The Complete Crumb Vol. 12: We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury [Hardcover]

Robert Crumb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

A perennial classic: the twelfth volume of the complete cartoon work of the underground cartoonist.

Back in print after a several-year absence, the twelfth volume of The Complete Crumb Comics spotlights Crumbs first collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar, which appeared in Pekars magazine American Splendor. This collection also includes a skeptical report-in-comics on an aerospace symposium (commissioned by CoEvolution Quarterly, it comes off like a forerunner of Michael Moores cocky documentary films), Crumbs encounter with a pot-smoking interviewer from High Times magazine, an evocative period piece featuring 1930s jazz musicians, another of Crumbs collaborative jams with wife Aline Kominsky, and other pieces. 8 color, 128 b&w illustrations

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With volume 12, Fantagraphics' ambitious reprinting of premier underground comics artist Crumb's complete works reaches a landmark: Crumb's first collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar, which appeared in Pekar's magazine American Splendor. Pekar has since teamed with dozens of other artists, but none has better captured the hangdog, on-the-outs feel of Pekar's autobiographical slices of life. This collection also includes a skeptical report-in-comics on an aerospace symposium (commissioned by Coevolution Quarterly, it comes off like a forerunner of Michael Moore's cocky documentary films), Crumb's encounter with a pot-smoking interviewer from High Times magazine, an evocative period piece featuring 1930s jazz musicians, another of Crumb's collaborative "jams" with wife Aline Kominsky, and other pieces. Although libraries that haven't been collecting The Complete Crumb all along might want to consider the recent collection of the Crumb-Pekar oeuvre, American Splendor Presents Bob & Harv's Comics , instead, be mindful that deep-dyed Crumb and comics fans treasure the entire series. Gordon Flagg

Product Details

• Hardcover: 125 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560972653
• ISBN-13: 978-1560972655
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,325,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Qualified 5 Stars for Volume 12 in this Series, March 16, 2009

By 

Avocadess (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Complete Crumb Vol. 12: We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (Hardcover)

The "qualified" means the book itself is in my opinion a 5-star book. However, those who are either (a) not fans of Harvey Pekar, whose stories Crumb illustrated in much of this volume, or (b) fans of Harvey's who already have these works will be disappointed.

An awful lot of Crumb's work in this volume could be termed as "under the influence of others." That's not usually a bad thing, but die hard Crumb fans that want Crumb and only Crumb might be dissatisfied with this volume, as not only are there a LOT of Pekar stories illustrated by Crumb but also work he did for "Winds of Change," a group in Davis, California trying to fend off agribusiness and promoting alternative energy, as well as a little bit of work done with his wife Aline (where he drew himself and his words and she drew herself and her words) are included in this book. Work that was done by Crumb and Crumb alone is in the minority in this volume -- so much so that I am surprised at the choice of cover illustrations, which had me ready for lots of Crumb childhood nostalgia. And there IS a little bit of that, not not a whole lot.

I should add that Crumb only did and does work with or for those he WANTS to be "under the influence" of -- and the stories he illustrated for Harvey, according to various readings, are only those he personally chose out of a variety of stories. Thus, it IS representative of Crumb for the most part -- and his wife? Well, he married her, didn't he? So whatever she says and does represents him a little bit too. (Although - don't get me wrong - there is not a lot of Aline's work in this volume.)