Crumb Newsletter

New "Crumb on Others" Interview

2013-02-20T11:49:00.000-06:00

Check out the latest "Crumb on Others" interview (part five) between Robert and Wildwood Serigraphs publisher Alex Wood. Crumb gives his opinions on the famous and infamous, including Jack Kerouac, Johnny Carson, Bill Griffith, Hugh Hefner and Linda Lovelace.

Also, we have posted a collection of Robert's Custom Signatures on prints made by Wildwood over the last twelve years.

And see our Special Offers page for "Twas Ever Thus" a one-time offer on this rare, out-of-print serigraph.

Bijou Funnies Serigraph

2013-01-19T22:13:00.000-06:00

Wildwood Serigraphs and rcrumb.com are exclusively releasing Crumb's Bijou Funnies #6 as our new signed serigraph edition. First published as a comic by Kitchen Sink in September 1971, Bijou #6 may not be Crumb's most famous cover, but it could be one of Crumb's most historically accurate narratives of the early '70s, a time that transformed Western civilization forever — Women's Lib! Aside from the social significance, which Crumb imbues with his own humor, the graphic implementation of the ray background is unique for Crumb covers, and works nicely with his playful masthead.

Publisher Alex Wood says, "If I had ten bucks every time I heard a customer complain how badly he wanted to buy Crumb's artwork but it wasn't exactly wife-friendly, I'd be flying to Bali first class. But now, here we have a classic Crumb print, and guess what fellas? Now you can finally buy a Crumb print for the wife." You buy it for whatever reason — the reason we printed it is because we like it, it's Crumb, and it's great.

The signed and limited edition of 100 is printed on archival cream paper 20" x 25." The image is 14" x 18." It's a 21-color serigraph, and each print is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. To read what Crumb wrote for the certificate, visit the Crumb on Crumb feature on our website.

$325 each

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To be released January 22, 2013.

(click image to enlarge)

Louis Armstrong Etching

2012-10-20T12:57:00.000-05:00

In 2010, Crumb drew this portrait of Louis Armstrong for someone in exchange for some 78 rpm records. It's a fantastic portrait, with a lot of cross-hatching, and it didn't take us long to realize it would make one hell of a great etching. We printed 50 of 'em, and they came out beautifully. The detail is exquisite and the black is luxuriously saturated. They're available exclusively for Crumb Newsletter readers first — we'll release them on the site later. Because the edition is only 50, this edition may sell out before being released on the website or sold to the general public (as has happened with previous Crumb etchings.) Each print is signed, numbered and dated by Robert Crumb, and comes with our complete guarantee for your satisfaction or your money back.

Image size: 6.75" x 9.25"

Embossed area: 7.75" x 10.25"

Hahnemühle archival paper size: 12" x 15.5"

Edition 50

$420 each

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(click image to enlarge)

R.Crumb Books & Comix

Remember that in addition to prints, The Official Crumb Site carries books and comics, including Drawn Together; Robert's new collaboration with his wife Aline.

Hardcover edition, 272 pages

8.9" x 11.6"

$25 each

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Zap Comix No.1 Giclee

2012-09-27T16:33:00.000-05:00

If you don't know the entire history of this iconic image, click this Wikipedia link to read about it.

The cover image was originally printed with three colors (black, process yellow and process blue) in 1968, but a full color serigraph edition was released by Kitchen Sink in 1992. However, Crumb wasn't very happy with the final colors in that print, so he was adamant that his color instructions be closely followed for this new edition. He wanted the top of the image and car to match the original comic cover. I tried talking him into putting a light blue, metallic sheen in the radiator, but he wanted it white, so I followed his instructions. He approved a color rough via the internet in Paris (the first time we've done that) and we're releasing this edition on Friday, September 28th. The unsigned edition is limited to 300 prints.

The paper is, as always, Somerset Velvet 255 gram archival stock. The inks we use are simply the best inks available — Epson Ultrachrome inks. The paper size is 17" x 24". The image size is 14" x 18.5". This, and every Wildwood Serigraph print, is unconditionally guaranteed for your complete satisfaction or your money back.

$80 each

Buy Me

(click image to enlarge)

New Giclee / New Interview

2012-08-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Crumb's Twas Ever Thus was originally created and published in 1969, on the back cover of Changes #3, a hippie magazine published in Oakland, California. Soon after, it became more popular when it was printed as a poster. In 2008 we printed this image, with some color revisions, as a signed serigraph edition. Now, based upon that sold-out serigraph edition, we're releasing a new giclee edition of Crumb's Twas Ever Thus.

The image size is 15" x 18.5". The Somerset enhanced archival white paper is 18" x 24". The giclee prints are shipped in indestructible tubes. Every print from Wildwood Serigraphs comes with our unconditional guarantee for your complete satisfaction or your money back. Unsigned edition limited to 300 prints. Release date: August 28, 2012.

$80 each

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(click image to enlarge)

CRUMB ON OTHERS, Part 4

Please check out the Official Crumb Site for Crumb on Others, the fourth part of a continuing series of discussions between Robert Crumb and Wildwood Serigraph's Alex Wood. In a discussion from August, 2012, Alex asks Robert for his opinions on artists, celebrities, and politicians including Woody Allen, the Marx Brothers, Abraham Lincoln and more.

Rare Prints Sale

2012-07-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

The R.Crumb Site is announcing another one-and-done sale of rare lithographs and etchings from sold-out editions.

Publisher Alex Wood is offering select prints from his personal collection, along with artist proofs from Robert Crumb, at the most reasonable prices available. Their authenticity and quality is guaranteed by Wildwood Serigraphs and the Official R.Crumb Site.

B.B. King Serigraph .................................... $975

Beloved Music Makers Portfolio ............. $650

Third Eye Serigraph .................................... $600

Zap Comix #0 Serigraph ............................ $800

Twas Ever Thus Serigraph ........................ $790

San Francisco Comics Serigraph ............ $780

Some Cold Rainy Day Serigraph .............. $300

Janis Joplin Etching ..................................... $800

Cheap Thrills Serigraph ............................ $1700

Please see the Special Offers page of the R.Crumb Site for these and other offerings.

Heroes of the Blues Giclee

2012-06-23T18:07:00.000-05:00

The Official Crumb Site is pleased to announce the release of the Heroes Of The Blues limited giclee edition. This giclee print has been digitally remastered from the artwork of the serigraph edition published in 2010, which is now sold out. 16 colors were used in that serigraph, the unusually large number of screens being necessary to mix and simulate the colors specified by Crumb. Still, some compromises had to be made due to the nature of the screening process. But with this new giclee edition, each color was matched without any limitations, resulting in a print truer to Crumb's original intentions.

The image size in both editions is the same: 16.5 inches wide by 25 inches tall. The Somerset Velvet 255 archival paper is 22 inches by 29 inches. This paper is white, as opposed to the cream of the serigraph edition, and a cream border is printed on each card.

The Heroes Of The Blues giclee edition will be released Tuesday, June 26th. The unsigned edition is limited to 300 prints, and its color and detail are outstanding. Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back. If you missed the opportunity to buy a print from the serigraph edition, here is your chance to purchase and enjoy some of Crumb's best portraits, celebrating America's musical heritage.

$90 each

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(click image to enlarge)

Robert Crumb's Early Hot Jazz Greats

2012-05-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

In 1982, Crumb created 36 watercolor portraits of early jazz musicians for Yazoo Records, which published them as a deck of trading cards. Thirty years later, Robert has selected 25 of those portraits (listed below) and we present them, arranged 5 x 5, in a new display print titled Early Hot Jazz Greats. Unlike the images in the 2011 Heroes Of The Blues edition, Crumb did not want the jazz portraits printed with a card border. This way, each image is larger, so the subtlety and detail of the watercolors is more apparent. It's also for this reason that we chose the medium of gicleé (inkjet printing) for the edition. Serigraphy would never have been able to capture the beauty and subtlety each portrait possesses. A beautiful, rich and vibrant edition was created, and you have our guarantee for your complete satisfaction or your money back.

There are 140 prints in the edition, plus 14 artist proofs and 3 printer proofs. The white Somerset Velvet Enhanced Matte archival paper is 22" x 30." The image size is 17" x 24", printed with Epson's archival K3 Ultrachrome inks. Each print will be numbered, signed and dated by Robert Crumb in Chicago this week, and the edition will be released on Friday, May 18th.

$380 each + shipping

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The images:

First row: King Oliver, Thomas “Fats” Waller, “Bix” Beiderbecke, Earl Hines, Coleman Hawkins

Second row: Jimmy Blythe, Frank Trumbauer, Sidney Bechet, Bennie Mozen, Jabbo Smith

Third row: “Muggsy” Spanier, Joe Venuti, Louis Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Goodman

Fourth row: Freddy Keppard, Ernest “Punch” Miller, “Jelly Roll” Morton, Jack Teagarden, “Duke” Ellington

Fifth row: Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Dodds, Eddie Lang, “Tiny” Parham, Jimmy Noone

(click image to enlarge)

CRUMB ON OTHERS, Part 3

2012-03-20T10:15:00.001-05:00

Alex Wood has just finished the third in his continuing series of Crumb On Others interviews. Alex explains, "Over the years, talking with Robert, I've been surprised by many of his likes and dislikes. In a discussion in March, 2012, I asked for his comments on Janis Joplin, Hitler, Kurtzman, Bukowski and others in the news past and present, many suggested by our readers. We have plenty of names still to discuss, but if you'd like to hear Robert's opinion on someone we haven't covered, please e-mail your suggestions to tom@rcrumb.com. We can't promise that we will get to all of them, but we will add them to the list for future interviews."

UPCOMING RELEASE

The next print release from Wildwood Serigraphs and the Official Crumb Site will be a signed and numbered giclee edition of Early Hot Jazz Greats, based on the trading card series. It will be a companion print to our Heroes of the Blues serigraph. This time, rather than a serigraph, Crumb and Alex have decided that the only way to create an edition of the Early Hot Jazz Greats is as a giclee print. This is because Crumb created each portrait in watercolor, and serigraphy wouldn't be able to capture all the subtlety in the art. Crumb has selected 25 images which will be displayed in the print: King Oliver, Thomas “Fats” Waller, “Bix” Beiderbecke, Earl Hines, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Blythe, Frank Trumbauer, Sidney Bechet, Bennie Mozen, Jabbo Smith, “Muggsy” Spanier, Joe Venuti, Louis Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Goodman, Freddy Keppard, Ernest “Punch” Miller, “Jelly Roll” Morton, Jack Teagarden, “Duke” Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Johnny Dodds, Eddie Lang, “Tiny” Parham and Jimmy Noone. The paper and images will be the same size as the Blues edition (22" x 30"), but on white paper, not cream. We're expecting to complete the edition in May, and Robert will sign it when he attends a May comics forum in Chicago.

Rare Prints Sale

2012-01-11T23:25:00.000-06:00

The R.Crumb Site is continuing its one-and-done sale of rare lithographs and etchings from sold-out editions.

Publisher Alex Wood is offering select prints from his personal collection at the most reasonable prices available. Their authenticity and quality is guaranteed by Wildwood Serigraphs and the Official R.Crumb Site.

B.B. King Serigraph .................................... $980

Despair Serigraph ....................................... $900

Third Eye Serigraph .................................... $600

Quiet Study Etching .................................... $750

Suave Serigraph .......................................... $300

Mystic Funnies Serigraph .......................... $960

Footsy Serigraph .......................................... $960

Fritz the Cat Serigraph ................................ $960

We will continue to post rare prints and merchandise on the R.Crumb Site as they become available, but will not announce each update in the Crumb Newsletter. So please keep an eye on the Special Offers page of the website for new offerings.

Whiteman Meets Bigfoot

2012-01-04T17:30:00.001-06:00

Wildwood Serigraphs and The Official R.Crumb Site are proud to announce the release of a new Crumb etching. The image is from one of Robert's best-known stories "Whiteman Meets Bigfoot." It's the last panel, in fact, and as close as Crumb ever gets to "happily ever after". This story first appeared in Kitchen Sink's Home Grown Funnies, which was their best-selling comic book of all time, with sales of over 160,000 copies. The reason for its popularity was simple: almost the entire book consisted of the legendary "Bigfoot" story; the longest Crumb had produced up until that time. It was upbeat, funny and even romantic -- not the standard Crumb fare.

Publisher Alex Wood explains,"I proposed the idea to use the last panel as an etching to Crumb some years ago. Robert thought the drawing was too crude, and didn't want it released in its original form; he would have to rework it for the etching. He ended up starting over from scratch, completely redrawing the image for this edition."

There are 50 etchings in the edition. The image size is 8" wide by 7" tall. The embossed area is about 9" wide and 8.5" tall. The white archival Hahemuhle paper is 14" wide by 13" tall. Each etching is signed, dated and numbered by Crumb. This is the cleanest, best etching edition we have ever printed, and we give you our unconditional guarantee for your complete satisfaction or your money back.

$430 each + shipping

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R. Crumb's Latest Serigraph Edition: Mr. Natural Does The Dishes

2011-11-16T15:10:00.004-06:00

Originally published in black and white on the inside cover of the Mr. Natural #2 comic book (1971), this image was released in color as a tin sign by Kitchen Sink Press in 1995. But Robert was not completely happy with the colors. For this edition he created a beautiful color rough with watercolor, which Wildwood Serigraphs translated faithfully into this 16-color edition. We made it slightly smaller than our usual prints so it could fit in most kitchens (Robert likes his images smaller anyway, but that's another story.) Each print comes with its own certificate of authenticity, which has copy written by Robert on both front and back.

Paper size: 18" x 26", Image size: 12" x 18"
Edition limited to 160 signed & numbered serigraphs.

Printed on Rives BFK 100% archival rag.

(click image to enlarge)

$360 each + shipping

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Wildwood Serigraphs guarantees your complete satisfaction, or your money back.

Announcing Mr. Natural #2 Limited-Edition Giclee

2011-09-01T17:13:00.000-05:00

In 1971, Crumb wrote and illustrated his Mr. Natural #2 comic book. In 2005, Crumb reworked the cover illustration and it was released as a limited serigraph edition later that year. This limited giclee edition is based upon that serigraph edition with minor changes. There are 300 prints in the hand-numbered giclee edition, printed on white Somerset Velvet 255 gram enhanced paper using Epson Ultrachrome archival inks.

Paper Size: 17" x 24", Image Size: 13" x 18-3/4"

Edition limited to 300 giclees.

Printed on Somerset Velvet 100% archival enhanced matte.

Inks are archival Epson Ultrachrome inks.

(click image to enlarge)

$80 each + shipping

Buy Me

Crumb on the Famous and Infamous,

Part Two

The Official R.Crumb Site has just posted the second part of an exclusive interview with Robert Crumb, voicing his opinions on a list of celebrities posed by Wildwood Serigraphs' Alex Wood. Alex explains, "Over the years, talking with Robert about many different things, I've been surprised by some of the things he likes and dislikes. We all know he loves old music from the early part of the last century, and doesn't like rock music. But then he says he likes Tommy James and the Shondells, and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs? So in a continuing discussion in September, 2011, I asked his opinion on a list of people in the news past and present."

Part Two

Part One

The Volcanic Mr. Natural

2011-07-23T19:10:00.000-05:00

In 2010, we released an edition of 40 sandstone statues of Mr. Natural, hand-carved in Bali under my direct supervision. In the process of creating those statues, we experimented with several carvers and different types of stone. The most experienced carver used volcanic stone (which is a very hard stone, and difficult to sculpt) and he did a great job. However, I preferred the sandstone, as it was almost white (which means it could be tinted easily), and could be sanded down to a very smooth texture. After sealing the sandstone, I thought the texture of those Mr. Naturals looked better, so we used them for the edition.

I still have five prototype "volcanic" Mr. Natural statues. I'm keeping one and selling four. The statues are sealed and hand-painted. Their actual shape is perfect. However, their texture (more course and pitted) and color (darker and speckled) is what made me chose the sandstone for the edition pieces. These four statues are very hard stone and are completely sealed, so they may be placed inside or out. (I don't think it's a good idea to leave the sandstone statues outside, as it's such soft stone.)

The volcanic Mr. Naturals are not part of the limited edition statues. They are marked as prototypes. The four statues are now available for $350 each. As they are heavier than the sandstone statues, shipping will $60 dollars per piece. Sorry, no shipments to Canada or international shipping due to excessive weight.

-- Alex Wood, Wildwood Serigraphs Publisher

$350 + $60 shipping (US only)

Buy Me

We have also added the following to our Rare Prints Sale:

Robert Johnson Serigraph (unsigned)..... $300

Some Cold Rainy Day Giclee ..................... $300

Twas Ever Thus Serigraph ......................... $800

For more details and to purchase the prints please visit the Special Offers page of The Official R.Crumb Site.

Rare Prints Sale

2011-06-03T12:53:00.000-05:00

Over the years, I've accumulated and traded R.Crumb prints (mostly from editions long sold out) with the aim of selling them, not at the highest possible price, but at a fair and reasonable price which gives any collector or Crumb aficionado the opportunity to purchase a print from an edition that has been sold out.

In the past, I've agreed to resell prints for customers. Some of these people were forced to sell due to difficult financial situations, and I didn't want to turn my back on the very customers who supported us. However, these prints tended to be highly priced, and were counter to our policy of offering the best possible value in authentic R.Crumb editions. That is why I've made the decision to no longer sell third party prints through the Crumb Site.

It's difficult to assess the value of a print. Ebay used to have a trading history, but that was reduced to only three months. There is another site called expressobeans.com that traces the selling price of certain music / 60s / art-related prints. That site seems to have a keen interest in Crumb's work, and it's been helpful in assessing current values. I am now offering select prints from my personal collection at what I estimate as the most reasonable price available, from editions long sold out. I don't think you'll be able to find them anywhere for less than at this site. That's the way I want it to be, and their authenticity and quality is guaranteed by Wildwood Serigraphs and The Official R.Crumb Site.

-- Alex Wood, Wildwood Serigraphs Publisher

B.B. King Serigraph ................................... $980

Head Comix Serigraph ............................. $585

Footsy Serigraph ........................................ $985

Adventures of R.Crumb Serigraph ...... $1000

Beloved Music Makers Portfolio ............. $650

Monica Etching ............................................ $840

Burned Out Etching .................................... $680

B.B. King Etching ........................................ $590

For more details and to purchase the prints please visit the Special Offers page of The Official R.Crumb Site.

Crumb on the Famous and Infamous

2011-05-22T15:24:00.011-05:00

The Official R.Crumb Site has just posted a new, exclusive interview with Robert Crumb, voicing his opinions on a list of celebrities posed by Wildwood Serigraphs' Alex Wood. Alex explains, "Over the years, talking with Robert about many different things, I've been surprised by some of the things he likes and dislikes. We all know he loves old music from the early part of the last century, and doesn't like rock music. But then he says he likes Tommy James and the Shondells, and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs? So in a discussion in May, 2011, I asked his opinion on a list of people in the news past and present."

interview link

Arcade Giclee Print

Wildwood Serigraphs has released a new limited-edition giclee of an illustration originally done in 1975 as a cover for Arcade Magazine No.2, published by Griffith and Spiegelman. In the early 2000s, Crumb reworked the illustration for a French anthology. This reworked illustration was used for a Wildwood Serigraphs edition released in 2005 which sold out in about a year. The giclee edition is based upon that serigraph edition, with a slight modification to the blend, which was made even smoother. All the colors are extremely rich and vibrant. It's one of the most successful giclee prints we've produced. This is the quintessential Crumb image: the appreciation for the beauty of nature; the horror of its cruelty and mercilessness; and of course a sexy female with big legs! (click image to enlarge)

Paper Size: 18" x 24", Image Size: 13.5" x 19"

Edition limited to 300 giclees.
Printed on Somerset Velvet 100% archival enhanced matte.

Inks are archival Epson Ultrachrome inks.

$80 each + shipping

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B.B.King by R.Crumb

2011-04-09T12:19:00.001-05:00

Wildwood Serigraphs is pleased to release R.Crumb's new etching edition of BB King. The illustration was done in 2001. There are 35 prints in the edition, with 6 artist proofs and 2 printer proofs. The 14" x 17" paper is acid-free Hahnemuhle. The embossed area is 9-3/4" x 12-1/2". The image size is 7-1/2" x 9-1/2". The edition was intended to be larger, but the detail (a lot of cross-hatching) proved to be very difficult to keep crisp, so only 35 prints were deemed worthy to be signed. Since BB King is being paid a royalty for the use of his name and likeness, the cost of each print will be $525, slightly higher than our usual price. Release date: Tuesday, April 12th.

$525 each + shipping

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Each print comes with Wildwood's guarantee for your complete satisfaction or your money back.

Last Chance for Mr. Natural in Stone!

2010-12-26T19:54:00.002-06:00

This statue is 12 inches tall, made of a light colored sandstone, and hand-carved in Bali. It is based upon the small 4.5 inch statue of Mr. Natural released in 1984. These statues were commissioned by Alex Wood, of Wildwood Serigraphs, who personally oversaw the initial production in Bali. Note that these are carved, not casted, so expect the texture and small irregularities of hand craftsmanship. Still, the statues are all remarkably similar for being hand-carved.

The second and final group of Mr Natural statues have arrived from Bali. There are 25 statues left for sale in this very limited 40-piece edition, hand carved in Indonesia and finished here in the States. The statues are sealed with a tinted sealant so they may be placed indoors or out. Each statue is a little bit above 12 inches high and about 8 inches wide and deep.

We plan to tint, touch-up and pack the statues throughout the holiday season and ship on December 29th and 30th. Shipping charges may seem expensive, but the statues are heavy, and four were broken in shipping last summer, so we are taking extra precautions with packing the statues this time. Only 25 are available for sale. There are no plans for any more statues of any Crumb characters to be made in Bali, or anywhere else for that matter.

Happy Holidays!
Alex

U.S. packaging and shipping via Priority Mail is $40 each, Canada $65. Sorry, no international shipping available at this time.

$345 + shipping

Buy Me

As with all our products, we guarantee your full satisfaction. If you are at all displeased with the quality, return your purchase and we will refund the full price.

More and detailed photos can be viewed on The Official R.Crumb Site.

Weirdo #26 Serigraph

2010-12-15T11:04:00.001-06:00

Wildwood Serigraphs is the exclusive printer of R.Crumb serigraphs in the U.S., but every so often, depending on the image (and Robert's interest in his 78 collection), Robert will agree to release an edition in France. This serigraph of the cover of Weirdo #26 was printed in November 2010 by Anagraphis, and signed, numbered and dated by Crumb in late November. The print was released with permission of Wildwood Serigraphs, including the rights to sell 25% of the edition. I have just received prints number 50-100 of the 200 print edition which I can now offer you at a reduced price. The serigraph is printed with an oil-based ink, in what looks to me like 7 colors, though the publisher says that 9 colors were used. There are no Certificates of Authenticity for this edition, but each print comes with our Wildwood guarantee for your complete satisfaction or your money back.

-- Alex Wood

Published by Philippe Viala. Printed by Anagraphis in France.

Printed, signed, numbered and dated November 2010.

Printed with oil-based ink in 9 colors.

Paper used is 270 gram "Velin d' Arches" archival paper.

Paper size is 19-1/2" x 25-1/4".

Image size is 16" x 21".

$275 each

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Mystic Funnies Giclee

2010-11-12T17:03:00.001-06:00

Mystic Funnies is a new giclee print based on the cover of Mystic Funnies #1, published in 1997, and the sold-out serigraph edition released in 1998.

There are 300 giclees in this limited edition, each one numbered in pencil. The paper is Somerset Velvet 255 gram archival paper. The inks used are Epson Ultrachrome inks.

The paper size is 18" x 24". The image size is slightly larger than 13" x 19". Each print comes with our guarantee for your satisfaction or your money back.

$80

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Heroes of the Blues Serigraph Finished!

2010-09-27T11:34:00.000-05:00

Alexander Wood, of Wildwood Serigraphs and The Official R.Crumb Site is pleased to announce that the long production process on the new Heroes of the Blues serigraph by Robert Crumb is now complete, and the 150-print edition will release on Tuesday, September 28.

$380
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"After weeks of working on the computer, deleting the color from the Blues cards, after weeks of Robert reworking the black line of each portrait, after weeks of grouping and adding the color back to the revised images, after weeks and weeks of printing the edition, it is finally finished. I shipped the edition to Paris, where Robert signed them, and I have just received them back. So now we are ready to ship them to you on September 28.

"The edition is printed on Rives BFK archival 100% cotton cream paper. The sheets are 22" x 30". The image size is 16.5" wide x 25" tall. There are 15 colors (16 screens) used to print this edition. Because of the tremendous amount of work both Robert and I put into this edition, we are required to raise the price slightly to $380 per print. There will be a $12 shipping charge to those in the United States and a $25 International shipping charge. Each print comes with our unconditional guarantee for your satisfaction or your money back.

"Because all of you who have signed up for the Newsletter are Crumb fans, I am previewing part of the copy Robert wrote for the Certificate of Authenticity which accompanies each serigraph. Hopefully, this will answer the very natural question as to why Robert Johnson is not included in the print."

Many people have heard of the blues singer Robert Johnson, who recorded in 1936-'37 and died shortly thereafter. He is probably the best remembered of these old time blues singers, though I would argue that he is not necessarily a better singer or player than many of those pictured here. So why did I not include him, if he's so well remembered? The sad fact is that the only known photographs of Robert Johnson are in the possession of a man who will instantly threaten to sue anyone who even dares to make a drawing based on either of these photos, and his permission comes at a price; a percentage. I've been through shit with this man in the past over a drawing I made of Johnson from one of his photos and which I had reproduced for commercial purposes. He sent nasty, threatening, lawyers after me, so I don't mess with Robert Johnson. I hate the man who owns those photos and want nothing more to do with him. I would tell his name except I'm afraid he would try to sue me again. And that's why poor old Robert Johnson, who was buried in a pauper's grave, is not included in this set of "Heroes of the Blues."
-- Robert Crumb

2010-08-02T14:29:00.001-05:00

The next print to be produced by Robert Crumb and Wildwood Serigraphs will be a limited-edition serigraph based on Robert's "Heroes of the Blues" card set. The Official R.Crumb Site is posting a step-by-step review of the process of creating this unique edition.

Alex reports from Wildwood Serigraphs:

"After many weeks of sending artwork back and forth, Robert has reworked all 25 blues cards selected for the serigraph edition. It took him about 40 hours (more than he anticipated) to finish the artwork. He also created new artwork to frame the print -- a masthead for the piece.

"I rescanned each portrait which Robert sent back to me, and assembled them in the order he specified. Below is a rough of the keyline (black screen) to which I will now start adding color. Color separating this edition will take about as long as the actual process of printing it."

For details and more photos please visit The Blues Project.

Also, check out "On a Crest of a Wave", the latest addition to our Crumb on Crumb section, and our new T-shirt release, Head Comix.

Crumb on Crumb

2010-07-19T13:42:00.002-05:00

The Official R.Crumb Site is pleased to announce the launching of a new feature, Crumb on Crumb. This section will present a growing collection of interviews and articles on R.Crumb's life and work, written by Crumb himself.

"HEY, I'M STILL HERE..."

-- A discussion between Crumb and Wildwood Serigraphs' Alex Wood, July 2010

Alex is owner of Wildwood Serigraphs, the exclusive U.S. printer and publisher of R.Crumb serigraphs, giclees and etchings.

CLICK TO VIEW

"MINDS ARE MADE TO BE BLOWN"

-- Crumb on LSD, the creation of his most famous characters, and his move to San Francisco in 1967

A transcription of an article originally appearing in The Complete Crumb Comics - Volume 4 (1988, Fantagraphics).

CLICK TO VIEW

"THE CRUMB BROTHERS ON TREASURE ISLAND"

-- Robert's brother, Maxon, reflects on their childhood fascination with Treasure Island, and the inspiration for Robert's famed Treasure Island Days story.

The article originally appeared in shortened form in Graphic Classics: Robert Louis Stevenson (2004, Eureka Productions).

CLICK TO VIEW

Mr. Natural in Stone!

2010-07-07T12:36:00.005-05:00

This statue is 12 inches tall, made of a light colored sandstone, and hand-carved in Bali. It is based upon the small 4.5 inch statue of Mr. Natural released in 1984. These new, bigger statues were commissioned by Alex Wood, of Wildwood Serigraphs, who personally oversaw the production in Bali. (Robert was insistent that he have no part in exploited labor, and that the carvers be paid more than their usual salary.) Note that these are carved, not casted, so expect the texture and small irregularities of hand craftsmanship. Still, the statues are all remarkably similar for being hand-carved.

The edition will consist of a total 40 statues. We received 15 statues last month and have since hand-painted each one with two coats of a special tinted rock sealant, which gives them a smooth, lustrous finish. So now Mr. Natural is ready to be placed inside or outside your home.

The remaining 25 statues will be delivered later this year. Now is your opportunity to purchase from the first 15 of these very limited statues, hand-carved and hand-painted for only $345 each. U.S. packaging and shipping via Priority Mail is $40 each, Canada $65. Sorry, no international shipping available at this time.

$345 + shipping

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As with all our products, we guarantee your full satisfaction. If you are at all displeased with the quality, return your purchase and we will refund the full price.

More and detailed photos can be viewed on The Official R.Crumb Site.

2010-06-24T12:37:00.001-05:00

R.Crumb's Head Comix Giclee

Our latest print is based on R.Crumb's Head Comix, a collection originally published in 1970 by Ballantine Books. (Robert bought his first house up in Potter Valley with the advance for the book.) The famous cover was released as a serigraph edition (200 prints) in 2001. It's been sold out for years, but now we're giving anyone who wants this image the opportunity to buy a new giclee version for only $80.

The giclee edition, again limited to 200 prints, is printed on Somerset Velvet archival paper, using Epson archival Ulrachrome inks. Paper size is 18 inches wide, 24 inches tall. Image size is 15 inches wide by 20 inches tall. All of our prints have a guarantee for your satisfaction or your money back.

$80

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