My work looks like a comic book in form, but it’s not a typical comic book in content. I write autobiographical stuff.
Meaning of the quote
Harvey Pekar's work may look like a comic book, but it's actually about his own life and experiences. He uses the comic book format to share personal stories and details about himself, rather than telling a typical fiction story like most comic books do.
About Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. He helped change the perceptions of the graphic novel and autobiographical comic narrative, and was described as the ‘poet laureate of Cleveland’.
More quotes from Harvey Pekar
I think the people who would be the least interested in my work would be people who read lots of comic books.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I came up with American Splendor. Some people think it’s American Squalor.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I don’t write about certain arguments I have with my wife. I’d get my head torn off if wrote about certain things.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
People who are readers of fiction aren’t particularly interested in comic books.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I write scripts in storyboard fashion using stick figures, and thought balloons and word balloons and captions. Then I’ll write descriptions of what scenes should look like and turn it over to the artist.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
Letterman… he got his problems. We don’t get along too well.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
It seemed to me you could do anything in comics. So I started doing my thing, which is mainly influenced by novelists, stand-up comedians, that sort of thing.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I’ve probably had my day in the sun. I think I’ve influenced a lot of comic book writers.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I decided I was going to tell these stories. I went around and met Crumb. He was the cartoonist. I started realizing comics weren’t just kid stuff.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I thought I had a great opportunity when I started doing my comic book in 1972. I thought there was so much territory to work in.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
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.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I met Robert Crumb in 1962; he lived in Cleveland for a while. I took a look at his stuff. Crumb was doing stuff beyond what other writers and artists were doing. It was a step beyond Mad.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
It makes you feel good to know that there’s other people afflicted like you.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I try and write the way things happen. I don’t try and fulfill people’s wishes.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
Everybody’s like everybody else, and everybody’s different from everybody else.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I continue to be disappointed that people don’t try and diversify the kind of work they are doing in comics.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
There hasn’t been enough change in comics to suit me. I don’t know why exactly.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I really don’t have a lot in common with the people who attend the Comic Con. It’s like assuming that all people who write prose are the same.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
Plays have been made of my comics.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
It didn’t take long to establish myself, as far as people thinking my work was good. They liked it from the start.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
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.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I’m a guy that likes to sit in one place.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
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.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
My work looks like a comic book in form, but it’s not a typical comic book in content. I write autobiographical stuff.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I’m doing research for a large comic book on the Beat Generation guys – Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac and those guys.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
It’s extremely seldom that anybody wants me to change what I’ve written about them. Generally I portray them in a good light, if they’re friends.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
The film’s success so far involves winning a couple of prizes at Cannes and Sundance, and getting some very nice reviews in newspapers and magazines. That hasn’t had a big impact on my life yet.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I think comics have far more potential than a lot of people realize.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
People writing about me have said that I’ve influenced a lot of people, and there are some artists who have credited me with influencing them.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)
I think you can do anything with comics that you could do in just about any art form.
American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality (1939-2010)