R. Crumb brought comic new-found artistic respect in the 1960s, and went on to become a formative influence on an entire generation of successors, including Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets), Daniel Clowes (Ghost World), and Chris Ware (Jimmy Corrigan).

Last week saw the release of his latest work, an illustrated Book of Genesis, including all 50 chapters, which consumed Crumb for over five years. Critics have raved over the work, thanks to Crumb's talent for drawing extremes of emotions, and the richly evocative, historically precise drawings--from the dusty plains to facial features of the characters.

Here are snippets of two stories form the book: Cain and Abel, and the Tower of Babel.

God isn't necessarily depicted as a floating giant--here, he's barefoot and touching the ground, rooted in the world of man.

The scene shortly after God has smashed the Tower of Babel.

A stepped ziggurat--one of the most ancient forms in all of architecture, and one which you can still find scattered all across the Middle East.

The story of Cain and Abel. Abel becomes God's favorite, setting the stage for Cain's all-consuming jealousy...

...Rage overtakes Cain, while God senses the mortal sin that's happened.

God singles Cain out with a mark that he'll carry for life, so that no one will forget his crime.