Things improved a little bit in the '80s; there was kind of a revival of alternative comics, but then they went downhill in the '90s. Harvey Pekar 80s90salternative Change image and 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
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'm from the beatnik generation, where everybody wanted to be a poet or writer or something. And at that time, I was a jazz critic, and I was always thinking, theorizing about what makes great art or what's important in art. Harvey Pekar artbeatnikcritic 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
I worry about getting work, and then when I get it, I worry about doing it well. I don't want to just go through the motions and give people stuff. This stuff is really important to me. Harvey Pekar giveimportantmotion Change image and share on social
I don't want to play myself up as a hero, because it would make me unbelievable. I'd rather settle for people thinking that I'm a bum, but digging my stories, than liking me and not being able to believe in my stories. That's one reason I've been hard on myself, because I want my stuff to be believable. Harvey Pekar believablebumdig 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
Cleveland has a very bad reputation, but there's a lot of stuff that's left over from when there were very wealthy people - the Art Museum and a world class symphony that's still world class. Harvey Pekar artbadclass Change image and 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