Our pal Drew Friedman painted this great moment in freak history.
This recent piece is a depiction of my old friend (and favorite artist) Robert Crumb presenting his original "Cheap Thrills" comic strip cover art to Janis Joplin, (with various members of "The Holding Company" lurking behind), backstage at the Filmore West in San Fran' in 1968. It was commissioned by the private collector who owns the original Crumb "Cheap Thrills" art, as a companion piece to hang along side it in his office. Interestingly, Crumb's original intention was for this art to run on the back cover and a portrait of Joplin to run on the front. But Joplin loved the the comic strip art so much, (she was an avid underground comics fan, especially the work of Crumb, and already at that point in her escalating career, had the power to hire her own cover artist), she decided to run it on the front. It's arguably the SECOND most famous album cover ever, after Sgt. Pepper. One amusing side note: bending no doubt to pressure, Crumb wore his hair for a time at it's longest in '68, which I try to show. Joplin was also encouraging him to "loosen up" and wear "hippie clothes and beads" but he just couldn't go that far.
Drew Friedman paints Robert Crumb presenting Cheap Thrills album cover to Janis Joplin
- Crumb, Clowes, Ware, and Tomine together in France. – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb's Book of Genesis coming in 2009 – Boing Boing
- Robert Crumb on collecting: it's "creepy" – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb's orginal art sells for over $100000 at auction – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb and Aline Crumb in the New York Times – Boing Boing
- Auction of incredibly rare self-published R. Crumb comic – Boing Boing
- Don Simpson on R. Crumb art opening – Boing Boing
- Tempus Fugit Dept: Sophie Crumb – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb's Bigfoot covers for Fate – Boing Boing
- Robert Crumb on Philip K. Dick's religious experience – Boing Boing
- Robert Crumb robot art on eBay – Boing Boing
- Aline and R. Crumb's illo for Heeb magazine – Boing Boing
- Flickr set of opening night of "R. Crumb's Underground" – Boing Boing
- Robert Crumb explains why old music is the best – Boing Boing
- Aline Kominsky-Crumb interview – Boing Boing
- Sophie Crumb profiled in NYT – Boing Boing
- Kim Thompson responds to R. Crumb article – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb's "The Religious Experience of Philip K. Dick" – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb on Fresh Air – Boing Boing
- Robert Crumb family pictures – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb at the New York Public Library – Boing Boing
- R. Crumb interview – Boing Boing
- Drew Friedman: Obama portrait for The New Yorker – Boing Boing
- Drew Friedman: McCain/Obama as Kirk/Spock – Boing Boing
- Drew Friedman: Barack Obama portrait – Boing Boing
- This. Is. Amazing. David Friedman – Boing Boing
- Drew Friedman, comic artist: Get Illuminated! podcast – Boing Boing
- Drew Friedman: Guilty Pleasures of Lit. Greats – Boing Boing
- Drew Friedman's Old Jewish Comedians – Boing Boing
