Soon I will be debuting a new category on this weblog entitled Patron Saints. Contained within it will be long-form posts concentrating on specific people… artists, musicians, cultural figures… creators that have influenced my own life and work both with their art as well as their inspiration. Harvey Pekar will be among those biographies.

For the uninitiated, Harvey Pekar was an American comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name starring Paul Giamatti. Pekar took a radically different track from the superhero-laden comics that had dominated the industry. He instead specialized in the lives of ordinary people, chronicling his life as a file clerk in Cleveland and his relationship with his third wife, Joyce Brabner. His 1994 graphic novel, “Our Cancer Year,” detailed his battle with lymphoma.

I came upon Harvey Pekar via underground comic godfather R. Crumb, who will hold a position of high honor in that new Patron Saint category… Pekar only wrote his comics, he didn’t draw them. Instead he relied upon collaborations with other artists… Pekar met Crumb while the latter lived in Cleveland in the mid-60’s, the two shared a love of Jazz records. Watching what Crumb did using comics was what convinced Pekar of its viability as a medium… It would still take 10 years of percolation before American Splendor hit the comic book stores, but when it did, it was R. Crumb who did all the drawing… and it was fantastic.

In the late 80’s Harvey’s comic book success led to 8 guest appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. His on-air confrontational criticism of General Electric, which owned NBC, got him banned as a guest until the early 90’s. Those were some wild segments of the Letterman show… you could tell that Dave truly liked him… Pekar was also a prolific jazz and book critic who wrote award winning essays that were broadcast on public radio… and perhaps most peculiar was that he continued working at his job as a clerk for Cleveland’s Veteran’s Administration Hospital even after attaining his fame. He retired in 2001 at the age of 61.

Regarding American Splendor, Pekar described it as…

“An autobiography written as it’s happening. The theme is about staying alive. Getting a job, finding a mate, having a place to live, finding a creative outlet. Life is a war of attrition. You have to stay active on all fronts. It’s one thing after another. I’ve tried to control a chaotic universe. And it’s a losing battle. But I can’t let go. I’ve tried, but I can’t.”

You’ll be missed Harvey Pekar.