Robert Williams: Mr. Bitchin'

Robert Williams' name might not be a household commodity, but his highly distinctive paintings have held significant value in the underground art world for decades. Boasting five credited directors—Douglas Blake, Nancye Ferguson, Michael Lafetra, Stephen Nemeth, and Mary C. Reese—this documentary offers a glowing valedictory assessment of Williams' contributions to publishing, album art, and the gallery scene. Born in 1943, the rebellious Williams discovered his style while under the tutelage of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, famed creator of the underground cartoon character Rat Fink. Williams eventually joined the celebrated R. Crumb as a leader of the underground comic scene, producing a series of disturbing yet fantastic works. The artist's first major brush with mainstream notoriety would come with his controversial painting Appetite for Destruction, which was used for the cover of the 1987 Guns N' Roses album of the same name. Over time, this art world outsider would become a heralded icon, although Williams never let the fame become corruptive or corrosive. Among the interviewees offering praise here are Axl Rose and Slash of Guns N' Roses, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, and late jazz clarinetist Artie Shaw. Williams, along with his wife, Suzanne (a noted artist in her own right), bring a down-to-earth charm to this biographical documentary that also plays like a feel-good life adventure. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)