Harvey Pekar was a talented comic book writer and music critic.
I remember when I first watched the American Splendor film. I wasn’t expecting it to be as funny, dry and realistic as it turned out to be. I wasn’t expecting anything and it blew me away. So I went and immediately bought the American Splendor graphic novel which turned out to be superior to the film. Here were stories of Harvey Pekar’s day to day life, of his work colleagues, obsessions, neurotic thoughts and behaviour, Harvey relentlessly grappling with working life. Here was somebody who put everything into publishing his own comic book, who became an underground hero and who continued to work the same dull job for the rest of his life. This was no celebrity, no fifteen minute wannabe, you got no laugh a minute catchphrase. (more…)
