I have to be a freelance writer for the rest of my life, unless I get some kind of real lucky break. But other than that, I'll always have to work. I always worry about whether my stuff is going to get over. Will they like this, will they like that? Harvey Pekar breakfreelancekind share on social
There hasn't been enough change in comics to suit me. I don't know why exactly. Harvey Pekar changecomicsuit Change image and share on social
I'd been familiar with comics, and I'd collected 'em when I was a kid, but after I got into junior high school, there wasn't much I was interested in. Harvey Pekar collectcomicfamiliar Change image and share on social
I came up with American Splendor. Some people think it's American Squalor. Harvey Pekar americanpeoplesplendor Change image and share on social
I'm doing research for a large comic book on the Beat Generation guys - Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac and those guys. Harvey Pekar allenbeatbook Change image and share on social
I kept on buying records and listening to them. Finally, I was able to hear the relationship between the jazz improvisers' solos and the underlying structure that it's based on, the chord progression. That was pretty easy to do in the swing era, y'know, when jazz was, like, pop music, you know. It had made the charts and everything like that. Harvey Pekar basebuychart share on social
I've just been writing stuff down as it comes to me. I haven't thought, 'Let me write some major opus here.' Harvey Pekar havemajoropus Change image and share on social
My work looks like a comic book in form, but it's not a typical comic book in content. I write autobiographical stuff. Harvey Pekar autobiographicalbookcomic Change image and share on social
I was influenced by autobiographical writers like Henry Miller, and I had actually done some autobiographical prose. But I just thought that comics were like virgin territory. There was so much to be done. It excited me. I couldn't draw very well. I could write scripts and storyboard style using stick figures and balloons and captions. Harvey Pekar autobiographicalballooncaption share on social
American Splendor is just an ongoing journal. It's an ongoing autobiography. I started it when I was in my early 30s, and I just keep going. Harvey Pekar 30samericanautobiography Change image and share on social