American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar

It's one of the marks of a genius that he can see what's extraordinary in the ordinary. That's Harvey Pekar's gift. While he may seem mordbid or depressing to some, the way he renders the little moments in life is truly inspiring. I would recommend this book to anyone who says "drama is not the stuff of ordinary life." Wrong! It just takes the right eye to see it. Pekar also reminds me of Charles Bukowski (Post Office) and Richard Perez (The Losers' Club). I recommend American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar -- highly!

This book contains two classic comic anthologies in one volume. It features the contents of the out of print books American Splendor and More American Splendor. Obviously, this was released to capitalize on the publicity that the American Splendor film is getting. Well, if the movie inspires people to search out the comics of Harvey Pekar, that is a good thing. This is great stuff. Harvey has a way of making ordinary life seems interesting. I think if you saw the movie and liked it, you will also dig this book.

For those that have seen the film version of Harvey Pekar's AMERICAN SPLENDOR and are interested in learning more about him and his work, this is the best place to begin. This collection features many of his early works, up until the early 80's (before he married Joyce). Many of these comics feature artwork by R. Crumb (some of Crumb's best work in my opinion)and were recreated in the film. Don't be afraid that they are "comics". I'm sure once you begin reading, you will have a new appreciation for the artform.