The Sweeter Side of R. Crumb

A very quick "read" this book is simply a collection of Crumb's sketches that have apparently been deemed sweet by the powers that be. While I have read a couple books by Crumb, I had never seen any of his more realistic works and so I was pretty impressed with the quality of his work. He doesn't just do his weird stylized stuff because he can't do anything else. Plus, it's not every day that I get to see such beautifully textured black and white drawings.

But then of course there's the introduction, ostensibly about how Crumb's publishers are trying to increase his appeal to women by scraping together all those things which women stereo-typically like aka all things cute and sweet. And while I should find all that hugely offensive and sexist, I really can't take it seriously. It just sounds far too over the top and maybe a touch sarcastic for that.

That said, I do need to pick up more of Crumb's comics again. Most of my exposure to his work came before I really started digging into women's representation in comics, so I'm not sure if I can take my lack of offense seriously. I think I can, but I really should double check.

Introduction aside, I found nothing to complain about in this collection. It was nice seeing a different side of Crumb, and his portrayl of women was overall quite respectful and enjoyable. There are several nudes and a handful of suggestive drawings of his wife, but I never felt like any of the subjects were being exploited against their will and none of them seemed terribly objectifying in my humble opinion. Many of these women come across as extremely powerful, and I loved how curvy fairly average they all were.

This is not to say that all of crumbs work is completely unproblematic. As I said earlier, I need to look into it further. But for now he will remain firmly under the banner of straight guys who actually do genuinely love women and aren't so insecure as to be afraid of strong women.