The Complete Crumb Comics

Complete Crumb Comics
Cover to Volume 3 of the Complete Crumb Comics
Publication information
Publisher	Fantagraphics Books
Schedule	irregular
Publication date	1987
Number of issues	17
Creative team
Creator(s)	Robert Crumb

The Complete Crumb Comics was an award-winning series of collections from Fantagraphics Books which was intended to reproduce the entire body of American cartoonist and comic book artist/writer Robert Crumb's comics work in chronological order, beginning with his fanzine work from as early as 1958.

While the series was intended to be complete, there is some material missing (most notably The Yum Yum Book, the copyright of which is owned by Crumb's ex-wife Dana,^[1] but which is otherwise in print as of 2011 as Big Yum Yum Book: the Story of Oggie and the Beanstalk).

The series lasted 17 volumes and was published up until 2005. After this, Crumb's work will be collected in individually titled collections, and not be part of the official numbered series.^{[note 1]}

Volumes

All volumes have been published at some point in both softcover and hardcover editions. Two box sets have also been produced, collected Volumes #1-5 and #6-10, with a slip case and signed plate, limited to 400 sets each.

The first two volumes contain material going back as far as Crumb's teenage years, from before he had had his comics professionally. Some consider this material to be non-essential, and that it would be better for a newcomer to start with later volumes.^{[note 2][note 3]}

List of Volumes

Vol	Year	Title	Period	ISBN	Notes
1	Oct 1987	Early Years of Bitter Struggle	1958-1962	ISBN 0-930139-42-3	Introduction by Marty Pahls
2	May 1988	Some More Early Years of Bitter Struggle	1959-1964	ISBN 978-0930193621	Introduction by Marty Pahls
3	1988	Starring Fritz the Cat	1960-1966	ISBN 0-930193-79-2	1989 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[2] Introduction by Marty Pahls
4	Dec 1988	Mr. Sixties	1966-1967	ISBN 978-0-930193-79-9	Reproduces Zap #0 and #1
5	1990	Happy Hippy Comix	1967-1969	ISBN 0-930193-92-X
6	1990	On the Crest of a Wave		ISBN 1-56097-057-X	1991 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[3] includes the notoriously X-rated Joe Blow
7	1991	Hot 'n' Heavy	1970-1971	ISBN 978-1-56097-061-3	1992 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[4]
8	1992	Featuring the Death of Fritz the Cat	1972	ISBN 1-56097-076-6
9	1992	R. Crumb versus the Sisterhood		ISBN 978-1-56097-107-8
10	1994	Crumb Advocates Violent Overthrow		ISBN 1-56097-138-X	1995 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[5]
11	1995	MR. NATURAL COMMITED TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION!!!		ISBN 978-1-56097-172-6	1996 Eisner Award for Best Archival Collection[6]
12	1996	We're Livin' in the "Lap o' Luxury"!	1976-1979	ISBN 978-1-56097-264-8	1997 Harvey Award for Best Domestic Reprint Project[7]
13	1998	The Season of the Snoid	1976–1980	ISBN 978-1-56097-296-9
14	2001	The Early '80s and Weirdo Magazine	Early 1980s	ISBN 978-1-56097-413-0	earliest Weirdo comics
15	2001	Featuring Mode O'Day and her Pals	Mid-1980s	ISBN 978-1-56097-413-0	Introduction by Peter Bagge
16	2002	The Mid-1980s: More Years of Valiant Struggle		ISBN 1-56097-460-5
17	2005	Cave Wimp, Mode O'Day, Aline 'N' Bob, R. Crumb Goes to the Academy Awards		ISBN 1-56097-537-7

Awards

Year	Organization	Volume	Award
1989	Harvey Awards	3	Best Domestic Reprint Project
1991		6
1992		7
1995		10
1996	Eisner Awards	11	Best Archival Collection
1997	Harvey Awards	12	Best Domestic Reprint Project

Notes

1. ^ Volume 17 of "The Complete Crumb Comics," which will be the final volume in the numbered series of compilations. Subsequent volumes will be individually titled collections of various bodies of work, such as "Hup" and "Mystic Funnies."
2. ^ "Avoid
   The first two volumes of Complete Crumb consist of early work from his teen-age years and early ’20s, and thus are for serious fans who want to see how far he’s progressed. It’s awkward, juvenile material[...]and really not the place for neophytes to start. Wait until you get a feel for his later work and personality before diving into these books."
   Mautner, Chris (2009-12-21). "Comics College: Robert Crumb". Comic Book Resources. http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/12/comics-college-robert-crumb/. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 
3. ^ "[...]a good starting point would probably be somewhere in the middle of the Complete Crumb volumes. Why the middle? Well, this is a thorough synopsis of his career, and the first couple of volumes are kind of short on comics, focusing more on his illustration work with Hallmark and some other various things."
   whitey (2004-12-28). "Crumb, Robert". Optical Sloth. http://www.opticalsloth.com/?p=1041. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 

References

1. ^ Pahls, Marty. Introduction to The Complete Crumb Comics Vol 2. Fantagraphics Books 1988. ISBN 978-0930193621
2. ^ "1989 Harvey Award Winners". http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_1989win.html. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 
3. ^ "1991 Harvey Award Winners". http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_1991win.html. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 
4. ^ "1992 Harvey Award Winners". http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_1992win.html. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 
5. ^ "1995 Harvey Award Winners". http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_1995win.html. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 
6. ^ "Complete List of Eisner Award Winners". San Diego Comic-Con International. http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_pastwinners.php. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 
7. ^ "1997 Harvey Award Winners". http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_1997win.html. Retrieved 2011-04-19. 

External links

• Series product page at Fantagraphics Books' website
• Frauenfelder, Mark (2004-02-05). "The Complete Crumb Comics, Vol 1-16". Mad Professor. http://madprofessor.net/2004/02/the-complete-crumb-comics-vol.html. Retrieved 2011-04-19.