Robert Crumb at 82: Life, Art, and Isolation in Rural France

I just finished a fascinating Rolling Stone interview with underground comics icon Robert Crumb, conducted by David Zane Mairowitz, and it left a lasting impression. The article, titled Paranoid, Loathsome, Neurotic: The Inimitable R. Crumb Looks Back, highlights the striking contrast between Crumb’s legendary status in the world of comics and his quiet, sometimes “batshit crazy” life in rural France.

At 82, Crumb has fully embraced life in a small French village and has no plans to return to the U.S. Even after 32 years, he still hasn’t learned French, but he does not mind at all. “I’m kind of passive that way, I guess,” he admits. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to die here. This is it. Die here with all my junk in this big house.” True to his word, Crumb now lives in self-imposed, almost “paranoid” isolation, surrounded by the memories of his late wife, Aline Kominsky-Crumb. Since her passing in 2022, he has stayed in their large, gothic-style home, leaving her belongings and personal “shrines” exactly as she left them.

Life in this quiet village has suited him perfectly. Crumb appears content to remain disconnected from much of the modern world. He has completely rejected modern technology by refusing to use phones, computers, or the internet, and he manages correspondence in the old-fashioned way. He writes letters by hand in pencil, which are then typed and emailed by his secretary, keeping a personal, human touch in a world dominated by digital communication.

The interview also explores Crumb’s political and social views. Surprisingly, he expressed sympathy for figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marjorie Taylor Greene, reflecting a growing interest in conspiracy theories. He spoke candidly about his personal life, including past mistakes, his lifelong and often criticized obsession with certain types of women, and his friendship with music legend Janis Joplin.

Despite his isolation, Crumb remains remarkably creative. He continues to produce groundbreaking work that reinforces his reputation as the “father of alternative comics,” even when his art sparks controversy. The Rolling Stone article emphasizes the tension between his celebrated career and his private, unconventional lifestyle in rural France, showing that Crumb has built a life fully on his own terms.

Reading this interview makes you stop and reflect on what it truly means to live life independently, free from societal expectations, committed to personal freedom, and guided by artistic integrity. Robert Crumb’s life in France demonstrates that independence, creative expression, and self-determination may come at the cost of conventionality, but the reward is a life lived completely on your own terms.