Robert Crumb and Comix CultureIn Comics: ideology, power and the critics, Martin Barker suggests that in order to understand a comic we need to have a "particular kind of knowledge of its history... a history of comics, of publishers and their organisational practices, and of wider social and political processes." In the case of underground comics, it might be useful to examine the development of one artist through the changes in production practices, and through the social changes of the 1960s, that led to the creation of this kind of comic. Robert Crumb is often regarded as the pioneer of underground comics , and his development from commercial to more personal working practices, as well as his involvement in the San Francisco counter culture, makes him an ideal example to look at here.
