August 22, 2008

Present at the (Cartoon) Creation

One of the things people don't generally get about R. Crumb, and which in his self-deprecating way he may somewhat overlook himself, is his sense of kindness and fair play. He sees, and draws, not just the odd, amazing, tragic, surreal and funny things about human beings, but also good things, including the good we see in ourselves — even when it may not be strictly true. Called by the noted art critic Robert Hughes the "only genius the 1960s underground produced in visual art, either in America or Europe," Robert is sort of a living bridge between our authentic cultural past and our authentic cultural future. It was a thrill to talk with him. Total runtime an hour and fourteen minutes. Enjoy!