Weird Sex · Obsession · Comic Books

I mentioned last week that I bought the documentary film Crumb, which was "presented by" David Lynch. Whatever that means. You know, like the recent "Quentin Tarantino presents" Hero. For a self-proclaimed cinemaphile, I must admit I'm not sure what all this presenting really means. I'm assuming that person somehow made the movie possible, either financially or otherwise. Annnnyway, I bought this documentary because I caught the last 30 minutes of it on the STARZ! True Stories channel late, late one night. It was like some horrible car accident that I couldn't tear myself away from. I was familiar with Robert Crumb and his work, but never really knew that much about him as a person. All I knew was that he was considered "controversial" by most of his critics, particularly women, because of the way he portrayed women in his comics. By the way, before you read any further, let me lay some groundwork for what to expect in the documentary. Put quite simply, R. Crumb is racist and does have some obvious "issues" with women. If you have delicate sensibilities, then you might want to skip today's blog and/or the film altogether, 'cause trust me, it's not for the easily offended. HOWEVER, if you want to watch a fascinatingly dark memoir that's gritty, funny and sometimes hopelessly appealing, then you just might be the right audience for Crumb.

After watching the documentary, the first thing I thought was "Crumb probably wouldn't like me." I know it's a weird thought, but for some reason that's the first one that popped into my head. I say this because [A] I like a lot of the things he seemed to despise. He abhors the commercialism that defines our society: I often embrace it, in it's various pop culture guises. And [B] I could imagine the reaction if I told him I really liked his work. Utter disregard. Unless, of course, I was a woman. Ironically enough, women seemed to be the only ones who were able to penetrate that curmudgeonly shell of his. But it's true, I DO like his work. I'd describe his style as 30's/40's classic with a contemporary edge. The "edge" coming sometimes from the actual drawings, but more often from what the cartoons are saying. Funny side note, at one point during the film, Crumb is browsing in an underground comic book store and the clerk tells him what a big fan of his he is and would it be possible to get his autograph. Crumb, without skipping a beat, simply says "No. I don't believe in that." I couldn't stop laughing. I thought that was great, 'cause your first reaction is to think "What a jerk." But then when you think about it, why is he a jerk? Just because we want something doesn't mean it has to happen. There's nothing wrong with saying "no," but we've become so conditioned to the "yes" response that when something breaks that flow, we don't know how to compute that, so we automatically switch to "offended mode." Good stuff.

I found the film fascinating and repugnant at the same time, if that makes any sense. It reminded me of my experience with the film Gummo, a pseudo documentary by filmmaker Harmony Korine. As with Gummo, Crumb introduced some major league "characters," in every sense of the word. During the 119 minutes of Crumb, you (eventually) get to meet Crumb's reclusive brothers, mother, wife and ex girlfriends. A more colorful assortment of personalities, you'll not find. You find yourself watching his brothers talk about their lives (or lackthereof), all the while fascinated and saddened at the same time. A reviewer on IMDB put it most eloquently: "What you become as an adult is largely a product of the things you experienced during your formative years, and as an adult only a severe emotional experience could alter any of that. R. Crumb and his two brothers were misfits in school, rejected by girls, and spent their formative years in their shared room, imagining, drawing cartoons and having sexual fantasies. One can only wonder if a more well-rounded childhood would have produced different adults." God, it's SO true. I don't want to spoil the film for those who may actually be considering watching it, but I couldn't have put it better myself.

So, if you have an open mind and you're a fan of the eccentric and the funky, you will undoubtedly be entertained by Crumb. If nothing else, it's an insight to how we become the people we are and an interesting commentary on today's society. And for those who may have noticed the Fritz The Cat picture in the second paragraph, yes, that too comes from the imagination of R. Crumb. Though he sites the animated film as an embarrassment to him, it's one of my favorite movies. Oh, and another trivia tidbit, for those who might be familiar with the popular cartoon from the 60's and 70's of a man with a stretched front foot that said "Keep On Truckin'," yep, that's one of Crumb's too. Now you know where the concept for all those iron-ons came from.