The Book of Mr. Natural: Profane Tales of That Old Mystic Madcap

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!

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."

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.

Man, this takes me back to the Sixties. It is great to have something that makes me laugh out loud every time I open and read it. Being a Crumb creation, this book is not "PC"--and thank goodness! Instead, it is a cartoon fantasy that portrays human beings in all their amusing and maddening reality. A spiritual icon (Mr. Natural) who likes to raid his devotee's refrigerator, get it on with bodacious girls, and who gives cosmic advice at cut rates, is a man for our times.

It's said that chairman Mao was going to put Mr. Natural on the cover of his little red book along with his quotations but Nixon nixed the deal saying it would reveal too many secrets about America.Robert Crumb has an uncanny way of telling the absolute truth. Mr. Natural is as natural as we may all be if it were not for the hang-ups that our parents and teachers impose upon us as children. He tells the truth as it really is - and how is that you say? Well one of the most important truths is not to forget whatever it was you were supposed to remember... and if you do... well just make it up! After all... twas ever thus!Excellent collection of Mr Natural's adventures thru life - a must have for anyone who used to say cool but will probably go over the head of anyone who says kewl.