Robert Armstrong is a painter, musician and underground comic-book illustrator. His career highlights include counterculture contributions, such as the Mickey Rat comic series, popularizing the phrase “couch potato,” and playing guitar in R. Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders. He’s taught illustration classes to kids and adults at the Davis Art Center, the Crocker Art Museum and Sacramento State University, and his résumé also includes cover illustrations and editorial cartoons for this newspaper. 

Robert Armstrong interview
- Inner Weirdness Unleashed

Robert Armstrong website

EDUCATION/TEACHING:
Pasadena High School, graduated 1968
Pasadena City College, 1969-1971
Course work at Chounard's Art Institute, 1967-1969
U.C. Davis, Guest Instructor, painting and drawing 1994-1996
Sierra Community College, Cartooning workshop, 1991
Davis Art Center, Davis, CA. Cartooning and drawing classes 1976-?

BOOKS ILLUSTRATED:
A Frog's Tale - Words and Muse Productions, 1990.
The Couch Potato Cookbook - Warner Books, 1988.
The Couch Potato Guide to Life - Avon Books, 1984.
The Official Couch Potato Handbook - Capra Press, 1983.

COMIC BOOKS WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED:
Mickey Rat #1 (1972) Mickey Rat #2 (1972)
Mickey Rat #3 (1980) Mickey Rat #4 (1982)

COMIC BOOK ANTHOLOGIES CONTRIBUTED TO:
"Verre d'Eau" - International issue of Weirdo, Last Gasp, 1993.
"The New American Splendor Anthology," Four Walls, Eight Windows 1991.
"Flag" (French), 1991.
"Best Comics of the Decade, Vol. 1" - Fantagraphics, 1991.
"Weirdo" #3, #4, #22 - Last Gasp, 1982 & 1988.
"Lemme Outta Here" - Print Mint, 1978.
"Mondo Snarfo" - Kitchen Sink Publishing, 1978.
"Arcade Comics" - #1-7, Print Mint, 1975-76.
"Comix Book" - Marvel Comics Group, 1975-76.
"Surprise" (French), 1976.
"Le Petit Mickey Qui N'a Pa Peur Des Gros" (French), 1975.
"El Perfecto" - Print Mint, 1973.
"Yellow Dog Comics" - Print Mint, 1972.
"L.A. Comics" - 1971.

SELECTED ILLUSTRATION WORK:
Yazoo Record Co. 1974-2000.
Collings Guitar Company - design work for custom stenciled guitars, 2000.
Martin Guitar Company - paintings for ltd. edition guitar tops, 1999-2000.
"Sacramento News and Review" - cover, 1994-95
"Heavy Metal" - magazine comic page, story, 1994
Sony/CBS Records - CD/cassette packaging, 1991.
Fish Tail Records - CD/cassette packaging, 1990-1993.
"The Golden Road" - magazine cover, 1990.
"Comstocks" - magazine illustration, 1993 to present
"Pulse!" - magazine feature articles, 1993 to present
Hewlett-Packard - promotional pieces, 1993
"The Golden Road" - magazine, 1989-90.
"Sacramento Union" - newspaper illustation, 1989.
"Frets" - magazine illustration, 1988.
"Utne Reader"- 1987-1988.
Rounder Record Co. - album cover design, 1987.
"Print" - magazine, March/April, 1985.
"National Lampoon", 1984.
"High Times", 1986, 1978.
Kicking Mule Records - album covers and catalogs, 1981-1983.
"Mandolin World News" - 1980-1982.
Berkeley Public Schools, Asian Studies - visual aids, 1981-82.
Harcourt, Brace, Janvanovich - textbook illustration, 1979.
"The Tuber's Voice: The Couch Potato Newsletter" #1-9, 1982-1987.

GALLERY SHOWS:
"Kittens 'n' Kads," group show, Marry Karnowsky Gallery,
Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 5, 1998 to Jan. 16, 1999
"Expo 98," Art of the Ukulele, group show, Fundacion Patagonista de markten,
Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 13-Oct. 18, 1998
"Serious Fun," Group Show, Gallery Oboy, San Francisco, CA, March 2-31, 1998
"The Isle of Misfit Artists," group show, The Ink People Gallery,
Eureka, CA, Feb. 2-28, 1998
"Post Modernismo Retro Introspective," one man show, Art Effects Gallery,
Woodland, CA, Mar. 1-31, 1996
"Orgy," Original Comic art exhibit, Cheval Blanc,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Dec. 9-30, 1995
"Holiday Pop Jamboree," Group Show of Underground Cartoonists, Bess Cutler Gallery,
New York, NY, Dec. 2-8, 1995
"What's Up Underground," Group Show of Underground Cartoonists, S.K. Josefsburg Studio, Portland, OR, Sept. 7-30, 1995
Group Show, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April 8-30, 1995
"Sideshow-Thrills, Chills and Oddities of Art," Tamara Bane Gallery,
Los Angeles, CA, April 7-May 30, 1995
"Out of the Studio," Works by Davis Art Center Faculty Members, Davis Art Center,
Davis, CA, Feb. 24-March 24, 1994
"Free Art," Five Years of Sacramento News and Review Covers, Phantom Gallery,
Sacramento, CA, Sept. 1-30, 1994
"Kustom Grafix: FIne Art from the Underground," The Works Gallery,
Costa Mesa, CA, Sept. 25-Nov. 7, 1993
"Puttin' On the Dog: A Group Exhibition Celebrating Man's Best Friend," Archival Framing, Sacramento, CA, April 1-30, 1993.
" 'Bout Bicycles, An Art Exhibition," Institute for Design and Experimental Art,
Sacramento, CA, Jan. 9-30, 1993.
"Graf/X Part II: Fine Arts from the Underground," Bess Cutler Gallery,
NYC, NY, Jan. 8-Feb. 9, 1993
"New Works by Robert Armstrong." John Natsoulas Gallery,
Davis, CA, Dec. 7, 1991-Jan. 2, 1992.
"Recent Paintings by Robert Armstrong." Sierra College Library Gallery,
Oct. 4-Nov. 1, 1991.
"Illusions 1991, The Art of Illustration." The Sacramento Illustrator's Guild,
California Medical Bldg., Sacramento, April 24-29, 1991.
"Misfit Lit, Contemporary Comic Art." Center On Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA,
March 15-May 4, 1991.
"Hats, Ties, Socks," Design Gallery, Walker Hall, U.C. Davis, CA,
Oct. 1-Nov. 2, 1990.
"Artists; Studio Tour in Dixon," arranged by the Pence Gallery of Davis, CA,
Oct. 14, 1990.
"All Creatures Great and Small," Natsoulas, Novelozo Gallery, Davis, CA,
Aug. 24-Sept. 30, 1990.
"Illusions In Design '90," Sacramento Illustrator's Guild, L.K. Enterprises Bldg.,
Sacramento, CA, June 21-30, 1990.
"Artists For Amnesty," Natsoulas/Novelozo Gallery, Davis, CA, May 4-6, 1990.
"Capitol a' la c'Arte," state Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA, Oct. 2-Nov. 2, 1989.
"Selections From the Natsoulas/Novelozo Gallery," Sierra College Library Gallery,
Rocklin, CA, Oct. 10-Nov. 16, 1989.
"Drawing For Funk's Sake!" Natsoulas/Novelozo Gallery, Davis, CA,
Aug. 11-Sept. 30, 1989.
"Valley Cartoonists," Davis Art Center, Davis, CA, Feb. 5-29, 1988.

FILMS:
Composed and performed original soundtrack music for "Be My Gas," an animated film by Michael McMillan, 1977.
Composed and performed original soundtrack music and painted and inked animation cels for "Make Me Psychic," an animated film by Sally Curikshank, 1976.
Composed and performed original soundtrack music for "Quasi at the Quackadero," an animated film by Sally Cruikshank, 1974.
Played musical saw solo for opening and closing title theme music for
Milos Forman film, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Juxtapose, Vol. 2, No. 1, Winter 1995 - "Robert Armstrong: MIckey Rat with a Paintbrush," 4-page feature story
Sacramento News and Review, September 28, 2000 - "Couch Potatoes and Cheap Suits Interview with Robert Armstrong" 2-page story

DISCOGRAPHY:
Sang and performed on accordion, acoustic steel guitar, musical saw and banjo-guitar on: "R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders No. 1", 1974
"R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders No. 2", 1976
"R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders No. 3", 1978 Performed on acoustic steel guitar, musical saw, ukulele and banjo on: "Paradise Wobble" - Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys, 2000.



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