[AGL] More about the death of Harvey Pekar - between a bed and the dresser

[Michael Eisenstadt]

Harvey Pekar, Graphic Artist, Dies
Obituary page contributor Terence McArdle writes:

Harvey Pekar, 70, the graphic novelist whose autobiographical comic book
"American Splendor" chronicled his life as a filing clerk, record collector,
freelance jazz critic and one of life's all around misfits, was found dead
early today at his home in suburban Cleveland.

The AP reported that police were called to Mr. Pekar's home by his wife
about 1 a.m. and the artist was found between a bed and dresser. Mr. Pekar
had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and
depression, police said.

"American Splendor" developed a cult following among those who don't
ordinarily read comic books. Quite possibly the first autobiographic comic,
it was filled with Mr. Pekar's wry observations and complaints about the
monotony of life in Cleveland and his frustrations in human relationships.


Initially, Mr. Pekar approached cartoonist R. Crumb who he knew through
their mutual record collector's love of jazz, to illustrate his
self-published work. Later, Mr. Pekar's illustrators included Drew Friedman
and Joe Sacco.

After a diagnosis of prostrate cancer in curtailed his writing in the 1990s,
Mr. Pekar returned in with "Our Cancer Year" (1994), a colloboration with
his wife, Joyce Brabner.
A 2003 movie, "American Splendor" was based on the series with Paul Giametti
playing Mr. Pekar. It led to yet another collaboration with Brabner, "Our
Movie Year" (2004).

In one of the movie's finest moments, Brabner meets Mr. Pekar for the first
time at the airport after a lengthy correspondence. She tries to imagine
what he looks like and conjurs four different images of him by four
different illustrators.
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