Robert Crumb's Trip to Bulgaria
Before Mr. Natural and Flakey Foont came his graphic journalism from behind the Iron Curtain
Robert Crumb (b.1943), the feral mind behind Zap and Weirdo, is renowned for his intricate pen-and-ink drawings and unflinching narratives that fuse satire, autobiography, and social commentary. His work confronts the raw undercurrents of American culture—exposing uncomfortable truths about politics, consumerism, racism, and the darker corners of his own psyche.
But at the very beginning of his career, at the age of 21, he took a freelance job as a visual journalist. In 1964 he had sufficiently impressed Harvey Kurtzman, editor of the satirical magazine Help!, with a series of stark views of the streets of Harlem.
Robert and his new bride Dana were on an extended honeymoon in Switzerland when Kurtzman hired him to create a visual diary of first-hand impressions of Bulgaria, then under the tight control of the Communist Party and one of the Soviet Union’s most loyal satellite states.
Crumb produced drawings that were both keenly observational, capturing the contradictions of life under Communism; that were sharply satirical and infused with his signature blend of caricature, irony, and cultural critique.
But they also revealed a fascination with the simplicity of life there, while offering honest insights into the complexities of American perceptions of Eastern Europe. In 1965 the drawings were published over six pages in Help! #25 as ‘Bulgaria: A Sketchbook Report’.
His foray into journalism would be short-lived. At one point, Kurtzman toyed with the idea of sending him to China, but the Bulgaria assignment turned out to be a one-off. Perhaps his experiences in this Communist country helped shape his perceptions of America? Journalism requires being more outward thinking. Crumb lives a life of relentless self-examination. He’s not shy about expressing his biases, his hatred, his love and his odd delights. He presents them as a reflection of his environment, his upbringing, and what he sees as the rotten core of America. Happy 4th of July, America!
More to Know:
With Robert Crumb approaching 82 years of age, Dan Nadel’s Crumb offers the definitive biography of a restless, uncompromising force in American art.
A Short History of America by Robert Crumb is about the transformation of the American wilderness into a state of urban decay caused by human development, from CoEvolution Quarterly #23, 1979. See the 12 panels reprinted on Klaustoon.