W.W. Norton to Publish Revised Edition of 'R. Crumb: The Complete Record Collection'

Acclaimed underground cartoonist R. Crumb will have a new book in the marketplace this fall. W. W. Norton is publishing a new and revised edition of R. Crumb: The Complete Record Collection, a slip-cased hardcover edition of a book originally published in Europe that collects every album cover ever created by Crumb. W. W. Norton has world English-language rights on the book, which will be published in November and sell for $27. 95.

Originally published in Holland by the publishing house Oog & Blik in 1994, R. Crumb: the Complete Record Collection will be reissued in a new edition by W. W. Norton that will add about 250 new album and CD cover illustrations to the book. The original edition was about 58 pages and had about 200 album cover illustrations. The new edition will have a new cover and about 450 album and CD covers, according to W.W. Norton publicist Elizabeth Riley, and collects illustrations across a wide range of classic blues, jazz and folk music recordings including covers for Crumb’s own band, the Cheap Suit Serenaders.

Riley said the new edition reflects Crumb’s “obsessive recording collecting,” and will be issued in a “collectible” hardcover, slip-cased edition. Athough W.W. Norton has worldwide English-language rights and will distribute the book, Oog & Blik retain publishing rights. Riley said the book will be printed in Holland and release an initial printing of 25,000 copies. She said the book was unlikely to go back to press if it sells out because of the cost of its elaborate design. “I can’t imagine any Crumb enthusiast who wouldn’t want to have it,” she said.

The book has been edited by W. W. Norton executive editor Robert Weil, who was also the editor of Crumb’s bestselling 2009 work, The Illustrated Book of Genesis. Weil said the new edition will have about 112 pages. The book will be shrinkwrapped and the slip-case cover is designed to make the package look like a record album. Weil said the new edition will feature such classic album covers as Crumb’s illustration for the cover of Janis Joplin’s 1966 album Cheap Thrills as well as the album covers he did for Blues record label owner and collector Nick Perls and his reissues of classic Blues recordings.

“Crumb is a musician himself and these album covers are as much a part of his legacy as his comics,” said Weil, “these covers have helped define how we look at the music of that period. There’s really nothing else like them and this book should appeal to both music lovers and graphics and illustration lovers.”