R. Crumb, 71, is a cartoonist whose counterculture characters include Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural. He is author of more than 30 books, including “The Complete Zap Comix” and “Drawn Together” (Liveright). He spoke with Marc Myers.

My family never lived in one house longer than two years during the whole time I was growing up. My father was a career man in the U.S. Marine Corps, so we moved around a lot.

I...