Rest In Splendor
I’ve been meaning to pay tribute to HARVEY PEKAR the author of the acclaimed comic series American Splendor, who died two weeks ago. I know, that’s like 1987 in Internet Years, but I haven’t had a moment to do it. As my friend Matt said, he was one of the original artists in the office. He worked his entire adult life as a file clerk at the VA hospital in Cleveland, while also writing reviews of jazz records and penning the stories behind American Splendor. His job and many of his co-workers appeared within the pages of Splendor. He kept his job, not only because he couldn’t quite make a living from his writing, but because it gave him structure and a place to go. As he said, “Who am I kidding? I’d be lost without my job.”
He was crabby, difficult, and a natural contrarian. He was also an American original.
Harvey, thank you for your great effort.
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