Review of Crumb (1995) by Jean-Francois V — 12 Jun 2009

Crumb is one of the most haunting, spine tingling, hilarious and revealing documentaries I have ever seen. Robert Crumb is the artist credited for starting the underground comic movement in the 60s and 70s.

But what kind of person is he? Well, he is far removed from society and just the world in general. He is perverted and kind of creepy and I don't know if he is someone that I would want to know personally.

But for what he is, which is an artist, he is brilliant. His family is even more messed up than he is. He has a brother that hasn't left the house in years and lives with his mother and another brother that literally spends his time meditating on a bed of nails.

The mother does not even seem like she minds as she says that it is better having him here than on the streets doing drugs. Their father was very controlling and not to fun to be around. Out of all these people it almost seems that Robert is the most normal member of his family.

Besides showing us Crumb's personal life we also get to see many of his comics and how and why he chose to draw them. Many of them are extremely perverted, racist, or sexist. Outsiders seem to either love his work or despise it and just simply call it pornography.

Whatever it is, it definitely is amusing stuff and there is no question of his work's importance. Crumb has one of the most creative minds out out there and he actually has the guts to channel whatever is in his mind onto the page.

His work is what keeps him alive. Whatever you think, this is a very strange and affecting documentary that you will not soon forget. That's a promise.