American Splendor - Definition and Overview

American Splendor is the autobiographical underground comic book series written by Harvey Pekar.

Harvey Pekar grew depressed from his daily life in Cleveland, Ohio working as a file clerk at a local Veteran's Administration hospital. He recruited his friend and underground comics master Robert Crumb to help him create his own comic series based on his own life. The stories are realistic and mostly true narratives dealing with the mundane troubles and frustrations of everyday life.

The series gained him fame and notoriety, especially as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman. In 2003 a movie adaptation featuring Paul Giamatti playing Pekar (as well as appearances by Pekar himself) and Hope Davis as his wife was released to critical acclaim and first honors at the Sundance Film Festival in addition to the award for best adapted screenplay from the Writer's Guild of America. It was written and directed by documentarists Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini.

Books

• American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (2003) ISBN 0345468309

External link

• From Off the Streets of Cleveland… Comes Harvey Pekar’s Official Blog (http://www.harveypekar.com/)