From Off the Streets of Cleveland!

In the last several years it's been pretty easy to take Harvey Pekar for granted. There's so much great comics reading out there and so many great cartoonists that have been influenced by Harvey, that one can sometimes forget his contribution. He certainly wasn't forgotten about and in some ways saw more fame (appearances on Letterman, the American Splendor movie) than many cartoonists will ever know. But he fell into that weird non-cartoonist comics-maker group. Never a cartoonist, "just" a writer. But he was a great writer and for someone like me who 25 years ago was tired of the supers or fake supers and was looking for something more, American Splendor was a tonic. Those self-published issues still hold a special place in my collection. It's been years since I read those but they're definitely coming out this week. I urge you to do the same. Goodbye, Harvey, you were an original.

Posted in: