458 PEKAR, HARVEY
Fingerman, Drew Friedman, Gilbert Hernandez , Josh Neufeld, Spain Rodriguez, Joe
Sacco , and Jim Woodring—is a de facto Who’s Who of alternative comics. Th e fact that
Pekar was invited to become the fi rst guest editor of Houghton Miffl in’s Best American
Comics series (2006–) speaks to his sterling reputation in the comics fi eld. While many
of his artistic collaborators have been established fi gures, Pekar has made a special eff ort
to encourage up-and-coming cartoonists who have undoubtedly benefi ted from their
association with one of the most famous personalities in independent comics.
Pekar fi rst gained national prominence as a result of his multiple guest appearances
on television’s Late Night with David Letterman in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
He was eventually banned from the show for his confrontational personal style and
pointed on-air criticism of NBC’s corporate owner General Electric. Th e success of the
American Splendor fi lm, which starred Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis, further added to
his cultural cache. He has leveraged this reputation to help secure publishing deals with
trade publishers such as Ballantine, Doubleday, and the New Press. His most recent
publishing eff ort to date (2009) is an adaptation of Studs Terkel’s Wo r k i n g , published
by the New Press. Like Studs Terkel, Pekar has a remarkable eye for transforming the
prosaic details of everyday life into the stuff of serious entertainment. He has a sturdy
work ethic, and he has found a way to make creative use of his somewhat curmudgeonly
persona. Along with his longtime friend Crumb, he played a major role in inspiring the
alternative comics surge of the past two decades.
Kent Worcester
Harvey Pekar as the “real Harvey,” in the 2003 film American Splendor , directed by Shari Springer
Berman and Robert Pulcini. Fine Line Features/Photofest
