The R. Crumb Handbook is a 440-page hardcover book that covers the entirety of Crumb's life and work.  It's packed with hundreds of Crumb comics, illustrations and rare never before published photos and comes with a full-length CD of Crumb's musical performances with his group, the Cheap Suit Serenaders and others.  And woven throughout all this amazing work is a new, lengthy reminiscence by Crumb of his entire life, from start to... well, it's not over yet, so we can't say finish, but up to 2005 -- all 62 years of it.  While Crumb has covered much of this territory in previous accounts, there are plenty of fresh details and new insights revealed here that will provide readers with a greater understanding of Crumb's psyche, his artistic development and its roots in his childhood experiences, the larger historical and cultural context in which these developments occurred, and how and why he grew to become one of the most significant artistic voices of his generation.  This book presents the most fully fleshed out and well-rounded portrait of R. Crumb ever produced.

This book was published in Britain by MQP, printed in France and is quite reasonably priced.  We think that it's safe to say that this is a must-have item for all Crumb fans worldwide.  And for those who have long been curious about Crumb, but were looking for a good place to start:  look no further -- you've found it.  However, anyone not familiar with R. Crumb's work should PLEASE NOTE:  The essence of his work is to unflinchingly probe his own obsessions, many of which are sexual and/or scatological in nature; as a result, this book contains images that some may find unpalatable, offensive and/or disturbing.  That said, if you're going to own only one R. Crumb book, this is it.

To get a foretaste, check out this great lengthy audio-interview with Crumb on NPR (Real Player or Windows Media Player required).