Harvey Pekar

Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekarwas an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a well-received film adaptation of the same name...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionComic Book Artist
Date of Birth8 October 1939
CountryUnited States of America
people portray written
Sometimes I want to convey something complex philosophically, and sometimes I just want to portray myself in a situation that I think other people have been in many times, but it hasn't been written about much.
motions people work
I worry about getting work, and then when I get it, I worry about doing it well. I don't want to just go through the motions and give people stuff. This stuff is really important to me.
establish far liked people work
It didn't take long to establish myself, as far as people thinking my work was good. They liked it from the start.
credited people
People writing about me have said that I've influenced a lot of people, and there are some artists who have credited me with influencing them.
people
I came up with American Splendor. Some people think it's American Squalor.
limitation people sorts variety vast word
There's no limitation on comics, nothing. From a logical standpoint, how can there be a limitation on comics? You can use any word in the dictionary. You can put them in any order you want to. You can use a vast variety of illustrating styles. People could do all sorts of things.
believe digging hard liking people rather settle stuff
I don't want to play myself up as a hero, because it would make me unbelievable. I'd rather settle for people thinking that I'm a bum, but digging my stories, than liking me and not being able to believe in my stories. That's one reason I've been hard on myself, because I want my stuff to be believable.
art bad cleveland left museum people stuff symphony wealthy
Cleveland has a very bad reputation, but there's a lot of stuff that's left over from when there were very wealthy people - the Art Museum and a world class symphony that's still world class.
life people satirical splendid
American Splendor... that's a satirical name. People who would look at it wouldn't think my life was splendid at all. They'd think it was kind of funky.
people valuable
Some of the most valuable stuff I do has to do with my dissenting from the general opinion about people in movements.
act good jazz people
I always wanted praise, and I always wanted attention; I won't lie to you. I was a jazz critic, and that wasn't good enough for me. I wanted people to write about me, not me about them. So I thought, 'What could I do? I can't sing, I can't dance, I can't act or anything like that. OK, I can write.'
history people whether written
I like to go back over history and check out what people have written and whether I agree with it or not.
book people fiction
People who are readers of fiction aren't particularly interested in comic books.
writing people literature
I wanted to write literature that pushed people into their lives rather than helping people escape from them.