Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #286271 in Books
• Published on: 1995-12-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

Amazon.com
Mr. Natural is a 1960s guru, "th' only knower of th' cosmic mysteries alive at this time." Calling him a "mystic madcap" gives the crass, less-than-compassionate charlatan the benefit of the doubt. He is not particularly wise or helpful; in fact, he's a lecherous, grumbling old geezer who gives advice such as "When you arise in the morning, you should do last night's dirty dishes . . . then you should sing a simple melody (of your own choice) . . . then you should call somebody up (not me) . . . then go to the store . . . buy some asparagus." True to the collection's name and R. Crumb's reputation, the stories are sometimes sexually graphic (especially in the scenes with Devil Girl) and a bit on the violent side. Still, there's an innocent, upbeat quality to this comic reflection of America's most notoriously freewheeling decade.

From Booklist
Seminal underground comics artist Crumb has lately gained wider recognition, thanks to an acclaimed documentary about him. Libraries wanting some representative Crumb in the wake of the movie may be better served by this single volume featuring one of his most famous creations than by the multivolume reprinting of all of his work that Fantagraphics has about half-completed. The bearded, robed, curmudgeonly guru Mr. Natural hasn't changed much since his 1967 debut. An ever-serene-but-horny philosopher-for-hire, dispensing enlightenment to an undeserving world--is he a wise, grizzled mystic or a cynical charlatan? A teller of timeless truths or a sixties anachronism? Wherever he appears, so do his most loyal acolyte, Flakey Foont, and his obsession, the lusty Devil Girl. The collection constitutes a sheer delight for those who have followed the Natch's exploits over the years, yet it is completely accessible to nonaficionados--at least those undaunted by the raunchiness that is another thing that hasn't changed since the sage's early days. Gordon Flagg

Customer Reviews

What does it all mean Mr. Natural?
Funny stuff from the 60's. It was funnier then but it still brings a laugh and smile just in the art work by Crumb. Great as a collectable or light un thought provoking read to escape reality. Good stuff!

The un-guru
If--perish the thought!--all of R. Crumb's work except his Mr Natural comix were lost to humankind, we'd still have what I take to be his most important legacy. An entire college course could be taught--probably HAS been taught somewhere--with the Mr Natural comix as texts.

Mr Natural is a guru who does exactly what good gurus ought to do: he shakes us up by refusing to act like we think holy people should act. He has a roving eye for the ladies, he cusses, at times he appears heartless or indifferent, and the advice he offers--when he does offer it, which isn't all that often--frequently comes across as whacky. He's so irreverent that it's easy to see him as irrelevant. But nothing could be further from the truth, because Mr Natural is like one of those Taoist sages who, dressed in rags and laughing uproariously, serve as living reminders for the rest of us not to take ourselves, our lifestyles, and our values so seriously. Self-honesty is what Mr Natural wants from us.

As Flakey Foont discovers over and over in the Mr Natural comix, though, self-honesty is hard to come by, because self-deception feels so damn good, especially to us "booshwah" types. We deceive ourselves all the time about our seething sexual desires ("Mr Natural stops Talking," "The Girlfriend," and the marvelous Devil Girl stories). We deceive ourselves about our piety, pretending that what we want to believe is what we should believe ("Mr Natural Goes to a Meeting of the Minds," "Om Sweet Om," and "Sittin' Around the Kitchen Table"). We deceive ourselves about work and ambition ("It's a workaday World") and, in one of the best two stories in this volume, we deceive ourselves when we think about God ("Mr Natural Meets 'The Kid'").* In all these stories, sacred cow after sacred cow runs off into the sunset, mooing gaily.

And as if all that's not good enough, R. Crumb gives us the definitive biography of Mr Natural--complete with early and rare photos--in this volume (pp. 42-44). This story alone is worth the price of the entire book.

Truly, a great collection!
_________
* The other best story here is "Mr Natural's 719th Meditation."

Must Addition for the R. Crumb Collector
If you want to focus on only a couple of R. Crumb's characters then this is the ticket. I would suggest The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book for an overall view of his work if you can only get one book. For the collector the Book of Mr. Natural is a must have.