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Harvey Pekar, creator of American Splendor, dead at age 70
MicMit at 12:02PM, July 12, 2010
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This is news that deeply saddened me this morning, Harvey Pekar has past away.

For those who don't know Harvey Pekar was a prominent comic writer of the American underground comics movement. His most famous work was American Splendor.


American Splendor is a significant piece of comic history, and even more so autobiographical comics. His stories were modest straight forward tellings of his life with brute honesty and self-awareness. Many fantastic artists took part in illustrating his comics, most famously his good friend Robert Crumb. The work even spawned an award winning movie. It was a beautiful comic that did not attempt to be anymore than it actually was, and in doing so became so much more.

His contribution to the world of comics was a great one, and I know I will greatly miss him.
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:01PM
ttyler at 12:37PM, July 12, 2010
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He was a character for sure. i loved American Splendor. Not sure what else to say right now.
last edited on July 14, 2011 4:34PM
patrickdevine at 6:52PM, July 12, 2010
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joined: 4-26-2007
He'll be missed, that's for sure. It's hard to say if the autobiographical graphic novel would ever take off as much as it did without American Splendor and I'm glad for his contributions to the genre. Similar to ttyler I'm at a loss for words.
http://www.iprc.org [iprc.org]
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:41PM
skoolmunkee at 12:24AM, July 13, 2010
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Air Raid Robertson has a good post about Pekar: http://www.drunkduck.com/community/view_topic.php?tid=53967&cid=226
   IT'S OLD BATMAN
last edited on July 14, 2011 3:43PM
Frostflowers at 5:33AM, July 13, 2010
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joined: 10-8-2006
I am, sadly, not too familiar with Pekar's work (yet - I'm working on it), but considering the lasting impact he has had on the comic world in general, and the art of the autobiographical comic in particular, all I can say is that there will be a great Harvey Pekar-shaped hole in the comics world, and his absence will certainly be felt.
The Continued Misadventures of Bonebird - a poor bird's quest for the ever-elusive and delicious apples.
last edited on July 14, 2011 12:31PM
lba at 1:43PM, July 13, 2010
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If it weren't for him, I doubt we'd have graphic novels like Blankets, Optic Nerve or Poison. I doubt we'd even have fantasy stories like Fables around if he hadn't come along and helped introduce the introspective style of writing that he did.

I'll be drinking to him tonight.
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:30PM
Abt_Nihil at 1:34PM, July 24, 2010
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posts: 1,120
joined: 8-7-2007
Very sad.

It's a shame I only found out about his death today. You'd think someone would bother writing a deviantArt journal about this (= my primary source of info when it comes to artists passing away...)

Rest in peace.
last edited on July 14, 2011 10:44AM
alwinbot at 10:38AM, July 31, 2010
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joined: 1-12-2010
Man, this guy is the highpoint in autobiography comics. I'm actually watching the movie right now. and it kicks ass.
Read this comic. It is the greatest journal comic ever written and drawn. Trust me.
last edited on July 14, 2011 10:50AM

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