogenic drugs are not required for reading.
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