Harvey Pekar has died at age 70.
My comics-maven husband David Chute first introduced me to Pekar decades ago at the first Comic-Con I ever attended, in San Diego. It was a small comic book convention back then, a far cry from the streaming hordes who will descend on the giant convention center a week from now. Pekar was not only a pioneering graphic novelist but a great writer: tough, funny, sad, angry, and honest. The comic series American Spendor was his crowning achievement.
Of course he was the subject of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s terrific 2003 hybrid biopic/doc American Splendor.
Here are Pekar obits from THR, Vanity Fair, Matt Dentler, Omnivoracious, The Guardian, and NPR.
Video clips on jump.
And here’s the American Splendor trailer:
And Pekar on Letterman:
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