Writer/Artist: Robert CrumbPublisher: Fantagraphics Books
Published: 2003
Art & Beauty is not so much a comic book, but a picture book of drawn ladies by Crumb in a comic sized book, each captioned by either himself or other writers/artists.
I was first introduced to Crumb when I was in Toronto several years ago. I wandered into a book shop and I saw the R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book on display. After a quick peruse, I noticed here's a guy who definitely likes to draw, especially the darker side of life. After some more research on Crumb, I was inevitably drawn towards the movie Crumb.
The movie Crumb covered many aspects of his life, ranging from his obsession with old timey music, family trauma, to his sex life. Now, here is a guy who has a split persona when it comes to sex. He is clearly obsessed with sex, and he comes off as both a victim and benefactor of his compulsions. Crumb's attitude toward women is a mixed bag as well. On the physical level he is enraptured, but overall some of his work is extremely misogynistic. Needless to say, that dichotomy has earned him his fair share of praise and criticism.
However, his Art & Beauty comics show a brighter attitude towards women. And boy can he draw!
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