Sunday, March 06, 2011

Robert Crumb Draws GENESIS



When you hear the name Robert Crumb you what do you think? Underground Comix artist; Keep On Trucking; Mr Nature, Friz the Cat; assistant of Harvey Kurtzman at HELP Magazine, or maybe his movie CRUMB.

You would not think of Robert Crumb as a biblical illustrator. Or, I wouldn’t, anyway.

Robert has illustrated The first Book of the Bible, GENESIS. I thought he might have a little fun while doing it, but he took the Holy book dead seriously and took chapter by chapter, word by word and put down exactly as it is written. Although he did point out how some words translated could have different meanings and pointed out a chapter or two that was almost identical to an old Greek mythology story that was many years older than the Bible.




As far as I know Crumb did not leave anything out, he told it word for word. He even illustrated the sexual encounters and on the cover there is a warning that “Adult Supervision Recommended for Minors”. And another little sign tacked on states: "Graphically Depicted! Nothing Left out!" It almost has the "come-ons" of the announcer trying to get young men to come in the fair's Hoochee Coochie show.

I thought Robert Crumb did a very good job on GENESIS and I hope he does the next book which I think is Exodus.



Robert Crumb Self portrait.

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