He complained about getting shafted by the Janis Joplin album cover but turned down an album cover gig from The Rolling Stones?
He draws for money- right?
I could see him turning down some work that goes against his principles or whatever.... but why not do a Stones cover?
And how does he afford to live?
His comics and books never sold THAT well, he was at best an underground character........
well, in one of his comics (can't remember if it's in the film or not), Crumb mentions that the only thing at the time cooler than doing a Rolling Stones cover is NOT doing a Rolling Stones cover - so he was in it not necessarily for the money, but the....ahem...."accolades" that came with being so hip (i.e. the ones with the big "shelves").
Please nest your IMDB page, and respond to the correct person -
He did say he turned down a Rolling Stones lp cover (in the same sentence he says he turned down an offer to host SNL). Now, I am a huge Stones fan, so don't think I share this opinion - and I'm just guessing anyway - but I can see R. Crumb as having the opinion that, holding the blues sacred as he seems to, that Upper Middle Class White Guys have no business singing the blues. I could be totally wrong though. I don't know why I say this, I have no evidence...call it a hunch (although he did claim to hate rock and roll, earlier in the film, so maybe my brain extrapolated a harsh opinion of the Stones for him, without him actually saying he didn't like their music).
"(Sometimes) nothing can be a real cool hand"
Crumb has said he simply hated their music, that's all. I don't think he makes a big deal about the white-guys-can't-play-the-blues schtick a lot of people try out (that's George Carlin).....after all, Crumb himself played in a little blues-banjo-band.
Please nest your IMDB page, and respond to the correct person -
@Charges_of_Buggery ...I can see R. Crumb as having the opinion that, holding the blues sacred as he seems to, that Upper Middle Class White Guys have no business singing the blues.
My opinion is that Crumb had a problem because of the Rolling Stones because of their mainstream success.
Two hypotheticals:
Scenario 1: the Rolling Stones were still upper-middle-class white guys, but they were an obscure band playing dingy clubs - Crumb probably would've been glad to do an album cover.
Scenario 2: the Rolling Stones were still as successful as they were, but were working-class white guys - Crumb probably would've still turned them down.
So IMO it was about their acceptance in the mainstream, and Crumb's resentment of that, rather than their backgrounds. Of course, I could be totally wrong. After watching the documentary I still don't know how his mind works.
Because suck fhat thit.
shareI guess that BECAUSE he got shafted by Joplin, he didn't want to go through the same thing again.
As for how he lives, he is, after all, a legend, so his original art probably sells for a fortune. Right now, a single page is on Ebay for $2500. On comicartfans.com, one page sells for $18000. On his own website, he sells etchings for 500 dollars a piece.
I don't think so. He does draw, obviously, because it is his job, but I think it depends on what the customer wants. If it is something he isn't interested in, he will turn it down. Also, there were times when he submitted stuff to people and they didn't want it.
He lives in France now, so maybe it was cheaper for him there.
Given that he traded one sketch book for the house in France, he can probably make a very good living even without mainstream success. Plus he lived very cheap probably like riding the bus or walking rather than cars. Maybe he spent a fair amount on art supplies and LPs, but he got a lot of the records free or cheap at second hand stores and garage sales probably. Maybe traded art or autographs for some of them.
shareHe said he hated the Rolling Stones music, plus he did not want to do anything mainstream. Obviously he was very in demand. He traded one sketch book for a home in France, sight unseen. Probably at least 2 bedrooms, given his daughter, and maybe more since he said his son could visit any time. His work also sold for a lot at auctions, he mentioned near the beginning, but he did not get anything from that particular piece. And I would think he lives very frugally like riding the bus, eating at home, shopping at yard sales and thrift stores, doesn't have cable or satellite TV, etc. He doesn't need to work that hard to pay his meager bills. I always felt like he is an artist who never "sold out" his principles or values.
shareToo far up his own ass perhaps.
share