One of the most passionate and brilliant minds is comics is gone, now that Harvey Pekar has died. His American Splendor was one of the first and most important (and entertaining) autobiographical comic books, and his talent for creating idiosyncratic and thought-provoking comics was outstripped only by his tenacity and will to bring his voice to an often uncaring public. It was my great privilege to interview Harvey around the time DC/Vertigo released his graphic novel The Quitter, and you can listen to that interview on MP3, read it in my downloadable ebook Conversations with ADD, or read it online at Trouble with Comics.
Rest in peace, Harvey. You’ve earned it.
Update: Tom Spurgeon has posted a comprehensive obituary of Harvey Pekar at The Comics Reporter.
Harvey Pekar, 1939-2010.
