Need More Love: A Graphic Memoir

Aline Kominsky Crumb is one of the pioneers of women’s comix and the book draws on her remarkable body of strips from the ‘60’s undergrounds, through anthologies such as “Twisted Sister” and onto more recent work such as “Self Loathing Comics”, with husband R. Crumb. Her style of drawing is sketchy, scratchy and wild, with her self-portraits being nothing short of grotesque. That vitriolic art, however, when combined with her humorous, challenging and painfully self-critical writing makes for some of the most personal, unflinching and revealing comics of the last thirty years. The book itself is a weighty autobiographical tome that tells her story through both prose and comics, following Aline’s life from being a nice show more Jewish girl in Long Island, New York through her struggles with her dysfunctional family, into the bohemian Greenwich Village scene and on to the Californian sex, drugs underground comix scene. Aline is unflinchingly honest about herself, but this can at times feel like self-obsession and self indulgence. Some areas are mysteriously skipped over and large years just disappear. R. Crumb is obviously a looming presence but he does not overwhelm. The book also pulls together all kinds of art, photographs and memorabilia, most of which is presented in full, glorious colour. Overall the book is an excellent read that throws new light on a highly individualistic, important and sadly underrated artist. show less

This book is great! It's like hanging out with a best friend! Lately I've been thinking about friends of my mother that I haven't seen since the '90s, like Corinne with all the lawn art, or Deborah with the big butt, all unmarried artists with curly hair and a lot of jewelry. This book is the spiritual bridge between me and them. I can't tell you how much... that means to me...!

In the film Crumb Aline comes off as a very ambiguous person from a feminist perspective. I really wanted to know more about here life and her art. This book doesn't disappoint. It's one of the first books in a long time that I couldn't put down after I started. I hadn't read an artist biography in awhile, having tired of them somewhat. Aline's life was so unlike my own I think this made the text more refreshing. Many of her aesthetic choices differ from mine, but she elucidates her methodology and found her to be an inspiration.

Surprisingly good....I'm a huge RC fan and this seemed to be the perfect fit to allow me to get a more rounded view of him. I can't say that I'm now a huge fan of Aline's, but the perspective was certainly interesting.

Can't say I like or enjoy Aline's artwork. However, as a fellow Woodmere-ite, and wife to Robert Crumb, thought I'd give her the benefit of the doubt.
Self indulgent nonsense and totally disappointing.