The Book of Mr. Natural: Profane Tales of that Old Mystic Madcap

by R. Crumb, R. Rrobertt Crumb

Overview

Seminal underground comics artist Crumb has gained wider recognition, thanks to an acclaimed documentary about him. Libraries wanting some representative Crumb in the wake of the movie may be better served by this single volume featuring one of his most famous creations than by the multivolume reprinting of all of his work that Fantagraphics has about half-completed. The bearded, robed, curmudgeonly guru Mr. Natural hasn't changed much since his 1967 debut. An ever-serene-but-horny philosopher-for-hire, dispensing enlightenment to an undeserving world—is he a wise, grizzled mystic or a cynical charlatan? A teller of timeless truths or a sixties anachronism? Wherever he appears, so do his most loyal acolyte, Flakey Foont, and his obsession, the lusty Devil Girl. The collection constitutes a sheer delight for those who have followed the Natch's exploits over the years, yet it is completely accessible to nonaficionados—at least those undaunted by the raunchiness that is another thing that hasn't changed since the sage's early days

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781560971948
Publisher:	Fantagraphics
Publication date:	01/17/1995
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Born in Philadelphia, Robert Crumb is one of America’s most celebrated artists. Thrust reluctantly into fame as a defining voice of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture with comic strips like Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, and Keep on Truckin’, then again in the 1990s with the acclaimed documentary Crumb and more recently the 2025 biography Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life, he continues to push himself and his chosen medium from his home in the south of France.

Editorial Reviews

"Seminal underground comics artist Crumb has lately gained wider recognition, thanks to an acclaimed documentary about him. Libraries wanting some representative Crumb in the wake of the movie may be better served by this single volume featuring one of his most famous creations than by the multivolume reprinting of all of his work that Fantagraphics has about half-completed. The bearded, robed, curmudgeonly 1967 debut. An ever-serene-but-horny philosopher-for-hire, dispensing enlightenment to an undeserving world—is he a wise, grizzled mystic or a cynical charlatan? A teller of timeless truths or a sixties anachronism? Wherever he appears, so do his most loyal acolyte, Flakey Foont, and his obsession, the lusty Devil Girl. The collection constitutes a sheer delight for those who have followed the completely accessible to nonaficionados—at least those undaunted by the raunchiness that is"

"Calling him a "mystic madcap" gives the crass, less-than-compassionate charlatan the benefit of the doubt. He is not particularly wise or old geezer who gives advice such as "When you arise in the morning, you should do last a simple melody (of your own choice) . . . then you should call somebody up (not me) . . . then go to the store . . . buy some asparagus." True reputation, the stories are sometimes sexually graphic (especially in the scenes with Devil Girl) and a bit on the violent side. Still, freewheeling decade."

From the Publisher

"This is one of the better Christmas-gift books Fantagraphics ever made... A kind of Crumb-primer, or Crumb for people who might want to get at him from a more standard comics stories standpoint."

The Comics Reporter - Tom Spurgeon