100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🏆Don't forget Father's Day this Sunday! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

The Life and Death of Fritz the Cat

Brief Description
Robert Crumb's first iconic character—and still possibly his most—was Fritz the Cat: the horny, high, hipster feline whose wild adventures and sexual escapades captivated countercultural audiences from the mid-'60s until 1972. It was then that Ralph Bakshi turned the strips into an X-rated animated film that... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

The iconic comics that started it all, making R. Crumb famous -- against his will.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Robert Crumb's first iconic character—and still possibly his most—was Fritz the Cat: the horny, high, hipster feline whose wild adventures and sexual escapades captivated countercultural audiences from the mid-'60s until 1972. It was then that Ralph Bakshi turned the strips into an X-rated animated film that Crumb hated so much, he famously killed off the character and never returned to him.

The Life and Death of Fritz the Cat contains all the Fritz stories from the earliest sketchbook-drawn tales (Hey, Ol' Cat! and Fritz Comes On Strong) to the wild adventure stories (Special Agent for the C.I.A.) to the classic 'peak' Fritz stories (Fritz the No-Good). It follows through all the way to the despairing Fritz the Cat, Superstar with its infamous icepick ending.

Plus, an introduction by Crumb, sketchbook pages, and more in a new paperback edition.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9798875001383

Publisher: Fantagraphics

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 January 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Fantagraphics

Illustration: 96 Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 203.0mm

Height: 266.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 96

About the Author

Born in Philadelphia, Robert Crumb is one of America's most celebrated artists. Thrust reluctantly into fame as a defining voice of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture with comic strips like Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, and Keep on Truckin', then again in the 1990s with the acclaimed documentary Crumb and more recently the 2025 biography Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life, he continues to push himself and his chosen medium from his home in the south of France.

Also by R. Crumb

View all
  • R. Crumb: Existential Comics
    This volume brings together twenty-five of R. Crumb's most ambitious, acclaimed, and profound comics. One of the most influential and iconic cartoonists of our time, R. Crumb is celebrated for pushing the boundaries of representation, mass consumerism, and polite society. The comics in this volume exemplify Crumb's creative output over twenty-five years following his early experimentation in the 1960s and...
    Hardback
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Art & Beauty
    A wonderful window into Crumb's world of bodies and ideas, art and beauty. Art & Beauty is at once a satirical take on aesthetics and a continued exploration of Crumb’s subversion of sexuality and mainstream values. Drawings of women in positions ranging from lascivious to modest or mid-sport are accompanied by quotations from artists like Leonardo da Vinci, George Grosz,...
    Hardback
    $5699
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Crumb's World
    R. Crumb's obsessions—from sex to the Bible, music, politics, and the vicissitudes and obscenities of daily life—are chronicled in this comprehensive book of work by the illustrious American comic artist. Instrumental in the formation of the underground comics scene in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s, Crumb has ruptured and expanded the boundaries of the graphic arts, redefining comics...
    Hardback
    $8500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Sweeter Side of R. Crumb
    Cute little kittens, angels, and babies? Flowers, ice cream cones, and German boy bands? Coming from, supposedly, the creepiest and most pessimistic artist of his generation? Yes indeed, there is a sweeter side to R. Crumb. These delectable illustrations—whether depicting Bernie the Cat pawing for his master's affection, the timeworn beauty of a French village cul-de-sac, or a quiet night...
    Paperback
    $3399
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

More from Graphic Novels

View all
  • New Release
    Heartstopper Volume 6
    Read it before you see it: Heartstopper Forever movie coming soon from Netflix Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The final installment in the bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel series about life, love, and everything that happens in between. Everyone in school knows Nick and Charlie. Everyone knows they're going to be togetherforever. But Charlie's busy with...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Lightfall: A Place Between
    In the fourth installment of the award-winning, critically acclaimed Lightfall series, Bea, Cad, and their friends continue their quest to restore light on their dark world. Perfect for fans of Amulet and Avatar, this next book dives deeper into the magical world of Irpa, where ancient secrets and adventures abound.After surviving a shipwreck on the Fuerre Sea, Cad washes ashore on...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Warriors Graphic Novel: The New Prophecy, Part One of Three
    The next graphic novel adaptation of the blockbuster, New York Times bestselling Warriors series covers the first two novels of the second arc, The New Prophecy (Midnight and Moonrise). The wild cats of the forest have lived in peace for many moons—but when Brambleclaw, a warrior of ThunderClan, receives an ominous prophecy from StarClan that speaks of a mysterious danger, he...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • One Piece (Omnibus Edition), Vol. 1
    One Piece (Omnibus Edition), Vol. 1 by Eiichiro Oda invites readers on an exhilarating journey across the vast and treacherous oceans. Follow the ambitious young pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, and his eclectic crew as they embark on an epic quest to uncover the legendary treasure known as the One Piece, a prize that will crown its possessor as the King...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Demon Slayer Complete Box Set
    Contains Volumes 1-23. Full colour. Double-sided Poster and Commemorative Mini-Book. Tanjiro embarks on the perilous path of a Demon Slayer, driven by a mission to save his sister and seek justice for his slain family! In the backdrop of Taisho-era Japan, we meet the compassionate Tanjiro Kamado, a boy who makes a humble living by selling charcoal. However, his tranquil...
    Paperback
    $29500
    Elsewhere:
    $41000
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat
    In this hilarious full-colour graphic novel, Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen, readers are introduced to Cat Town's best kitten detective on a new and exciting adventure. When Detective Beans realises his favourite hat has gone missing, he quickly jumps into action to crack the case. Armed with his wit, determination, and a love...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2200
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    11% off
    One Piece Box Set 1: East Blue and Baroque Works
    A premium box set of the first two story arcs of One Piece, one of the most beloved and bestselling manga series of all time! As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. His life took a dramatic turn when he accidentally consumed the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that granted him the incredible...
    Paperback
    $28000
    Elsewhere:
    $41000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    14% off
    MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live
    From the New York Times bestselling author and creator of the hit MrBallen Podcast and YouTube channel comes a vividly illustrated graphic novel featuring nine spine-chilling stories, based on real events, of the horror that lurks within the unknown. In MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live, John Allen, known popularly as MrBallen, returns with another heart-stopping collection of strange and mysterious...
    Hardback
    $3800
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1
    Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 by Gege Akutami introduces readers to the gripping world of jujutsu sorcery and supernatural battles. This first volume sets the stage for an explosive adventure that intertwines the fate of humans and cursed spirits. In a world where cursed spirits, malevolent entities born from human negative emotions, prey on the unsuspecting, fragments of the legendary demon...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2099
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    10% off
    My Hero Academia Box Set 1
    Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy. Collect the first 20 volumes of the bestselling My Hero Academia manga in this heroic box set! Also includes a full-colour double-sided poster and an exclusive 48-page booklet featuring the never-before-seen bonus illustrations and author commentary printed on volume 1–20’s book covers in Japan!
    Paperback
    $23300
    Elsewhere:
    $35500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Fourth Wing The Graphic Novel: Volume One
    Pre-order
    Fourth Wing The Graphic Novel: Volume One
    The first volume of a stunning graphic novel edition of the no. 1 Sunday Times phenomenon, Fourth Wing, adapted by Rebecca Yarros herself!   This deluxe hardcover edition features a shimmering metallic, foil-stamped cover design, plus an exclusive art print of Violet and Xaden's first kiss, packaged in a stylish slipcase.  Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders as...
    Slipcase Hardback
    $11000
    Elsewhere:
    $12000
    Pre-order
    Out 6 Apr 2027
  • Kagurabachi, Vol. 6
    Chihiro's cursed past sends him down a quest of bloody vengeance! Chihiro Rokuhira’s father, Kunishige, is the most famous swordsmith in the land. Thanks to his six enchanted blades, the war that has been gripping the nation ends, and peaceful days follow. After the war, he retrieves all six blades and hides them in the cellar of his workshop—but sorcerers...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2099
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.