Pekar, Harvey 1939-

PERSONAL: Born October 8, 1939, in Cleveland, OH; married third wife, Joyce Brabner (a writer and peace activist); children: Danielle (foster child). Education: Attended Case Western Reserve University.

ADDRESSES: Home—Cleveland, OH.

CAREER: Writer and jazz critic. Worked variously as a microfilmer, janitor, elevator operator, photocopier, and office clerk, 1960s, and as a file clerk at a Veterans Administration hospital in Cleveland, OH, 1966-2001. Military service: Enlisted in the U.S. Navy following high school.

AWARDS, HONORS: American Book Award, 1987, for American Splendor; first place, commentary/essay, Public Radio News Directors, Inc., 2000, for “What’s in a Name”; regional Edward R. Murrow Award, Radio-Television New Directors Association, 2001, for “Father’s Day.”

WRITINGS:

American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pe-kar, illustrated by Kevin Brown, Gregory Budgett, R. Crumb, Gary Dumm, and Gerry Shamray, introduction by R. Crumb, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1986.

More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, illustrated by Greg Budgett and others, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1987.

The New American Splendor Anthology, Four Walls Eight Windows (New York, NY), 1991.

(With wife, Joyce Brabner) Our Cancer Year, illustrated by Frank Stack, Four Walls Eight Windows (New York, NY), 1994.

(With R. Crumb) American Splendor Presents Bob and Harv’s Comics, Four Walls Eight Windows (New York, NY), 1996.

Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor: Unsung Hero; The Story of Robert McNeill, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2003.

American Splendor: Our Movie Year, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Dean Haspiel, Lee Loughridge, and Pat Brosseau) The Quitter, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2005.

Best of American Splendor, art by Dean Haspiel and others, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Ego & Hubris: The Michael Malice Story, art by Gary Dumm, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2006.

(Editor and introduction) The Best American Comics 2006, series editor Anne Elizabeth Moore, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA; New York, NY), 2006.

(With Heather Roberson) Macedonia, art by Ed Piskor, Villard, (New York, NY), 2007.

Students for a Democratic Society: A Graphic History, art by Gary Dumm, edited by Paul Buhle, Hill and Wang (New York, NY), 2008.

Author of “American Splendor” (autobiographical comic-book series), annual, 1976—. Contributor of music and jazz reviews and articles on popular culture to periodicals, including Down Beat, Jazz Review, Evergreen Review, Boston Herald, Austin Chronicle, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jazz Times, and Urban Dialect; contributor of stories to comic books, including Bizarre Sex, Flaming Baloney, Snarf, Flamed-out Funnies, and Comix Book, all 1970s.

ADAPTATIONS: The “American Splendor” series was adapted for film by Home Box Office Films/Fine Line Entertainment, written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, starring Paul Giamatti (as Pekar), Pekar (playing himself), Hope Davis (as Joyce Brabner), Joyce Brabner (playing herself), and James Urbaniak (as R. Crumb).

SIDELIGHTS: Harvey Pekar is the creator of the autobiographical comic “American Splendor,”which he self-published annually from 1976, and which was published by Dark Horse Comics beginning in the early 1990s. The comic has been drawn by many artists, including R. Crumb, Sue Cavey, Chester Brown, Greg Budgett, Gary Dumm, William Fogg, Drew Friedman, Rebecca Huntington, Paul Mavrides, Val Mayerik, Alan Moore, Spain Rodriguez, Gerry Shamray, Carole Sob-ocinski, Frank Stack, J.R. Stats, Colin Upton, Ed Weso-lowski, Jim Woodring, Joe Zabel, and Mark Zingarelli.

Pekar, who calls himself a “working-class intellectual,” held a number of jobs before settling into a nearly forty-year career as a file clerk for a Veterans Administration hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He also wrote jazz reviews and articles, and after meeting underground artist Crumb, he wrote about Crumb’s work in various publications. Crumb illustrated one of Pekar’s short stories in 1972, and Pekar found work writing for various underground comix during the 1970s. Pekar told Crumb that he thought his ordinary existence would be marketable, and Crumb agreed to draw some of the first issues of “American Splendor.”

“American Splendor” has been collected in several volumes. David Rosenthal reviewed the first, American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, in the New York Times Book Review, writing that “Pekar’s work has been compared by literary critics to Chekhov’s and Dostoyevsky’s, and it is easy to see why. His stories, as he puts it, are about ‘the cosmic and the ordinary,’ about the working stiff’s search for love and transcendence, the bleak reality of life in a hard town, and the reflections of a volatile, passionate sensibility that vibrates with everything around it.” Robin V. Russin reviewed the first and second collection, More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, in the Los Angeles Times Book Review, writing that, in the second collection, “Pekar allows himself more length and scop… There are moments here of real tenderness, as well as some hard lessons.”

The challenge to series illustrators is that the pictures they draw lack action, but are instead detailed descriptions of Pekar’s life and surroundings in scenes where dialogue dominates. Many of the characters are depressing or sad, but others, like Mr. Boats, the elderly, poetry-spouting black man with whom Pekar works, elicit smiles. Pekar is seen hanging around street corners and in his apartment with its peeling paint as he struggles with the problems of everyday life. Russin wrote that “Crumb sums it up well: ‘Pekar has proven once and for all that even the most seemingly dreary and monotonous of lives is filled with poignancy and heroic struggle.”’

Pekar is married to Joyce Brabner, writer of leftist political comics such as “Real War Stories” and “Brought to Light.” In 1990, Pekar was diagnosed with lymphoma, and he and Brabner document their struggles with his disease in Our Cancer Year, a graphic memoir drawn by Frank Stack. Booklist reviewer Ray Olson called it “the most impressive nonfiction graphic novel since Art Spiegelman’s Maus.” Pekar and Brabner frankly write about Pekar’s decision to undergo a short and intense therapy, his disabling chemotherapy treatment, hallucinations caused by medication, and his occasional paralysis. But the memoir also reveals the couple’s relationship with each other and with friends and family during the period, as well as their trials in buying a first home. Brabner, who is an coauthor of the book, fills in details that Pekar, in his illness and pain, was unable to recall. She fought to protect him and keep him hopeful, even as he contemplated suicide.

Joseph Witek wrote in the Review of Contemporary Fiction that “Pekar has spent nearly two decades showing what a frustrating and aggravating person he can be, and Our Cancer Year is not a story of the ennobling effects of suffering; in a mortal crisis as in his daily routine Pekar is resolutely himself.” Los Angeles Times writer Buddy Seigel called the work “a thoroughly engrossing work, full of unvarnished humanity and often brutal honesty.” Siegel called it “a harrowing account of a particularly eventful year in the life of one couple, when everything seemed to fall apart—and how, eventually, it all worked itself out.” “The ambitious scope of the book is one of its great strengths,” continued Siegel. “While Pekar’s cancer is the focus, how the disease affected every facet of the couple’s life together, and how they reacted, makes for a compelling, inspirational read—even when their responses to one another sometimes seem irrational.” Pekar’s cancer came out of remission in 2002, requiring a new round of treatment.

Pekar’s “American Splendor” series was adapted as an award-winning film by the husband-and-wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Pekar and Brabner are played by Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis, but they also appear as themselves. The film depicts Pekar’s early years in Cleveland, then shows his meeting with Crumb at a garage sale and their subsequent collaboration, during which Crumb and other fine artists drew Pekar’s life. It is also about how Pekar found happiness with Brabner after two failed marriages, and how they passed through the years together, including Pe-kar’s battle with cancer.

Scott Foundas commented on the film in Daily Variety, saying that, “not content to present the Cleveland-based Pekar’s life as anything resembling a straightforward narrative, Berman and Pulcini—who have previously made only documentaries—wildly jiggle around the raw materials of their film until they’re left with a freewheeling phantasmagoria of dramatic scenes, documentary interviews (with the real Pekar), and crazily inspired animated bits drawn by the likes of R. Crumb and Joe Zabel. The result is a vibrant, untamed film that stubbornly refuses to fit into any prefigured category.” Foundas added that “above all, the film is a bittersweet and delicately rendered love story.” National Catholic Reporter contributor Joseph Cunneen called American Splendor “easily the most original film of the season.”

In Pekar’s 2005 release, The Quitter, he uses a graphic novel format to tell the story of his childhood. The book includes background information about his parents, Polish immigrants who settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where they eventually managed to purchase the grocery store where they worked. Pekar himself is depicted as growing up in a rough neighborhood where he was accustomed to violence among his peers. He also grew up a perfectionist, only he was known to give up on an effort if he believed it was sub-par, rather than persisting until it met his expectations. Only after high school, when he joined the U.S. Navy, did he discover he would not always have that luxury; sometimes it would be necessary to persevere until the required outcome was achieved. Boot camp proved to be a revelation. But The Quitter also includes the atmosphere of the times, with references to jazz music and other influences, as well as Pekar’s meeting with Robert Crumb. A reviewer for the New Yorker had mixed reactions to the work, finding it “less consistently effective” than Pekar’s earlier work, and commenting that “his talent seems less suited to longer narrative.” However, a contributor for Kirkus Reviews opined that Pekar “meets the challenge of bringing freshness to a familiar life story,” and dubbed the book an “unflinching, unsentimental narrative.” A second Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a lean and angry work, anchored by a mellowing sense of self-discovery.” A reviewer for Publishers Weekly found Pe-kar’ s work to be “a searingly honest memoir of a smart but troubled boy who depends on quitting any time he might fail.” New York Times Book Review contributor Dave Itzkoff called the book “Pekar’s most poignant and satisfying effort to date.”

Ego & Hubris: The Michael Malice Story is the true tale of Michael Malice, who is always right and quick to point out this fact. Pekar’s narrative follows Michael from childhood into adulthood as he informs family, friends, teachers, and employers every time that they are mistaken and he holds the correct opinion or knowledge on a given situation. Despite this overbearing personality, Malice comes across as an intriguing character thanks to Pekar’s clever writing. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly dubbed Malice “a compelling and memorable character, with his endless hunger for something better.” In another review for Publishers Weekly, the writer opined: “The story gets much of its power from the shock value inherent in the narrator’s unshakable confidence in himself.” A contributor for Kirkus Reviews noted: “The narrative has all the deadpan realism of Pekar’s autobiographical work, and even has some sort of happy—or at least optimistic—ending.”

Macedonia, which Pekar wrote with Heather Roberson, is a departure from his typical fare in that it is not autobiographical. Roberson, a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, is featured in the work, but the focus of the story is not her own life. Roberson presents her argument that Macedonia is not about to be drawn into conflict due to its proximity to the violence centered in Kosovo, and that the small nation’s avoidance of war should be an example to the rest of the Balkan region. Roberson set out to visit Macedonia and investigate the situation on her own. Some critics found Macedonia less successful than Pe-kar’s other works, citing a lack of familiarity with the subject on the part of both Pekar and artist Ed Piskor—who had never seen Macedonia—and Roberson’s dry collection of materials that are often delivered to the reader in an information dump. Jen Phillips, in a review for Mother Jones, remarked of Roberson’s visit to Macedonia: “The most memorable parts of her trip involve getting cheated, being accosted by strange men, and looking for a decent cup of coffee.” However, not all reactions were negative. Ray Olson, reviewing for Booklist, did note that the illustrations failed to live up to the material, but concluded that “intrinsically interesting content and excellent panel-by-panel planning are the book’s saving strengths.”

Students for a Democratic Society: A Graphic History provides an illustrated history of the leftist political group from its founding in 1960 through its heyday, violent splintering, and brief revival in 2006, and also looks back at the roots of the group in turn-of-the-century politics and social upheaval. Contributions from members are included in almost journal-like entries, as well as within the text itself. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews called the book “learned, passionate and accessible history of the first order, casting a critical but mostly benevolent eye on an often-contradictory movement.”

Pekar also served as editor, along with Anne Elizabeth Moore who edits the series, of The Best American Comics 2006. The book contains a range of different examples from the genre, both fiction and nonfiction, serious and fantastical. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly found the book to be “a showcase for thought-provoking and evocative work,” adding that “the best results are haunting.” A contributor for Kirkus Reviews called it “a worthy launch for what appears destined to become a valuable annual anthology.”

Pekar began freelancing with radio station WKSU in 1999, and returned to writing jazz reviews. He retired from his job at the VA hospital in 2001.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Pekar, Harvey, American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, illustrated by Kevin Brown, introduction by R. Crumb, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1986.

Pekar, Harvey, More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, illustrated by Greg Budgett and others, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1987.

Pekar, Harvey, The New American Splendor Anthology, Four Walls Eight Windows (New York, NY), 1991.

Pekar, Harvey, and Joyce Brabner, Our Cancer Year, illustrated by Frank Stack, Four Walls Eight Windows (New York, NY), 1994.

Pekar, Harvey, Dean Haspiel, Lee Loughridge, and Pat Brosseau, The Quitter, DC Comics (New York, NY), 2005.

PERIODICALS

American Book Review, January-February, 1987, Stuart Klawans, review of American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, p. 21.

Antioch Review, fall, 1987, Jon Saari, review of More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, p. 496.

Booklist, July, 1987, Ray Olson, review of More American Splendor, p. 1640; December 15, 1991, Ray Olson, review of The New American Splendor Anthology, p. 741; September 15, 1994, Ray Olson, review of Our Cancer Year, p. 89; May 15, 2007, Ray Olson, review of Macedonia, p. 29.

Daily Variety, January 23, 2003, Scott Foundas, review of American Splendor (film), p. 9.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2005, review of The Quitter, p. 815; September 1, 2005, “Graphic Novel & Comics Spotlight,” p. 1; February 15, 2006, review of Ego & Hubris: The Michael Malice Story, p. 162; July 15, 2006, review of The Best American Comics 2006, p. 701; October 15, 2007, review of Students for a Democratic Society: A Graphic History.

Los Angeles Times, January 26, 1995, Buddy Seigel, review of Our Cancer Year, pp. El, E7.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, July 12, 1987, Robin V. Russin, reviews of American Splendor and More American Splendor, pp. 1, 11.

Mother Jones, July 1, 2007, Jen Phillips, review of Macedonia, p. 78.

Nation, December 26, 1994, Chris Faatz, review of Our Cancer Year, p. 810.

National Catholic Reporter, September 19, 2003, Joseph Cunneen, review of American Splendor (film), p. 20.

New Yorker, November 28, 2005, “Briefly Noted,” p. 177.

New York Times Book Review, May 11, 1986, David Rosenthal, review of American Splendor, p. 44; December 25, 2005, Dave Itzkoff, “Street Fighting Man,” p. 8.

Publishers Weekly, August 8, 1994, review of Our Cancer Year, p. 420; August 29, 2005, review of The Quitter, p. 39; January 23, 2006, review of Ego & Hubris, p. 193; July 31, 2006, review of The Best American Comics 2006, p. 60.

Review of Contemporary Fiction, summer, 1992, Joseph Witek, review of The New American Splendor Anthology, pp. 229-230; summer, 1996, Joseph Witek, review of Our Cancer Year, pp. 196-197.

Village Voice Literary Supplement, June, 1992, Richard Gehr, “But Enough about You: Harvey Pekar’s Me Generation,” pp. 28-29.*