But the book of genesis illustrated is far more ambitious than crumbs previous adaptations, which tended to be only a few pages long. Crumbs book of genesis reintroduces us to the bountiful tree lined garden of adam and eve, the massive ark of noah with beasts of every kind, the cities of sodom and gomorrah destroyed by brimstone and fire that rained from the heavens, and the egypt of the pharaoh, where josephs embalmed body is carried in a coffin, in a scene as elegiac. It is an appropriate warning, but it is also as close to a joke as r. However, as crumb delved deeper into the source material, he decided to adhere to the literal text to create. This is a book that gives new connotations to the concepts of classics illustrated and illuminated manuscripts. Three charles bukowski books illustrated by robert crumb. Oct 25, 2009 for text sources, crumb used robert alters masterly english translation of genesis, first published in 1996, as well as the king james version and other sources. Crumb, the legendary countercultural artist of the 60s, is that is straightforward and nonironic, each part treated with equal respect and attention. Crumbs book of genesis is the culmination of his classics illustrated impulse. In october 2009 crumb released the book of genesis illustrated by r.
The second strangest thing is the it contains every word of the original text. Crumb has spent the last five years on this incredibly ambitious endeavor. On robert crumbs the book of genesis illustrated, genesis. On the dust jacket illustration crumb shows adam and eve getting shown out of eden by a stern looking ancient of days god. Crumb gives visual form to the first book of the bible. Not since crumb last worked 9 to 5 for a greetings card company in the mid1960s has his talent been. Crumbs book of genesis reintroduces us to the bountiful treelined garden of adam and eve, the massive ark of noah with beasts of every kind, the cities of sodom and gomorrah destroyed by brimstone and fire, and the egypt of the pharaoh. The clothing and sets in the book were based on stills from classic hollywood movies, as theres not a lot of documentation about how people. In the introduction to the book of genesis illustrated by r. Crumb is the author of numerous comic works and one of the pioneers of underground comics and arguably one of the most famous cartoonists in history. Are you old enough to remember the classics illustrated comic books from the 50s. Rather, the issue at hand here is whether crumbs adaptation of genesis is. In his thoughtful and articulate introduction to the book of genesis illustrated by r.
Classics collectible international edition comics for sale ebay. The work, begun in 2004, was originally intended as a parody of the first book of the bible. Oct 29, 2009 crumb s book of genesis reintroduces us to the bountiful treelined garden of adam and eve, the massive ark of noah with beasts of every kind, the cities of sodom and gomorrah destroyed by brimstone and fire, and the egypt of the pharaoh. Oct 24, 2009 born in philadelphia in 1943, crumb began drawing comics as a young boy, influenced by his older brother charles. Yet he strove to produce the most straightforward, faithfultothetext, illustrated version of genesis. The biblical book first struck crumb as something to satirize, and. A faithful, idiosyncratic illustration of all 50 chapters. Nov, 2009 in his thoughtful and articulate introduction to the book of genesis illustrated by r. The book of genesis illustrated by r crumb books the guardian.
The exhibition features 207 individual, black and white drawings incorporating every word from all fifty chapters, as well as a cover, title page, introduction and back cover. Classics collectible international edition comics in spanish. The book of genesis illustrated by crumb, first edition. The book of genesis illustrated biblical archaeology society. Crumb check out an excerpt of the book of genesis illustrated, by r. His hyperdetailed style is a perfect match for the translation he uses, veering between stilted and bizarre and unexpectedly beautiful sometimes both at the same time. In the early 1960s he drew cards for the american greetings corporation and in the late 1960s he traveled to new york, chicago, and detroit and created many of his rambunctious and unforgettable characters including mr. In the foreword to the book he claimed it to be his most faithful visual interpretation of the book. Crumbs pass at the opening chapters of the bible isnt nearly the act of heresy the comic artists reputation might suggest. Crumb, he tells us that he doesnt believe that the bible is the word of god, or even inspired by god. On robert crumbs the book of genesis illustrated, genesis chapter 22. Crumb treats the source material with the utmost seriousness, and so his illustrations really bring home the book of genesis weird, hypnotic stories. Other articles where the book of genesis illustrated by r. Dicks infamous, hallucinatory meeting with god 1974 cartoonist r.
Using clues from the text and peeling away the theological and scholarly interpretations that have often. If your point of reference is classics illustrated, this looks a little like biblical exegesis, but if your. In the short video above, crumb describes the creation narrative in the ancient hebrew book as an archetypal story of our culture, such a strong story with all kinds of. They wanted to call it the book of genesis according to r. As advertised, he illustrates every verse of every chapter of the book of genesis. Crumb, crumb acknowledges his awareness that the project was a potentially contentious one. Classics collectible international edition comics for sale. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Ive already recommended it to a pastor friend of mine. Oct 30, 2009 crumb doesnt follow any organized religion. Crumb, with a handwritten introduction by the artist, and edited by robert weil, is published by w. The book of genesis is considered crumbs magnum opus and took over 4 years to complete.
The book of genesis 2009 is a comic book illustrated by american cartoonist robert crumb that purports to be a faithful, literal illustration of the book of genesis. Perhaps the strangest thing about this comic book version of the book of genesis, illustrated by r. Most of these notices have been positive with a number of publications affirming crumbs status as a cartooning god. David zwirner books the book of genesis illustrated by r. In january 2015, crumb was asked to submit a cartoon to the leftwing magazine liberation as a tribute for the charlie hebdo shooting. Crumbs the book of genesis illustrated may not appear to be either the fiercely secular broadside or the work of spiritual illumination which some were hoping for. The bible illustrated gods and prophets, sages and saints. Crumb has put the entire text of the best known book of the bible into a graphic work. Along with exciting scenes of destruction think sodom and gomorrah and battle as abrahams wars against the chieftains in chapter 14, there are the genealogies chapters 5, 10 and elsewhere with literally dozens of. As he did in earlier adaptations, the artist embraces a volatile, often abrasive text soaked through with lust and blood. He lives in the south of france with his wife, the artist aline kominskycrumb.
Crumb discusses his process of illustrating and satirizing the book of genesis while purporting to be a faithful. In 2009, after four years of work, crumb produced the book of genesis, an unabridged illustrated graphic novel version of the biblical book of genesis. The book of genesis 2009 is a comic book illustrated by american cartoonist robert crumb. Crumb illustrates the bible underground comic legend r. Classics collectible international edition comics in. Crumbs newest work, an illustrated version of the book of genesis, contains a warning label.
Such was the approach of cartoonist and illustrator robert crumb, who took on illustrating the entire book of genesis, a text so great and so strange, he says, that it lends itself readily to graphic depictions. Get the best deals on classics collectible international edition comics when you shop the largest online selection at. In this rare look inside robert crumbs studio in the south of france, r. Us cartoonist robert crumb has announced the completion of his longawaited take on the book of genesis, an illustrated rendering of the first 50 chapters of the bible. The book of genesis, by comparison, comes across as the fruits of indentured drudgery. Crumbs heavy cross hatching style works really well in this comic book and he illustrated each panel with so much care and details. Jan 03, 2012 crumbs the book of genesis illustrated may not appear to be either the fiercely secular broadside or the work of spiritual illumination which some were hoping for. I had to argue with them to let me call it illustrated. Oct 14, 2015 in this rare look inside robert crumbs studio in the south of france, r. Crumb, crumb acknowledges his awareness that the project. Genesis is obviously a graphic novel, but the cover is like a fifties comicbook cover. If youre into theology, crumb, art, or cartooning, youll love it. Here are a few brilliant graphic novel adaptations of classic books.
Not since crumb last worked 9 to 5 for a greetings card company in the mid1960s. The book of genesis as imagined by a veteran voice of underground comics. Oct 23, 2009 us cartoonist robert crumb has announced the completion of his longawaited take on the book of genesis, an illustrated rendering of the first 50 chapters of the bible. Crumb and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. On the cover of the newest edition of the book of genesis, there is a warning. Milton tried to retell the bible and discovered that satan was a more interesting character than god, and now, three centuries later, robert crumb. Few comics in the last year have elicited as much critical attention as robert crumbs the book of genesis illustrated. In the short video above, crumb describes the creation narrative in the ancient hebrew book as an archetypal story of our. His books include the book of genesis illustrated by r. The bible illustrated gods and prophets, sages and.
Crumbs adaptation of the first book of the old testament, the book of genesis. His hyperdetailed style is a perfect match for the translation he uses, veering between stilted and bizarre and unexpectedly beautiful. He lives in the south of france with his wife, the artist aline kominsky crumb. Its a profoundly humane adaptation, concerned not so much with faith as with power, with the everyday business of carving out as full a life as possible. Crumbs work since the head shop days of the 1970s, i am amazed to find this new work, a sentencebysentence rendering of the book of genesis. His work displays a nostalgia for american folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary american culture crumb is a prolific artist and contributed to many of the seminal works of the underground comix movement in the 1960s.