The Book of Genesis Illustrated

Underground comix legend Robert Crumb might not seem a likely choice to adapt the first book of the Christian Bible and the Jewish Torah, but he does an admirable job doing so with an eye toward historical and linguistic accuracy. Using a number of scholarly translations and input from Hebrew and religious scholars, Crumb depicts well known stories in a human and earthy manner. His adaptation is very faithful and includes everything from the stories of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, to the Great Flood that Noah and his family survived, to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the lives of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. Because these stories frequently involve adult situations, violence, and nudity, Crumb has placed a warning for adult supervision for reading this book.

Adapter Robert Crumb is a huge figure in comics. He is an influential creator who tackles controversial and taboo topics involving sexuality, race, religion, and social problems in his work. His anthologies Zap! and Weirdo helped launch the careers of many creators like Spain Rodriguez, Peter Bagge, and Aline Kominsky-Crumb. He has created indelible images like the "Keep on Truckin'" man and Mr. Natural.

Because of the artist, this adaptation has drawn criticism for its base subject matter, even though the depictions within are not particularly gratuitous or far-afield of what is in the actual text. Most reviews are tempered between the artistic and textual aspects of the book. The New York Times reviewer David Hajdu wrote that it has a sense of "narrative potency and raw beauty" but lacks "a sense of the sacred." The New Republic's Robert Alter opined that it is "a bold undertaking, and most readers will be grateful for the many delights afforded by its visual inventiveness." The Guardian's Michael Faber wrote that it is "enlivened by flashes of inspiration" but was disappointed by how much Crumb was hemmed in by his subject matter.

This impressive undertaking was published by W. W. Norton and Company. A preview from the UK Guardian is available here.

Happy 69th Birthday, Robert Crumb!

Robert Crumb is a controversial, influential, shockingly honest, troubled, internationally known, and technically expert figure in comics. Born in Philadelphia and raised Catholic, Crumb created a number of characters with his brother Charles, including Fritz the Cat, who would feature in his later work. After learning to draw in a cute style while working for American Greetings making cards and experimenting with drugs, Crumb moved out to San Francisco and became one of the driving forces behind the underground comix scene in the 1960s.

Crumb's work often combines confession, social commentary, autobiography, and sexuality, making a huge impression on those who read it. Love or hate it, his work creates a strong response. Among his most famous creations are Mr. Natural, the "Keep on Trucking" man, the cover art for Cheap Thrills by Big Brother & The Holding Company, and Zap Comix. Fritz the Cat gained special notoriety for being featured in an X-rated film adaptation by Ralph Bakshi, but Crumb hated the movie so much that he immediately killed off the character in his comix.

Zap became the venue where many other prominent artists, such as Spain Rodriguez and Robert Williams gained notice. Later, Crumb also created and edited another anthology named Weirdo, which became a launchpad for many alternative comix figures including Peter Bagge. Crumb also played a huge role in the beginnings of Harvey Pekar's American Splendor comics.

Crumb's works have had a massive influence on comics and graphic novels in the US, in terms of tackling difficult, adult, and taboo subject matter. He was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 1991. Currently, Crumb lives in the south of France with his wife and frequent collaborator Aline Kominsky-Crumb. He also sometimes publishes with his daughter, Sophie, a strong comics creator herself.

His work still creates strong responses, as seen in this recent brouhaha about attending the 2011 Graphic Festival in Sydney, Australia.

Kafka

Kafka is part adaptation, part criticism, and part history of Franz Kafka's life and works. The Jewish Czech author is considered one of the great writers of the 20th century, credited with capturing the state of modern humanity in terms of industrialization, urbanization, and changing societal mores. The greatest sign of his importance is the adjective kafkaesque entering into popular use, a term that this book emphasizes. Among the roughly chronological account of Kafka's life, including his struggles with a domineering and abusive father and his mainly strange relationships with various women, are adaptations of his works. These include famous ones, The Metamorphosis and The Trial, but also shorter works such as The Burrow and his unfinished final work Amerika.

This book was created as part of the Introducing series of graphic novels that covers famous authors, philosophers, scientists, concepts, and fields of study. It was written by David Zane Mairowitz who is famous for his plays, literary criticisms/adaptations, and radio plays. He was also one of the founders of the counter-culture International Times. The art was provided by one of the most celebrated and controversial comics artists, Robert Crumb. Crumb is famous for his underground comix work, creating Mr. Natural, Fritz the Cat, the album cover to Big Brother and the Holding Company's Cheap Thrills, and the "Keep on Truckin'" meme. He has been a long commentator on jazz and also on what he sees as the decline of American culture. Of late, he has produced a graphic adaptation of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Given the successes of the writer and artist, it's no surprise to find many positive reviews of this book. Brian Heater wrote that "Kafka is a terrific little book, and deserves to be embraced by those Crumb and Kafka fans." Chris Barsanti called it " one of the most exhilarating graphic works of the year." Giving a contrary take, and despite admiring Crumb's illustrations, Christian Perring was underwhelmed by the book.

A short preview is available here from the book's current publisher Fantagraphics Books. Past editions have had different titles, including Introducing Kafka, Kafka for Beginners, and R. Crumb's Kafka.