Dan Nadel's "Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life" episode artwork

EPISODE · May 30, 2025 · 54 MIN

Dan Nadel's "Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life"

from LA Review of Books · host LA Review of Books

Dan Nadel joins Kate Wolf and Eric Newman to speak about his new biography, "Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life." The book traces the life and art of Robert Crumb, arguably the most influential cartoonist of the last half century. Crumb emerged from the world of underground comics that he helped create in the late 1960s to both mainstream fame and commercial success. But he was a reticent celebrity who often felt at odds with the hippie culture that he became so identified with. Nadel sifts through the aspects of American culture that did inspire Crumb—from Disney cartoons to pre-war comic books to old blues 78s— and also looks closely at his troubled early life and complicated family. The book also faces the misogyny and racism in much of Crumb’s work and explores his long marriage to his wife and frequent collaborator, cartoonist Aline Kominsky-Crumb.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 30, 2025

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Dan Nadel's "Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life"

0:00 54:03

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of LA Review of Books?

This episode is 54 minutes long.

When was this LA Review of Books episode published?

This episode was published on May 30, 2025.

Can I download this LA Review of Books episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!