Vasari Art Codex

article culture schedule Dec 27, 2025 visibility 2 link 7 artists, 2 galleries

How taboo-breaker Robert Crumb’s surreal cartoons mock an absurd world—and himself

A new biography, *Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life* by Dan Nadel, examines the life and work of Robert Crumb, the taboo-breaking underground cartoonist who rose to fame in the 1960s with surreal, satirical comics like *Head Comix*. The book details Crumb's troubled family history, his early career at American Greetings, and his creation of iconic characters such as Fritz the Cat and the Keep On Truckin' images, while also addressing persistent criticisms of sexism and racism in his work.

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article news schedule Dec 8, 2025 link 10 artists, 1 gallery

chief curator leaves george lucas museum 2724582

Pilar Tompkins Rivas, chief curator and deputy director of curatorial and collections at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, has left the museum less than a year before its scheduled September 2026 opening. The museum stated it has no immediate plans to replace her, with George Lucas continuing to oversee curatorial direction. This departure follows a series of staffing issues, including the exit of director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont in March 2025, layoffs of 22 staff members in May, and the earlier losses of curator Amanda Hunt and curator-at-large Dan Nadel. The $1-billion museum, first announced in 2017, has faced repeated delays due to the pandemic and supply-chain shortages.

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article news schedule Dec 5, 2025 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

lucas museum of narrative art pilar tompkins rivas departs 1234765433

Pilar Tompkins Rivas, chief curator and deputy director of curatorial and collections at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, has left her post, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Her departure is the latest in a series of leadership exits at the institution, which is set to open on September 22, 2026. The museum was founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, and Rivas was one of six women of color appointed to high-ranking roles in 2020 by then director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont, who left in February. The museum laid off 15 employees in May, and CEO duties are now held on an interim basis by Jim Gianopulos, while Lucas himself oversees curatorial content.

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