Robert Crumb

Robert Crumb appears as a fictionalized version of the real underground cartoonist himself, a self-referential figure rooted in the counterculture comix scene. Published through Last Gasp, he debuted in San Francisco Comic Book #3 as a meta-commentary on underground cartooning culture.

Robert Crumb — the legendary underground cartoonist — appearing as a character in his own right, debuting in San Francisco Comic Book #3 in 1971, right at the heart of the counterculture Bronze Age. Published through Last Gasp, the indie imprint synonymous with underground comix, this self-referential figure has turned up across 54 years of catalog appearances, most prominently in Weirdo, Arcade the Comics Revue, and Comic Book Comics, keeping wild company with the likes of Fat Freddy Freekowtski, Freewheelin' Franklin Freek, and fellow real-life figures Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Sophie Crumb. With a key issue to his name and a presence stretching from Nixon-era San Francisco all the way to the present, this is underground comix history made flesh on the page — a fascinating meta-artifact for any serious collector of the form.