During the 1980s, when two of the world’s greatest underground cartoonists, Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky Crumb, lived in Winters, they produced Weirdo, an irreverent, outrageous, hilarious, often politically-incorrect comix magazine. Weirdo was R. Crumb’s inspired answer to the “greed is good” Reagan era.
In its time, the periodical featured the finest work of many artists, particularly R. Crumb himself, best known for ZAP Comix, Fritz the Cat, and Mr. Natural, and widely heralded as the greatest cartoonist of all time.
Author Jon B. Cooke will discuss The Book of Weirdo, a new history of the magazine, on Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Winters Community Library. The free event is sponsored by Winters Friends of the Library.
Twelve years in the making, the book includes interviews with many of the comic artists who contributed to Weirdo, including Winters’ own Robert Armstrong, plus an informed history of not only the magazine but the entire ’80s alt comix scene. It includes rare and unseen artwork from that era, as well as new comics from modern-day artists paying homage to the great oddball magazine.
Cooke interviewed many of the Crumbs’ friends and neighbors from Davis and Winters for the book, and some of them will be in attendance at the event.
This event is intended for mature audiences, and is not recommended for children.
For more information about Winters Friends of the Library or this event, please visit wfol.org.
