Robert Crumb = Asperger's?

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Hi Wrong Planet friends...
I've had a jam-packed Fall and Winter starting with a brush with H1N1 right after returning from my holiday in France. I spent 3.5 weeks in ICU in a coma and another 3 weeks in hospital and re-hab. I have several souvenirs to get rid of but have started back to work half-time.
I am currently wearing headscarves (most of my hair fell out, possibly from the excessive amount of drugs administered to me) and an eyepatch (to alleviate double vision from encephalitis) so naturally I have a big, beautiful teal and yellow parrot attached to my work desk to complete the pirate ambience.
Robert is coming to visit the last half of March so I'll see if he has anything to add here. He's a grandfather now so we'll see if the additional responsibilities leave him the time to frivol with online aspies.
Needless to say, I've yet to figure out how to share the old music files....but there is still hope!

Aaarrrr.

But, digital music? Pleaaaase?

Wow, that sounds like possibly the worst flu ever

Well, I can say this:
I saw Robert Crumb live on Haloween of 2009.
He said that he spent four years ilistrating the book of Genasis, mostly alone, "lost in my own autistic world."
He didn't quite say "My name is Robert, and I'm on the spectrum," but he used the word "autistic" to describe himself.

The late Charles Crumb had more severe Asperger's than Robert, he suffered a debilitating obsession with Gilligan's Island, as a kid he dressed up as a Pirate for a whole year.

Here is a page form one of his notebooks, need I say more???



And what about Maxon Crumb?

Yes, like I said in my first post here, Robert is definitely quite mild compared to his brothers.

The Crumb book of Genesis is pleasing.

Hey there Electric Kite.
I think Genesis came out well also.
I am recovering quite slowly but definitely getting back somewhere near "normal". Robert just said (phone call yesterday) that he can tell I'm better, from our visit in early April, which is reassuring. In spite of my "challenges" I went to Paris in the Fall where I finally stopped using a cane (I had a total knee replacement in early April 2010 to correct a debilitating valgus deformity) though I kept a collapsable version handy in my purse to keep from being from being hurt in the metro stations. And Robert was willing to let me cling to his arm (this is quite a switch since I'm the amazon!) on busy Blvds.
Regarding making the wonderful old music available, I've gotten to the point of purchasing a new computer though I haven't even hooked it up yet, since working full time is a formidable barrier to the semi-handicapped enjoying themselves with geeky hobbies. I have some new CDs of music from Robert's collection, "Alpine Music" which is mostly Swiss, with a Bavarian and a couple of Austrian recordings included. A lot of people think this music is "stodgy" but I disagree! It's wonderfully individualistic and beautiful.
I also have a new CD of French Canadian music, much of which I also have on cassette, so these are old friends, more Celtic than strictly French.
Robert finally re-recorded a tape he made for me (more than 20 years ago) of international music, including old time American, that is of the genre one might associate with "parlour" music of days gone by.
He is much worse than I when it comes to moderne technology and a friend of his, John Heneghan, who works as a sound engineer for live concerts in the NY area. He visits Robert in the South of France and sets up his CD recording "system", including training. So he, John, must have the gift of simplifying procedures, for which I'm very grateful. If you're interested in hearing John, his partner, Eden and Robert playing at a gig in Brooklyn back in late March, look up "Bye Bye Baby" Robert Crumb & East River String Band on you tube. There is a comment by a fellow who I suspect shares Robert's inclinations in women but whose post is overly "personal".
But back to the 78s, it is taking a ridiculously long time. I am still harboring the hope of being set up for transfering cassettes to CD before leaving for France in early September. So when my work place (not me so much, alas!) experiences a little bit of a respite Thanksgiving through mid-January, I'll get some of that done. Somewhere in there, I will need to get more information about the WAV. postings you've spoken of. I'm very interested in learning how to do that but I'll probably have to enlist the help of some local geeks.
Thanks for your suggestions.
cav

Thank you for all of the candid discussions of Robert Crumb and his current life.



I don't have any old recordings of anything, but I do love listening to old-time radio shows whenever they are on, especially on one of my restored radios from the period, and they are a tremendous window on the times and places where they were created. And yes, I too want to be able to sample some of the titles from his music collection.

Also, do you have any ideas when Robert might again be back in the USA, perhaps including another stop or two here in Wisconsin?

Mike

is Cav still with us?

If you PM her, she might get an email notification.

^^^I will try that but I fear that the same thing that chased others away from here did to her also.