In the Image of God
The Ambition of R. Crumb’s Graphic Genesis
By Paul Buhle
The Book of Genesis Illustrated
By R. Crumb
Norton, unpaged (220 pages, oversized) $24.95 hardback.
To say this book is a remarkable volume or even a landmark volume in comic art is somewhat of an understatement. It doesn’t hurt that excerpts of the book appeared during the summer in the New Yorker and that the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is opening an exhibit of the original drawings from which the book’s contents were adapted. “The Book of Genesis,” Robert Crumb’s version, nevertheless stands on its own as one of this century’s most ambitious artistic adaptations of the West’s oldest continuously told story.
No comic artist has been more influential than Crumb. In terms of sales, his work is dwarfed by the superheroes and, in comic art prestige. Art Spiegelman, and a short list of others including Alison Bechdel and Marjane Sartrapi may have displaced Crumb. But Crumb’s influence abides and endures in his occasional LP/CD covers, in his volumes of collected work (16 volumes so far and counting), his artistic prizes and a generation of artists who have incorporated his particular view of humanity.
Surprisingly, his best work in 20 years has actually been in the genre of adaptation, specifically an adaptation of Franz Kafka, dating to the mid 1990s. On that highly curious point, any consideration of this “Genesis,” as a highly personal comic art, properly begins. Notoriously, Crumb is a gentile who fled from his deeply dysfunctional Delaware family to the Cleveland neighborhood of Harvey Pekar and the arms of the first of two Jewish wives. “Crumb,” the 1994 film documentary, was in many ways about emotional pain (including a brother doomed to suicide) and his craving for a certain kind of woman, who, although possibly any female with a bemuscled backside, was in fact most likely to be Jewish. She, reality and image, was his consolation. The strips that he drew of Jewish-American life, nevertheless, reworked stereotypes, some funny (he visits Florida with his second wife, and holds a tiny grandfather on his knee), and some, doubtless, insulting to many readers.
In the pages of “Introducing Kafka,” Crumb became his fictional protagonist with such depth of insight into the logic of the doomed writer, as well as of Kafka’s famed works, that many readers were simply astonished, this reviewer among them. Kafka is the exemplar par excellence of a type of ambiguous, tortured mittel European Jewish personality as it hovered between faith and uncertainty, shortly before the Holocaust. Not Spiegelman, not Ben Katchor, nor Sharon Rudahl, nor others who drew historical or quasi-historical strips about Jewish history, had taken the characterization as far as Crumb. An earlier escape from Middle American culture had propelled Crumb toward his satirical protagonist Mister Natural, a Zen-like, robed quasi-prophet of the 1970s-80s. Three decades later, Crumb’s robed prophets are far from Zen.
Crumb’s “Genesis” is then perfectly serious and the author wants us to know it. As he says on the cover, “Nothing Left Out!” Every “beget” from the King James Bible can be found here, along with plenty of scenes censored from previous graphic adaptations. And more prose, in the final “Commentary” segment of the book, than non-writer Crumb may have put on the page anywhere, aside from his published letters. More striking for anyone but the seasoned Crumb fan: unlike previous Biblical comic adaptations, including some published and drawn by Jews, Crumb’s characters actually look Jewish, the women even more than the men. The contrast to the classic work, EC Comics’ “Picture Stories from the Bible” (1945) in that respect is most illuminating. But more recent works like the best-selling “Manga Bible” (2000) are not much different (nor was the “The Wolverton Bible” by one of the strangest of comic artists Basil Wolverton). Close readers will see Crumb’s wife Aline Kominsky, to whom the book is dedicated, again and again, in various guises; perhaps only Chagall drew his beloved wife so often and with such varied imagination.
Not only are the characters Jewish here, they are all ages and sizes. If, for instance, there are more drawings of Jewish elders in any single volume of comic art anywhere, I have never seen them. The women here are beautiful when young, heavily busted with large, muscular thighs. The men are strong, their beards full and noble. The deity has a really big beard and retains his notoriously bad temper, as well as his commanding presence, and absolute demand for loyalty. The animals of Genesis (in Noah’s ark and elsewhere) may be where Crumb is most similar to earlier comic art adaptations of Biblical texts, but they are drawn, like everything else, with such loving care that they are special and demand repeated viewing.
In those extensive notes at the end, Crumb comes as close as he is ever likely to revealing the sources and depth of his commitment to the text. He had been puzzling, no doubt under a wave of feminist criticism, about the gender struggle, until Torah scholar Savina Teubel’s “Sarah the Priestess” (1984) gave him new insight: a matriarchal background, female deities and actual female power, in a society turning toward patriarchy but retaining some elements of women’s prehistorical strength and centrality to the direction of early civilization. If anything is reinterpreted purposefully in “Genesis,” it is in gender, and Crumb does so not by scoring points but by rearranging the visual subtext. Gender issues also help him reframe somewhat the class dimension of tribal society, which endures not through brute force but because of the strength of its women.
The commentary on his visual choices and his broader interpretations explores and explains his few intentional deviations, not only in the name of narrative clarity but artistic intent. Mainly, his notes drive home how he struggled to interpret the text in suitable graphic form, chapter by chapter, sometimes even character by character. There is no doubting the artist’s integrity or hard work, in no small part because he redrew again and again, trying to find historically accurate clothing and scenery. The Old Testament of cinematic Charlton Heston, so to speak, became the Genesis of lived and perceived experience, socially real and super-real. Clues are provided with translations of specific Hebrew names within the visual text, essentially metaphorical in meaning. These clues may be the closest to footnotes that Crumb has ever provided.
Comics scholar Jeet Heer, has noted in “Bookforum” that Crumb’s biblical characters, with the exception of the deity, have no internal lives: only the deity has depth and personality. As with the original text, much more is implied in Crumb’s visual text than can be stated, because scenes rush by so fast and because the artist forever works out, pen or brush in hand, a unique meaning that escapes easy interpretation. Even closer to the mark, Heer argues that above all, this is a book about bodies, the natural expression of an artist whose work has, possibly more than any other master of comic art, been concerned with body structure and expression.
And offending the deity? Crumb treads with a caution all the more remarkable for an artist, who, short decades ago, allowed himself the full run of his imagination, heedless of the consequences. Crumb’s innovation might be summed up in his characterization of Joseph, brilliant in subjugating Egypt but weary of his own powers. In the final phrases of the book, the artist suggests a radical view several thousand years previous to Jewish Karl Marx. “In the very last chapter, when his obstreperous brothers fling themselves at this feet and proclaim, ‘Here we are, your slaves,’ he says to them, “I am not God, am I’ Joseph has learned a much finer humility than the fear-driven kind shown by his barbaric brothers.” So says a humble Crumb.
Paul Buhle is the author (with Denis Kitchen) of “The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics” (Abrams ComicArts), an illustrated biography of Mad magazine’s founder.
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No one loves R. Crumb more than me, and no one has been more moved by his entire body of work (including "Despair" and even Flaky Foont). But here he seems to have bought into some Christian notions.
First of all, the Hebrew text says "one day" - not "a first day". Why not use the right text to interpret?
Second, that image of a bearded old man/God with bushy eyebrows in a monk's robe is a lot closer to Michaelangelo (and Mr. Natural) than it is to the Torah. If there was no one else, and there was no light, why does God need a robe ... or a body?
Third, Mr. Crumb misses the whole idea of "waters" and their division.
Of course, once he gets past that which is un-pictureable, his work is, as usual, simply remarkable.
Gee, Eliezer, I thought I loved Crumb’s work more that anybody!
I was puzzled as well when the previews of Crumb's “Genesis” came out, with the “man in the sky” depiction of God. Is God perhaps a latent Mr. Natural? Mebbe conflating God and Mr. Natural was meant to suggest You-know-who-weh’s aspect as a trickster god? [Prob'ly not, God has a better head of hair than Natch.] Mebbe it’s Crumb’s homage to the woodcut artists of the Protestant Reformation?
But then I see how Crumb illustrates God standing outside of creation, with an Existence separate and independent of this or any other universe. The convention of the “old man with a beard” is not suggesting that God lives in the sky and has a physical body —and a hirsute male body at that— but it’s shorthand for illustrating the Unillustratable. To refer to another comics artist, it’s like in Larry Gonick’s “Cartoon History of the Universe” [vol. 8] where in the “Bhagavad Gita” Krishna allows Arjuna to view reality: if we could really see God’s Reality, it would blow our minds.
In a future story about Crumb, mebbe the FORWARD can seek to answer “What is this strange fascination with Jewish girls??”
What a remarkable cartoon. Myths & fables of the origins of "creation" are legion, as are human inventions of "God." This version is truly Crumby. From his pen to God's eyes --- and we hope "She's" looking. What about the Sixth & Seventh days? Peace & love, Houston
This is art folks, duh!? Peace for all
This is not King James! Look at the very first sentence.
“It's only lines on paper, folks.”
—Robert Crumb
if you want to help people, it's probably best not to bore them to tears.
The style of this reviewer seems to be, "When in doubt, speculate." I hoped for something more.
Miriam: Why do I suspect that you wrtite the same postings for the Weather Report ("it is not by the high pressure system that the weather comes-but from the hand of..."). You should relax. thanks Fred
Man o man! This article has certainly brought out some kooks!
I may buy this classic version of Bereshit, even though we Jews don't believe in, or need, a small g god who is visible, wears clothes, eats food and blows his nose. The earth was created in seven periods of time - not days - and it's anyone's guess whether it was millions or trillions of years within each period of time. That's why Judaism and science can walk hand in hand. Crumb, however seems to have moved beyond the usual. It's always good to find something that makes us think.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the whole book. The technique here is amazing. But, for a specifically Jewish take on Torah in comics, check out The Comic Torah, at thecomictorah.com. There's a 2-page comic for each parsha. It's personal, provocative and funny, though not nearly so reverent as the Crumb.
Fred Shapiro, my friend, You asked, I am a little Kvetech, I pray about it is my biggest fault. sorry, I am trying. But nevertheless you did ask why.....
So, here it is....for you.
Whom will the LORD hold responsible after death for the unrighteouw life on earh? The body as inanimate matter can surely not be affected by anything done to it. The soul has surely a very tangible plea in the fact that all misdeeds were committed by the body whilst alive, for which it (the soul, the spirit ) should not be held responsible. But it is as though the owner of a very valuable garden, being anzious for the PRESERVATION OF HIS FRUIT, employed two men, one blind and the other lame, to watch His orchard.
Said the lame one to the blind one, "Would I could walk! I could feast on the wouderful and enticing fruit which I see all around me." "I," said the blind man, "am strong enough in my legs, but unfortunately have not the sense of sight, and can not even feast my eyes on the choice fruit of which you tell me. Supposing, "suggested he to his lame comrade, " you were to get on my back and pilot me to theos wounderful trees which you see, I could with ease carry you there and you could pluck the coveted fruit for both of us." The suggestion was adopted, and the garden was quickly despoiled. When the owner visited HIS GARDEN He was shocked at the HAVOC COMMITTED on what to HIM was HIS MOST PRECIOUS PROSSESSION, and charged the two men with depredation.
Said the blind man, "I surely can not be guilty of the theft of a thing the existence and whereabouts of which I could not EVEN SEEN." "Neither was I able,"
Said the lame watchman, "to lay my hand on any of the fruit, for you know that my legs refuse to carry me a step."
The OWNER of the orchard was, however able to demonstrate the method employed by the pair in robbing him of HIS PRECIOUS FRUIT, by taking the lame man and putting him on the back of the blind watchman, and making the latter carry the former to the trees. Thus the Psalmist intimates..... .Ps. 1:4 "He will call the heavens above and to the earth that he may judge his people": that is to say, He will UNITE MAN'S heavenly element (the soul, the spirit body) with his earthly element (flesh, body) again, and will fix the responsibility on the REUNITED WHOLE.
Job.33 The Spirit of G-D made me, (flesh) but the breath of the Almighty gives life. (soul, spiritual body)
For this is written....May the words of my mouth and the meditatioon of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
G-D OF ALL MANKIND....Jeremiah 32..."I am the LORD, the G-D of all mankinnd. Is anything too hard for Me?"
Miriam: Thank you for your response-have a wonderful day. Fred
What does it all mean? Don't mean Sheeeeiiittt!!! Remember that… give it up fools not buyin' any woids in any book by any humans and that means the bibble and all that dribble… night now, c'mer sweet thang…
Obviously, Mr. Natural is the Creator. That would explain things like the platypus.
Hard to stomach that Hebrews (Eliezer, you must re-read the Tana-ch) would believe such drivel as "periods of time" for the six specific days (24-hour days) that the Great I Am took to create His universe. He's not so small as your thinking.
It is written in Isaiah 40..."Lift up your eyes on high"
You ask, to which place? To that place to which all eyes ar turned, by doing so, you will know that it is the mysterious Ancient One, whose essence can be sought, but not found, that created these.
For it is written....the place, and the door to enter, is a key found in the burning fire of G-D'S own desire for you. Ps. 51 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the HIDDEN PART thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
"This is the extremity of heaven on high", because everything is in His power, and because He is ever to be sought, though putting sin out, this is the only way we can enquire in. There is a extremity of heaven called Mi, but there is another lower extremity which is called Mah.
You ask, what is the diffrence? The difference between the two is this. The first is the real subject of enquiry, but after a person, male or female by means of enquiry and refection turns from sin and doing their own will, and looks to do the will of G-Dhas reached the utmost limit of knowledge, one stops at Mah.
What. you ask? As if to say what , how do you know! And what have the searching achieved you?
Believe me, everything is a baffling as at the beginning.
For this is written....Lamentations 2 "I, Mah, testify against you...ect."
When the Temple was destroyed a voice went forth and sais: "I , Mah, have testified against you day by day form the days of old" as it is written, Deut 30..."I called heaven and earth to witness against you." Further, I Mah, likened myself to you; I crowned thee with holy crowns, and made you ruler over the earth, as it is written, "Is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty?....etc. found in Lam. 2. and again, "I called you Jerusalem that is built as a city compact together" Further, I, Mah, am equal to you in the same plight in which you , Jerusalem, art here, so I am, as it were, above; just as the holy people does not go up to thee any more in sacred array, so I swear to you, I will not ascend on high until the day when thy throngs will again stream to thee her below. and this may be thy consolation, inasmuch as to this extent I am thy equal in all things. But now that thou art in the present state "thy breach is great like the sea". And lest thou sayest there is for thee no abiding and no healing. "Mi will heal thee". Of a surety the veiled One, the Most High, the sum of all existence will heal you and uphold you----Mi, the extremity of heaven above, Mah, as far as the extremity of heaven below. And this is the inheritance of Jacob. he being the "bolt that passes from extremity to extremity" Exod.27
So it is written of the Mah and Mi, and us......that put out sin and are healed. Job 33.....The Spirit of G-D (Mah) made me, but the breath of the Almighty (Mi) gives me life. a holy child, a son is born, from both sides of G-D, above and below. So it is Mi who created these, children, the seeds she is with here below, and will not leave until all that turn, come to full birth.
The word throngs......hell so to speak, envokes images to throngs of helpless people mercilessly.
In the verse above, Mah, tells of the city of perfection of beauty, Mah also tells us that ..."I call you Jerusalem........that is built as a city.....compact together:. We are gather together, becoming the city of perfection of beauty, called Jerusalem, the dwelling and resting place of Mah.
For it is written....Gen. 49....And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, AND WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE.
Gen. 25....Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, AND WAS GATHERED UPTO HIS PEOPLE.
MARK THIS....How ever there are two conditions...birth and unbirth.
for it is written....Job3 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the opressor.
David, my friend, time was created to contain mankind, not G-D. There is no measure to the Eternal. Jeremiah 10...But the LORD is the true G-D; He is the Living G-D, the ETERNAL KING. Isaiah 40 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting G-D the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
It's been 2,009 years and folks are still arguing over who's rule book is better, feverishly quoting verse and passage, looking for some deeper meaning. Doesn't that sort of MISS THE ENTIRE POINT???
It's simple, people: Pick a rule book (or don't), follow it, leave everyone else alone. Done! All the promises and threats were designed to keep your ancestors in line, that's it. But the rest, the actual rules, are quite sound -- even scientifically sound (like, not making babies with your sister).
If only they had known, 2,009 years ago, what dolts would be trying to re-interpret some very simple, basic rules of life.
I can hear the conversation now: "Dude, let's make it simple: 10 rules. That's it. Just 10. You know, one for each finger!" "Aww... I don't know... people might not 'get it.'" "Okay, so make them really simple - I mean, 'don't kill anyone,' simple... people oughta get that, right?" "Well... we'll try it. But, let's put them on stone tablets, so they don't get re-written into something like, 'don't kill anyone, unless they're (insert favorite reason to kill).'" "AWESOME!" "Sweet!"
Yep, monotheism is humanity's worst invention ever.
Really now I was hoping for something funny...well I guess a big, guy-in-the-sky is kind of funny but Mr. Natural he ain't.
But perhaps the follow sentence from Robert Crumb's "The Official Crumb Site" may clear things up about his theology:"Robert was a faithful Catholic until he was sixteen." http://www.crumbproducts.com/history/history1.htm
It's been 2,009 years and folks are still arguing over who's rule book is better, feverishly quoting verse and passage, looking for some deeper meaning. Doesn't that sort of MISS THE ENTIRE POINT???
It's simple, people: Pick a rule book (or don't), follow it, leave everyone else alone. Done! All the promises and threats were designed to keep your ancestors in line, that's it. But the rest, the actual rules, are quite sound -- even scientifically sound (like, not making babies with your sister).
If only they had known, 2,009 years ago, what dolts would be trying to re-interpret some very simple, basic rules of life.
I can hear the conversation now: "Dude, let's make it simple: 10 rules. That's it. Just 10. You know, one for each finger!" "Aww... I don't know... people might not 'get it.'" "Okay, so make them really simple - I mean, 'don't kill anyone,' simple... people oughta get that, right?" "Well... we'll try it. But, let's put them on stone tablets, so they don't get re-written into something like, 'don't kill anyone, unless they're (insert favorite reason to kill).'" "AWESOME!" "Sweet!"
we need it also
Peace....and not killing , hate and death....
Among the heavenly bldies and beings there is no envy, jealousy, hatred, or contention; yet it is said....Job25 "He maketh peace in his high places." So, how much more, then, is PEACE needed amongst G-D'S creation of mankind...in the lower sphere.
The creation of peace and good-will amongst mankind, towers above all other of G-D'S commandments. for it is written in Ps. 34 We are to seek and establish it in our midst, and pursue and found it everywhere else.
Mankind, think.....G-D fixed upon the best place for the temple, and Palestine as the country for Israel. Why?
Remember this...the prophet Obadiah was an Edomite who embraced The One True G-D, turned out sin, and became a holy son of the Living G-D.
G-D tells mankind, "Behold, I am pure, my habitation is pure, my ministering angels are pure, .....and the spark of myself deposited with you is pure: take heed that you restore to me that spark in the same state of purity as when it was given you."
Um. Absent the influence of European genes Jews would (as some in Israel do) would look very different than what people think of as "Jewish". Incremental visual progress is better than none I guess.
The comictorah? Really? Disappointing.
Crumb, on the other hand, who Robert Hughes called the Breugel of the 20th century, always satisfies.
He's incapable of being anything less than fascinating and inspiring.
inked
You know what is AWESOME, AND SWEET!
It is written in Jeremiah 31....But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those day-s, said the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their G-D, and THY SHALL BE MY people.
G-D means what he says....thy will be, sounds like, they do not want to be and G-D is forced to make them obey Him.
Now look at the ones that want what G-D ask of them. Psl 51...Behold, thou desirest Truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know Wisdom.
G-D is not writting any more on tablets the law, that all generations have broken....NO ....G-D is writting on our iinward parts, our hearts and minds,,,,
which group of people do you stand with?
Some of us appreciate Crumb as a trend setter and yes, he did break through the wall of censorship that went up after the Congressional comic book hearings in the ’50s. I had a sneak peak of the book of genesis illustrated here and wanted to compare more independent opinions.
For some of us it’s nostalgia—I was a horny, teen-age hippie when I first discovered undergrounds back in the ’60s. That being said, if you study his body of work you start to understand the point of view he brings to even the simplest illustration. Crumb is a self-aware, sexually immature, cynic who has few heroes (blues musicians, etc.). Sure, there are better illustrators but none that would deliver the Bible from his POV. I think of Crumb as the cartoonist’s Ivan Albright. He could draw/paint the loveliest subject and still make you wonder if there wasn’t something rotten just out of view.
Crumb's Biblical characters have no internal lives and much is interpreted visually. Crumb's innovation here is his depiction of the deity which is an extension of the author's imagination. His Joseph is wonderful as we see a man subjugating Egypt and tired of his own powers. This is an interesting and rewarding look at the First of the Five Books of Moses and I only hope that Crumb does the other four as well. This was a great review and preview of the book: http://www.squidoo.com/the-book-of-genesis-illustrated
Miriam - I stand where I've always stood, and where I'll always stand: Alone.
Your... eagerness is deeply appreciated by me, however. I wish you well.
Wow! and here I thought G-d would look like Mr Natural, and Eve would look like Honeybunch Kaminisky!
I have commented and it was left out. I have now the book, and I see, but nevertheless you do not. Let G-D judge, it's later than most of us think. This world is in a moral free fall like never before in history. The alarm has sounded, and we need to heed the call. But what are people doing? They are rolling over and yawning in the face of G-D.
wake up! clean up! G-D says....many times, in many diffrent words....in short of them....put off works of darkness,,,it may be later in the day if opportuunity than you realize. what is the Day of the LORD mean to you?
There is a Mr. Natural comic where he dies and goes to Heaven and God is a huge guy with a big beard, just like in Genesis. That should at least settle the question abotu whether Mr. Natural is God or not.
He draws with eyes given him to see---Kelippas. I have been given koach, choshmah, chai as Bas to Melech, to enter in Ha Tzoor, Atzilus.
You should ka raw, your Melech from Chessed to Malchus. Melech will give you koach and chai, so to bring you out of Asizah, into the Ha Tzoor, frist you will put sin our mikveh.
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