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American Splendor (2003)
4:00 am Jul 29 - by Nick Martin – buzz Asstant Arts and Entertainment Editor
“If you’re the kind of person looking for romance or escapism or some fantasy figure to save the day, guess what? You got the wrong movie.”
Harvey Pekar was a critically acclaimed comic book writer from 1976 until his recent death. Pekar pioneered the “graphic memoir”; he wrote about everyday life, documenting his relationships, frustrations, failures, and banalities. His comic, "American Splender", is praised for its ability to articulate the problems faced by ordinary Americans.
If you’re unfamiliar with Pekar’s work, a great place to discover it is the 2003 film American Splendor starring Paul Giamatti. The film is part documentary of Harvey’s life, part adaptation of his comics (also called "American Splendor"), and even an animated portfolio of the art in Pekar’s books.
Harvey works as a file clerk in Cleveland, Ohio. He can’t get along well with coworkers or girlfriends, his job doesn’t make him much money, and each day he battles boredom, depression, and loneliness. He tries to pass time by collecting jazz records, but the hobby isn’t as fulfilling as he wants it to be. When Harvey meets a young comic book artist named Robert Crumb (eventual creator of Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural) he gets inspired to make comics about the story of his life. While never attaining much mainstream success, Harvey’s comics won him praise from high-brow critics, fame throughout Cleveland, and even numerous guest appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. The film captures the spirit of Harvey’s life and work perfectly.
Harvey’s books are so insightful because they capture all the nuance of a normal person living a normal life. His comics didn’t have superheroes or over-the-top action; instead, they showed how hard it is to just get out of bed in the morning. Harvey explained the joys of work (no matter what the job is), the challenge of finding fulfillment in life, and most of all, what it was like to be an American in the 20th century. Pekar hated Hollywood melodrama—he thought it was trying to sell a lifestyle that is unattainable—and instead wanted to find the real drama in the experiences that happen every day to “normal” people. Perhaps the irony is that Harvey was anything but normal; his empathy, humor, and understated wisdom put him will above most other writers—comic book or otherwise. His work stands as a testament that the best stories are the honest ones. Because, like Harvey says, “Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.”
R.I.P. Harvey Lawerence Pekar 10/8/1939—7/12/2010
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