I do hereby present the first follow through to my earlier post:
Some years back I was working for an online Pop Culture mag (that ended up dead before it even began), writing comic-book related articles. The mag had me covering Wonder-Con, in San Francisco, where I lucked into the opportunity to interview the legendary Harvey Pekar (who was in attendance to promote his book The Quitter, illustrated by Dean Haspiel and published by DC), whilst wandering the floor of the show.
Harvey wrote one of greatest autobiographical comic series, American Splendor, chronicling his life in stories ranging from epic graphic novels (Our Cancer Year), to single page accounts of encounters with characters on the streets of his home town, Cleveland.
Eventually American Splendor was adapted into a ground-breaking film, starring Paul Giamatti in the role of Harvey.
Harvey died in July of 2010, and I think it's long past due that people got to read this brief interview, where we get a good glimpse of Harvey's personality, and (perhaps more importantly) a true sense of what it's like to deal with some of the fans who attend comic conventions:
The Snob: It’s great to see you here. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me. I know you're very busy.
about comic book conventions. I'm just here to do some signings and stuff, & answer some
questions & I'll do that
TS: (laughing) Cool.
HP: I mean, I got paid pretty good money, so I'll do it, y'know. But, uh, In fact in my,
in this book I have, I just wrote, I wrote about how much I couldn't stand comic conventions
TS: You've been doing a lot more [conventions] since the movie, & actually since Our Cancer
Year, really. The first time I saw you at a convention was when you were up for the Eisner
down in San Diego.
HP: Oh yeah...
TS: You've been doing quite a few of them, or quite a few more.
HP:Well, not "quite a few," I did a San Diego convention, uh, after the comic book came out. Y'know, before the movie came out, I just happened to be down there so they, y'know,
they trucked me over from L.A.
[it is at this point that a large, ape-like man, whose intellectual capacity seems almost
entirely occupied with the problem of keeping the saliva in his mouth, approaches the table,
obliviously interrupting the interview. I allowed the tape to continue rolling. I have not edited the transcription in any way. You can not make up shit like this]
Ape Man: What character you do?
HP: Naw, I'm just... Actually, I do me. I write autobiographical comics. I'm like an
alternative comic book artist, and uh...
Ape Man: Which one do you do?
HP: American Splendor. I don't normally work for DC, I do stuff for Random House, But I'm
just doin' a special project for DC.
[Ape Man wanders away confused, and another man approaches. I become convinced that this is going
nowhere. However now the new interloper proves himself to be a very different sort of gem. An
enthused fanboy, with legitimate questions.]
FanBoy: The movie adaptation [of American Splendor], how did you feel about that?
HP: I liked it
FanBoy: Yeah?
HP: Yeah, I thought they did a great job. Very imaginative, y'know, I wasn't prepared
for it. It was an innovative movie, and, y'know, I mean I was just lookin' to get paid for the
thing.
FanBoy: Right.
HP: And I didn't care, y'know, I mean, well, I did care if it came out... y'know, I mean
I was hopin' it would come out good.
FanBoy: Yeah.
TS: I mean, you don't want to be made to look like an ass.
HP: (laughs) Exactly. You know, I mean it was worth the money for me if it did.
TS: (laughs)
FanBoy: Did you have any kind of, y'know, control over the cast?
HP: No, no...
FanBoy: Did you like Paul Giamatti in it?
HP: Yeah, he was great.
FanBoy: Cuz I mean we just saw his newest, his latest movie, the, uh...
HP: Sideways?
FanBoy: Sideways. It was wonderful...
HP: Y'know, he got screwed out an Academy Award nomination for the second straight year.
FanBoy: Right
TS: Yup
FanBoy: Right. Well, it was nice talking with you. I'm gonna let you get back to this.
TS: Well I appreciate your questions
[As if on cue the table is again deluged with geeks wanting to press famed flesh, so I said my
goodbyes to Mr. Pekar, in search of some sore thumb]
Note: I transcribed this several months ago, & I haven’t the faintest notion what I meant by “in search of some sore thumb”
It was brief, but I really felt that it deserved to be seen, unedited. One of those things you couldn't make up.
The sort of thing that Harvey would write about.
Remember; if you'd like to have your comics reviewed here, leave a comment & we'll get something going.
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