Julia Paskin
is the local host of All Things Considered and the L.A. Report Evening Edition.
Published October 24, 2025 5:00 AM
Cartoonist R. Crumb at his "Tales of Paranoia" exhibition at the David Zwirner Gallery in Los Angeles.
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Courtesy David Zwirner
)
Topline:
The cartoonist R. Crumb has captivated readers — and sometimes agitated them — since the 1960s. A pioneer of counterculture comic book art, Crumb created Zap Comix which included iconic strips like "Fritz the Cat" and "Keep on Truckin’." He's now publishing new solo work for the first time in more than 20 years. "Tales of Paranoia" is on display in a new exhibition in Los Angeles.
The context: Crumb rose through the small press “underground comix” movement of the '60s to become a pioneer of counterculture comic book art. His work through the years has been criticized as misogynistic and racist, while simultaneously being celebrated in museums like the Hammer and the Whitney for their biting satire.
While the now 82-year-old Crumb was first established as an icon of the American left, born of the Hippie movement that celebrated a mistrust in “the establishment,” his ongoing and deep relationship to societal paranoia has pushed him to a contemporary liberal fringe.
Read on ... for more about R. Crumb and "Tales of Paranoia."
The cartoonist R. Crumb has captivated, titillated and agitated audiences since the 1960s, first as the creator of Zap Comix, which included counterculture strips like “Fritz the Cat” and “Keep on Truckin’,” then during his rise through the small press “underground comix” movement of the '60s to become a pioneer of counterculture comic book art.
His work through the years has been criticized as misogynistic and racist, while simultaneously being celebrated in museums like the Hammer and the Whitney for their biting satire.
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Controversial cartoonist R. Crumb's first solo work in decades now on display in LA
While the now-82-year-old Crumb was first established as an icon of the American left, born of the hippie movement that celebrated a mistrust in “the establishment,” his ongoing and deep relationship to societal paranoia has pushed him to a contemporary liberal fringe. Crumb mistrusts public figures across the political spectrum from Donald Trump to Anthony Fauci.
It's a fear of an ever-present “Deep State” that continues to drive Crumb’s work as he illustrates his modern-day anxieties, dives into updated conspiracy theories and pauses periodically to question if maybe he’s really just crazy?
In “Tales of Paranoia,” Crumb’s first publication of new work in 23 years, out this November, he includes a chart of powerful people he fears, ranging from J.D. Vance to Kim Kardashian, though Crumb doesn't list them by name, cheekily out of fear of their reprisal.
R. Crumb, "Cover: Tales of Paranoia," 2025
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Courtesy the artist, Paul Morris, and David Zwirner
)
“The thing about paranoia is it means that it's not based on a full knowledge of what's going on. It's based on the fact that you don't know what's going on. So, you’re trying to find out, and in the process, your mind can go to all kinds of crazy places,” Crumb told LAist.
Panels from “Tales of Paranoia” can be seen in an exhibition at David Zwirner’s L.A. gallery through Dec. 20. The show displays Crumb’s first in-depth solo comic work in more than 20 years and is his first showing in Los Angeles since 2009.
The show also includes panels from a collaborative, autobiographical comic done with Crumb’s late wife and longtime artistic partner Aline Kominsky-Crumb and their daughter, artist Sophie Crumb, and a digitized version of his notebook that gallery-goers can flip through on an interactive screen.
Page from R. Crumb, "What is Paranoia?," 2025
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Courtesy the artist, Paul Morris, and David Zwirner
)
In his pursuit of answers, Crumb is as equally voracious for knowledge and perspectives as he is dubious of those with power.
“I constantly try and sort out my feelings about human nature,” he said. “I mean, in my daily life, people seem pretty nice and all that, but there's so much nasty stuff going on. There's so much deception and manipulation and exploitation, and then hypocrisy and people that are very clever at what's called perception management.”
Crumb’s personal sense of paranoia has informed his work for decades, but it took a long time to make it the main focus of a comic.
“It took me 20 years of kind of festering about all this stuff until I was able to actually discuss it in a book,” Crumb said. “And I put it off for years and years because I knew I can't just do a comic that's just me, a talking head, page after page of me with half the panel as text. But that's what I ended up doing. I couldn't think of any cleverer way to do it. Just me mulling it over in public, you know, in print.”
Arguably the most literal depiction of Crumb’s constant consternation is a page depicting him awake in the night, staring into the darkness, eyes bulging in panic.
Page from R. Crumb, "I'm Afraid," 2025
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Courtesy the artist, Paul Morris, and David Zwirner
)
Crumb spends a lot of time ruminating in paranoia, but it’s a state of mind he also believes one must rein in. When his mind runs amok, Crumb said he does breathing exercises he learned from his daughter.
“When you're laying there in the night and you're having a panic attack, that's the only solution I know of,” he said. “That doesn't take away or change my mind, but it takes away the panic that's in your guts.”
Philosophically, Crumb is less interested in identifying a fundamental truth than he is focused on undoing fallacy.
“You want to come out on the other side of all the layers of falsehood and bulls--t and propaganda that we are constantly deluged with constantly. We're just swimming — we're up to our necks in it. So, getting past the falsehood, that's very liberating.”
You can see cartoonist R. Crumb’s latest work, "Tales of Paranoia," at David Zwirner in Los Angeles now through Dec. 20.
Josie Huang
is a reporter and Weekend Edition host who spotlights the people and places at the heart of our region.
Published November 1, 2026 5:00 AM
Jordan Delgado picked Lady Gaga's 'You and I' as her debut song with the L.A. Karaoke league.
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Josie Huang
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The LA Karaoke league turns singing into a team sport, where costumes, props and creativity matter more than hitting the right notes. For performers craving a creative outlet when auditions are harder to come by, the league offers a community to cheer them on.
The backstory: The L.A. league is part of United Karaoke, a national network of chapters that share a competition format, voting app and pledge to always keep the vibe friendly.
What's next: Teams compete for a spot in the finals. The public is welcome to watch and vote for their favorite performances.
For many of us, karaoke is a chance to sing our favorite shower song in public.
But at a North Hollywood bar every Wednesday night, it’s a team sport. And competitors in the L.A. Karaoke league are more serious about putting on an over-the-top production than hitting all the right notes.
At a social in late September, league manager Michelle Goff kicked off a new season of weekly themed showdowns, from dance-floor favorites to internet memes to songs inspired by birds.
Brittany Gates, the CEO of United Karaoke, who was visiting from D.C., did her rendition of 'Let's Hear It For The Boy' by Deniece Williams.
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Josie Huang
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LAist
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"You are going to see numbers that people came up with in their crazy dreams maybe three years ago, and it's going to be amazing,” Goff told performers at the social. “And then they’re never going to be done again.”
Michelle Goff unveils the different themed weeks, from dance-floor favorites to internet memes to songs inspired by birds.
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Josie Huang
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LAist
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Performances range from solos to group numbers, and the crowd votes for its favorites. Props and costumes are highly encouraged.
Here, dark wizards from Harry Potter duet to Taylor Swift. A singer tosses flowers to the crowd while belting Seal's “Kiss From a Rose.” Once, Goff danced around as an erupting Mount Vesuvius as her teammates sang Bastille's "Pompeii."
Like intramural sports but with microphones, teams compete over six weeks, followed by two weeks of playoffs, then the finals.
It all happens at the Good Nite bar, on a darkened stretch of Burbank Boulevard. Inside, there’s an inviting purple glow and warm conversation that can be hard to come by in a city as big as L.A.
“You know, the city, exciting as it is, still has so many strangers,” said Carlos Mulia.
A newcomer to the league, the chef-turned-actor already feels like he belongs.
Want to join the L.A. Karaoke league?
Where: The Good Nite, 10721 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood.
When: Wednesday nights during the season.
How: Check the chapter’s website or @WeSingLA on Instagram for season announcements. Fall season registration is closed. The next season will start in late January or early February.
Cost: Registration costs $65 to $80, depending on when you sign up and whether you use a discount code.
Can I go watch: Yes! League nights are open to the public, with no cover charge, and anyone can vote for their favorite performances.
“Sometimes you can go to a karaoke bar and everyone’s talking and no one’s paying attention to you — that can be a downer,” he said. “But here, everyone’s contributing, everyone’s cheering for each other.”
For Mulia, the league also offers a creative outlet during Hollywood’s production slowdown, when he says opportunities to perform are scarce.
Actor Carlos Mulia said competitive karaoke gives him a creative outlet and a place to find community in a big city.
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Josie Huang
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LAist
)
“There’s not that many auditions," he said. "They’re far and few between, and it can really affect your psyche. So this allows you to just let it all out.”
The L.A. league started in Santa Monica in 2014 before moving among venues around the region and finding its current home at the Good Nite in 2021.
It’s part of United Karaoke, a loose national network with chapters in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Chicago. The local leagues share a competition format, voting app and a pledge to keep the vibe welcoming.
In the league, friendships spark right away. Mulia hit it off with another actor, Jordan Delgado, who teaches children art at a studio.
They quickly figured out they’re both half-Filipino and grew up with karaoke, a fixture of Filipino social life.
“It is in our blood to do karaoke,” Delgado said. “So yeah, I’m honoring my ancestors in a way by being here tonight.”
Anybody is welcome on karaoke competition nights and invited to vote for their favorite performances.
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Josie Huang
/
LAist
)
Delgado loves to perform but says the karaoke league promises more than that.
“It’s something to look forward to in the downtime of the part-time jobs,” Delgado said. “A reason to regularly meet up with people, where we could just be silly, without any judgment.”
For her league debut, Delgado is going with a tried and true crowd-pleaser.
“My go-to song that my friends and family have heard me sing a billion times is ‘You and I’ by Lady Gaga," Delgado said. "It really gets the crowd going.”
When it’s her turn, Delgado bounds onto the tiny stage up front with a big confident smile that matches a powerful voice.
“We got a whole lot of money, but still pay rent,” Delgado sings, striding across the tiny stage to whoops and cheers.
Several weeks after her league debut, Delgado would go on to win best performer during Graveyard Week, when the league revives songs so overdone they’re normally off-limits.
Her winning number? “Shallow,” with Delgado singing both the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper parts.
And she brought the theatrical flair. Dressed as Gaga on one side of her body and Cooper on the other, she was her own duet partner.
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Jordan Rynning
has been following this case for months, including interviewing the man at the center of allegations.
Published October 31, 2026 7:00 AM
Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, spoke with LAist on Sept. 16, 2026, about the federal body armor case against him being dismissed.
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Jordan Rynning
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LAist
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Topline:
The L.A. County District Attorney’s office dropped its felony body armor charges against Michael Angel Alvarez earlier this week. Alvarez was sentenced to time served on a lesser charge — a probation violation. He served more than 100 days in jail earlier this year while awaiting trial.
Most serious claims haven’t materialized: Though federal prosecutors made headlines claiming in court documents and on social media that Alvarez was “leading a violent street gang, while claiming to be a gang interventionist for the City,” they have not filed charges related to those claims.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office dropped its felony body armor charges against Michael Angel Alvarez on Wednesday. Alvarez was sentenced to time served on a lesser charge — a probation violation. He had served more than 100 days in jail earlier this year while awaiting trial.
Why Alvarez’s arrest made headlines: Alvarez was working as a city-contracted peace ambassador in MacArthur Park when he was arrested by federal agents in May. Federal and county prosecutors each brought felony charges against him, claiming he was in possession of body armor as a violent felon.
Bill Essayli, who leads the U.S. Attorney’s office in L.A., pointed to the case on social media to criticize city officials for allowing taxpayer money to be “shelled out to a convicted gang murderer.”
About his criminal record: Judges in federal and state court have now dismissed prosecutors’ felony charges against Alvarez, after U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang found on Sept. 9 that Alvarez did not have a violent felony conviction. Alvarez was 15 when he committed a gang-related murder. He was tried and convicted as an adult in 2002. After a change in state law increased the age at which minors could be sentenced as adults to 16, Alvarez’s case was sent back to juvenile court, and he was released in 2024. At that point, he had served more than 20 years.
A federal judge ruled Tuesday, Oct. 7 that Republican Bill Essayli is not legally serving as the top U.S. prosecutor in Los Angeles.
The ruling is the latest roadblock to the Trump administration’s effort to extend handpicked acting U.S. attorneys beyond the 120-day limit set by federal law. The strategy was designed to bypass confirmation by the U.S. Senate — something that generally requires a degree of bipartisan support.
Essayli “is unlawfully serving as a ‘de facto’ United States Attorney,” U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright wrote.
The order won’t take effect until the court rules on the government’s motion for a stay pending appeal. Essayli said he doesn’t agree with the court’s order. He said the president and Attorney General “have every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department.”
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published October 31, 2026 5:00 AM
Myrna Velasco (left) performs as Dolores Huerta in “¡Sí Se Puede!” at Boyle Heights City Hall on April 2, 2026.
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Carlin Stiehl
/
LAist
)
Topline:
An all-ages play about the life of Dolores Huerta and other under-told stories of the farmworker labor movement is back on tour in Los Angeles.
The backstory: Center Theatre Group commissioned ¡Sí Se Puede! from Eliana Pipes in March 2025 and it debuted in L.A. this spring. “There's this perception that farm work was only done by men,” Pipes said. “There were women on the fields, there were women on the picket lines, and there were women in leadership in the United Farm Workers movement.”
An all-ages play about the life of Dolores Huerta and other under-told stories of the farmworker labor movement is back on tour in Los Angeles.
The show's extension had been announced prior to the news that Huerta died Wednesday, Oct. 28., at her Bakersfield home. She was 96 years old.
“There's this perception that farm work was only done by men,” said playwright Eliana Pipes. “There were women on the fields, there were women on the picket lines, and there were women in leadership in the United Farm Workers movement.”
Center Theatre Group commissioned ¡Sí Se Puede! from Pipes in March 2025 and it debuted in L.A. this spring.
