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American Splendor
American Splendor: Our Movie Year
"Harvey Pekar is from Cleveland. This much you know. But with the release of American Splendor, the indie hit film based on his comic of the same name, the world discovered Harvey in earnest. Once Harvey was content merely to flirt with fame. But when fame wanted a commitment, he found himself a household name. Sort of. And, to tell you the truth, it's starting the bug the hell out of him."
174 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2004
6 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Harvey Pekar
117 books256 followersHarvey Pekar was an American writer and comics creator whose groundbreaking autobiographical series American Splendor helped redefine the possibilities of graphic storytelling. Frequently called the poet laureate of Cleveland, he developed a body of work that approached everyday life with candor, humor, frustration, and philosophical reflection. Pekar’s voice became central to the evolution of comics into a medium capable of serious literary expression, and his influence extended to criticism, journalism, and popular culture through his essays, radio work, and memorable television appearances.
Pekar grew up in Cleveland, where his parents operated a small grocery store, and his early experiences shaped much of the sensibility that later defined his writing. His deep love of jazz led him into criticism, and through that world he befriended artist Robert Crumb. Their shared interest in music eventually led him to try writing comics. Pekar wrote his first scripts in the early seventies, sketching out stories with simple figures before passing them to Crumb and other underground artists who encouraged him to continue. With the first issue of American Splendor in 1976, Pekar began chronicling the small battles, anxieties, and fleeting moments that made up his daily life in Cleveland. His day job as a file clerk, his marriages, conversations with coworkers, frustrations with bureaucracy, and the struggle to make ends meet all became material for a series that often blurred the line between observation and confession. Over the years, he worked with a wide range of artists who interpreted his scripts in styles that mirrored the emotional tone of each story.
The success of American Splendor brought Pekar national attention. Collections such as The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar received strong critical praise, and his unpredictable, often confrontational appearances on late-night television became a defining part of his public persona. The 2003 film adaptation of American Splendor, in which Paul Giamatti portrayed him, earned major festival awards and introduced Pekar’s work to a wider audience. He continued to write graphic memoirs, biographies, collaborations, and cultural commentary, expanding his range while maintaining the blunt honesty that characterized his voice. Pekar’s work remains central to the development of literary comics, influencing generations of writers and artists who followed his example.
Pekar grew up in Cleveland, where his parents operated a small grocery store, and his early experiences shaped much of the sensibility that later defined his writing. His deep love of jazz led him into criticism, and through that world he befriended artist Robert Crumb. Their shared interest in music eventually led him to try writing comics. Pekar wrote his first scripts in the early seventies, sketching out stories with simple figures before passing them to Crumb and other underground artists who encouraged him to continue. With the first issue of American Splendor in 1976, Pekar began chronicling the small battles, anxieties, and fleeting moments that made up his daily life in Cleveland. His day job as a file clerk, his marriages, conversations with coworkers, frustrations with bureaucracy, and the struggle to make ends meet all became material for a series that often blurred the line between observation and confession. Over the years, he worked with a wide range of artists who interpreted his scripts in styles that mirrored the emotional tone of each story.
The success of American Splendor brought Pekar national attention. Collections such as The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar received strong critical praise, and his unpredictable, often confrontational appearances on late-night television became a defining part of his public persona. The 2003 film adaptation of American Splendor, in which Paul Giamatti portrayed him, earned major festival awards and introduced Pekar’s work to a wider audience. He continued to write graphic memoirs, biographies, collaborations, and cultural commentary, expanding his range while maintaining the blunt honesty that characterized his voice. Pekar’s work remains central to the development of literary comics, influencing generations of writers and artists who followed his example.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 14, 2008
The best thing about Pekar is Pekar. What I mean is, man, how fabulous is it that this totally intelligent, well read, erudite guy exists representing the "blue-collar" person? He's sincere in calling himself common and everyday. If he was really as common as he thinks he is, America would be filled would a much higher quality of mind than it currently is.
For the record: I do not think America is the anti-intellectual pit many suggest. I just think Harvey Pekar is above the average in his intelligence and pursuit of broadening his mind. The point is if a guy who works full time as a file clerk for a VA hospital in Cleveland can find the time and inclination to read all of Stephen Crane, then maybe the rest of us working stiffs can as well.)
For the record: I do not think America is the anti-intellectual pit many suggest. I just think Harvey Pekar is above the average in his intelligence and pursuit of broadening his mind. The point is if a guy who works full time as a file clerk for a VA hospital in Cleveland can find the time and inclination to read all of Stephen Crane, then maybe the rest of us working stiffs can as well.)
October 15, 2007
This collection tells you nothing new and in fact is quite redundant, often retelling the same story of Harvey's experience in and around the release of the wonderful film based on his life and work. Look for the earlier books and The Quitter.
October 17, 2009
More great stuff from American Splendor, relating to the release of the film. Some of the short shorts on blues, rock, and jazz musicians seem a little out of place but perhaps that's Pekar's self-effacing way of drawing attention to other talents who didn't have the exposure he did.
December 30, 2010
I leave this book feeling like I have a real insight into the man tha Harvey Pekar was. The variations of illustrations all set to the original text of Harvey Pekar add to this visceral reading experience.
March 7, 2021
Our Movie Year is a long-form memoir in comics format. Part of Harvey Pekar's autobiographical universe, American Splendor, this 176-page issue covers his exploits while filming, and then enjoying the awards and publicity around the movie. The common themes include a continuous struggle against life's routine but nevertheless hard challenges, various neurotic worries, a crave for attention. What makes this story different from the series is the sense of success, first, because of the prestigious awards won by the movie, second, because of the travel (on 'their' money).
The rest is a typical American Splendor experience:
+++ Pioneering. One of the first American comics to take on the normal life of the 'little' guy.
+++ The comic gives a real sense of community. It feels like mid-town America. It feels like Cleveland.
+++ Complex take on the slice-of-life genre. Themes include not only little things such as finding a good deal on records or making sure to get a free donut from work, but also thoughts on many aspects of life and politics.
+++ The vignettes are drawn expertly by Zabel.
+/- The neurotic take on the world is not for everyone. This is Woody Allen, but blue collar Cleveland instead of middle class New York.
- The main character may not be for everyone. Eccentric, yes, but the quirks are maybe not so endearing.
--- The main strength of the material, its take on how the life of the little guy looks like, is arguably also its main weakness: the life and lives depicted here are not out of the ordinary, and thus not too interesting. Much of the material focuses everyday concerns, of dimes and nickels, a reminder that this is about the grit of normal life in the trenches of a money-oriented society.
The rest is a typical American Splendor experience:
+++ Pioneering. One of the first American comics to take on the normal life of the 'little' guy.
+++ The comic gives a real sense of community. It feels like mid-town America. It feels like Cleveland.
+++ Complex take on the slice-of-life genre. Themes include not only little things such as finding a good deal on records or making sure to get a free donut from work, but also thoughts on many aspects of life and politics.
+++ The vignettes are drawn expertly by Zabel.
+/- The neurotic take on the world is not for everyone. This is Woody Allen, but blue collar Cleveland instead of middle class New York.
- The main character may not be for everyone. Eccentric, yes, but the quirks are maybe not so endearing.
--- The main strength of the material, its take on how the life of the little guy looks like, is arguably also its main weakness: the life and lives depicted here are not out of the ordinary, and thus not too interesting. Much of the material focuses everyday concerns, of dimes and nickels, a reminder that this is about the grit of normal life in the trenches of a money-oriented society.
January 20, 2025
This book is a collection of different material, some including the before and after events surrounding the 2003 movie, "American Splendor," based on Harvey Pekar’s comic books with the same title of his life as a clerical worker in a government job.
The only disappointing part of this book is I would have also liked to have read more about Pekar’s experiences during the making of the movie. There is not much about his relationship with the actors Paul Giamatti, who played him in the movie, or Hope Davis, who portrayed his wife, Joyce. How did he feel being in the film himself? Was he on the set every day or only when he was needed? Did he find it hard to say his lines? Was he nervous or did he look forward to it? Paul Giamatti made him seem really grumpy and somewhat depressed in the film. What did Pekar think about that? Did he feel that was an actual portrayal of him, or exaggerated?
Pekar also side tracks his book with stories having nothing to do with the film. Some were interesting; some I found unnecessary. Due to his passion for music, he has some tales on musicians. He writes about how his jazz record collection became so overbearing and overwhelming that eventually he lost interest in it.
Pekar, who died in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio in July 2010, was a regular man. He survived cancer twice. He wrote about his relationships with people at work, his relationships with friends and family, his worries, and his compulsions, which are all relatable everyday dramas.
The only disappointing part of this book is I would have also liked to have read more about Pekar’s experiences during the making of the movie. There is not much about his relationship with the actors Paul Giamatti, who played him in the movie, or Hope Davis, who portrayed his wife, Joyce. How did he feel being in the film himself? Was he on the set every day or only when he was needed? Did he find it hard to say his lines? Was he nervous or did he look forward to it? Paul Giamatti made him seem really grumpy and somewhat depressed in the film. What did Pekar think about that? Did he feel that was an actual portrayal of him, or exaggerated?
Pekar also side tracks his book with stories having nothing to do with the film. Some were interesting; some I found unnecessary. Due to his passion for music, he has some tales on musicians. He writes about how his jazz record collection became so overbearing and overwhelming that eventually he lost interest in it.
Pekar, who died in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio in July 2010, was a regular man. He survived cancer twice. He wrote about his relationships with people at work, his relationships with friends and family, his worries, and his compulsions, which are all relatable everyday dramas.
October 21, 2019
This collection of Harvey Pekar's work, as you might guess, mostly revolves around his experiences with the 2003 film version of his autobiographical comics. The "Our Movie Year" title is an echo of his previous collection "Our Cancer Year." The story, however, is less coherent, more prone to repetition, and includes some pieces that seem shoehorned in even though they are unrelated to the movie -making experience.
I've been reading Pekar quite a bit for the last year or so and he's grown on me quite a lot. I subtract one star from my review because of the lack of narrative cohesion, and another because there is long section in the back half of this book detailing the histories of various jazz musicians. These pieces just could not hold my interest and there seem to be dozens of them. I'm a little puzzled how they ended up in this book--maybe there was just no place else to stick them.
If you've never read Pekar, this isn't the place to start since it is so reflexive. (We're basically watching Harvey watch a fictive version of himself.) It is refreshing though to see Pekar receive some public acknowledgement and appreciation of his decades of work, and even a little relief from his persistent money troubles. For those familiar with his canon, it's a nice supplement.
Also, I haven't seen the movies since way back when it came out, but I remember it being pretty good. Pekar writes about his satisfaction with it as well.
I've been reading Pekar quite a bit for the last year or so and he's grown on me quite a lot. I subtract one star from my review because of the lack of narrative cohesion, and another because there is long section in the back half of this book detailing the histories of various jazz musicians. These pieces just could not hold my interest and there seem to be dozens of them. I'm a little puzzled how they ended up in this book--maybe there was just no place else to stick them.
If you've never read Pekar, this isn't the place to start since it is so reflexive. (We're basically watching Harvey watch a fictive version of himself.) It is refreshing though to see Pekar receive some public acknowledgement and appreciation of his decades of work, and even a little relief from his persistent money troubles. For those familiar with his canon, it's a nice supplement.
Also, I haven't seen the movies since way back when it came out, but I remember it being pretty good. Pekar writes about his satisfaction with it as well.
September 26, 2020
The story of Harvey's around-the-world tour to promote the movie rendition of his autobiographical alternative comic book series, "American Splendor."
There is an unexpected, but welcoming and inviting, detour into a sample of Harvey's deep interest in pop-culture, the arts, music and literature.The focus here is on jazz music, and the jazz musicians that Harvey finds to be highly accomplished performers. We also find examples of Harvey's review of movies, actors & actresses, books & authors -- and even the Cleveland Indians!
We get a better insight into his family dynamics with this series of stories centered on one theme -- how Harvey, his wife and daughter progressed through a year of writing, filming, and promoting the American Splendor Movie and meeting folks like Jonathan Demme, Alan Sacks, cartoonist Dean Haspiel, Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, HBO executives, Howard Stern, cartoonist R. Crumb, Al Gore, the Baghdad Blogger, David Letterman, Vinyl LP Record dealers, cartoonist Alan Moore, and a cast of others, including friends, neighbors and merchants from Harvey's neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio.
We see Harvey as a husband, a dad, an actor, an artist, a Cleveland V.A. Hospital File Clerk, a public speaker, and a regular on the David Letterman show. A real root-for-the-underdog, local-guy-makes-good story of fleeting fame, and everlasting personal achievement.
There is an unexpected, but welcoming and inviting, detour into a sample of Harvey's deep interest in pop-culture, the arts, music and literature.The focus here is on jazz music, and the jazz musicians that Harvey finds to be highly accomplished performers. We also find examples of Harvey's review of movies, actors & actresses, books & authors -- and even the Cleveland Indians!
We get a better insight into his family dynamics with this series of stories centered on one theme -- how Harvey, his wife and daughter progressed through a year of writing, filming, and promoting the American Splendor Movie and meeting folks like Jonathan Demme, Alan Sacks, cartoonist Dean Haspiel, Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, HBO executives, Howard Stern, cartoonist R. Crumb, Al Gore, the Baghdad Blogger, David Letterman, Vinyl LP Record dealers, cartoonist Alan Moore, and a cast of others, including friends, neighbors and merchants from Harvey's neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio.
We see Harvey as a husband, a dad, an actor, an artist, a Cleveland V.A. Hospital File Clerk, a public speaker, and a regular on the David Letterman show. A real root-for-the-underdog, local-guy-makes-good story of fleeting fame, and everlasting personal achievement.
December 27, 2022
. A very interesting read, which is enhanced by watching the companion movie American Splendor. His work is closely personal, and unique.
. Mr. Pekar is open and honest about himself, and I quickly changed my initial impression of him as being a rough lout, to discovering he is actually a common guy just making his way as best as he can. He's even better than he admits, because he is clearly a committed and persistent writer, and a collaborative artist - as well as an accomplished scholar. He's a decent nice guy (although a bit grumbly, but hey, that's real) who is generous and caring. It's striking and admirable to see how he appreciates the good work and intentions of others, and how easily he gives accolades wherever they are deserved.
. Although a dented citizen, he's worthy of high respect.
. I'm not a graphic novel reader, but found myself easily sucked along - even through the wordiness and repetitive parts lost one star. His collaboration with various illustrators added an intriguing extra dimension and it definitely tempts me to explore this genre more, starting with his other publications of course.
. Mr. Pekar is open and honest about himself, and I quickly changed my initial impression of him as being a rough lout, to discovering he is actually a common guy just making his way as best as he can. He's even better than he admits, because he is clearly a committed and persistent writer, and a collaborative artist - as well as an accomplished scholar. He's a decent nice guy (although a bit grumbly, but hey, that's real) who is generous and caring. It's striking and admirable to see how he appreciates the good work and intentions of others, and how easily he gives accolades wherever they are deserved.
. Although a dented citizen, he's worthy of high respect.
. I'm not a graphic novel reader, but found myself easily sucked along - even through the wordiness and repetitive parts lost one star. His collaboration with various illustrators added an intriguing extra dimension and it definitely tempts me to explore this genre more, starting with his other publications of course.
December 19, 2016
It has been a few years since I have looked at the work of Harvey Pekar. Perhaps it is because I know their is just a finite amount of it left that I have not read. As an avid comic book reader since 1980, I have seen most of what the industry has to offer. I am rarely surprised by what is on the stands these days. Yet I still enjoy reading them. Reading American Splendor once again, about six years since the passing of the author, reminds me of the breath of what comic books can do. What people today constantly do on their blogs and social media platforms, Harvey Pekar was doing on the comic page with his 'memoir comic books' since the 1970s.. I realized while reading this, how I miss voices such as his in the comic book reading world of today.
March 29, 2018
Pretty solid stuff, though you can tell that each of these stories appeared in different publications before they were collected in this book. There's a considerably amount of overlap and retelling of moments throughout. A few stories only tangentially touch on the impact of the movie on his life. Also, toward the end, there is a run of one- and two-page biographies of jazz musicians, and those stories have no movie connection at all other than they probably exist because the movie got him some exposure and some extra work.
Still, Pekar has a good eye for what to focus on and he's easy to relate to. Not my favorite Splendor work, but still good.
Still, Pekar has a good eye for what to focus on and he's easy to relate to. Not my favorite Splendor work, but still good.
August 16, 2018
Because of the limited theme of the book and the fact that Pekar writes overlapping stories (that seem more different on their own because there are different illustrators) this isn't as rewarding a collection as some of the others I have read. The interesting part is getting to see more of how his three-person family functions as a unit, especially while travelling, weighing each person's likes and dislikes and milking the movie industry for what it expects is a one time stretch of free travel.
June 4, 2024
Another wonderful look inside the mind of Harvey Pekar.
Most of the stories in this volume of American Splendor are interesting, but all of them are an inspiration in pushing the medium of comics beyond its established bounds. If you haven't seen the 2003 American Splendor movie itself, I recommend watching it first as it will directly enrich your experience. Or, perhaps, reading the comics first will enrich the movie experience? Both statements are probably true.
Most of the stories in this volume of American Splendor are interesting, but all of them are an inspiration in pushing the medium of comics beyond its established bounds. If you haven't seen the 2003 American Splendor movie itself, I recommend watching it first as it will directly enrich your experience. Or, perhaps, reading the comics first will enrich the movie experience? Both statements are probably true.
August 28, 2024
Overall this is a good book, and has a great collection of art and writing. Harvey Pekar is the main influence that led me down the path of underground, alternative comics. There’s a lot I owe to him and his series for inspiring me to pursue my own comics. Some of the stories in here seemed out of place (music reflections/review comics). Harvey really has a way to tell a story out of the ordinary. Plenty of other people have tried the same approach, but Harvey is one of the best.
April 27, 2021
I enjoyed this less than his other books. It starts strong but some of it is repetitive. There are many pages about jazz musicians that are essentially illustrated Wikipedia summaries which I didn't find very interesting. It's Pekar, but not peak Pekar.
January 31, 2013
Graphic novel collecting a year's worth of Harvey Pekar's autobiographical American Splendor series. This issue covers the making and release of the American Splendor film. Pekar tells a fascinating story about his quest for a Hollywood adaptation of his long-running comic book series. When the film did finally happen, Pekar was in the midst of a battle with his anxiety attacks and a relapse of his lymphoma.
The book details how he was able to recover to see the release of the film and its showings at the Sundance and Cannes film festivals, as well as Pekar's travels with his family to promote the movie.
Of course a variety of mishaps occur along the way, including the Northeast Blackout of 2003, which stranded Pekar and his family in New York right when the film was set to premier.
In addition to the ongoing chronicle of the movie's release, the book also includes a bunch of stand-alone stories, as well as some of Pekar's historical features on jazz music.
As is typical for Pekar's work, it is illustrated by several artists, so there is a constantly changing art style from one story to the next. R. Crumb is the artist who helped Pekar get started and he still has one of the most distinctive styles here. Pekar's artists avoid exaggerated superhero-style art in favor of a 70s underground look that keeps the characters looking like real people.
There are lots of little treats in the story for the geeky readers. Pekar might not have much interest in mainstream comics, but he talks at length about Hollywood personalities, visits Weta (the effects studio for Lord of the Rings) in New Zealand, checks out a manga shop in Japan (he's not that impressed), and visits Allan Moore in England for an afternoon.
As much as Pekar presents himself as a cynical everyman, his writing is very intellectual, particularly when discussing music and politics. He puts a great deal of thought into what he writes about, and his depth of knowledge on jazz is encyclopedic. I was also surprised by how positive Pekar is. In spite of his pessimistic, hard-luck outlook on his own life, Pekar speaks very highly of just about all of the people that he worked with, whether on comics, music reviews, or the movie. Pekar is always upbeat and appreciative of the creative and talented people that he has had the chance to meet.
Because this is a collection of a year's worth of Pekar's writing in various individual features and comics, there is some redundancy to the book, and some of the music features are clearly meant to be of local interest. But even the repeated material is presented by different artists, and it's fun to see the variety of interpretations of the same sequence of events.
This may not be the absolute best starting point when it comes to Pekar's work, but it's a good place to jump in for those who got to know Pekar by way of the movie.
The book details how he was able to recover to see the release of the film and its showings at the Sundance and Cannes film festivals, as well as Pekar's travels with his family to promote the movie.
Of course a variety of mishaps occur along the way, including the Northeast Blackout of 2003, which stranded Pekar and his family in New York right when the film was set to premier.
In addition to the ongoing chronicle of the movie's release, the book also includes a bunch of stand-alone stories, as well as some of Pekar's historical features on jazz music.
As is typical for Pekar's work, it is illustrated by several artists, so there is a constantly changing art style from one story to the next. R. Crumb is the artist who helped Pekar get started and he still has one of the most distinctive styles here. Pekar's artists avoid exaggerated superhero-style art in favor of a 70s underground look that keeps the characters looking like real people.
There are lots of little treats in the story for the geeky readers. Pekar might not have much interest in mainstream comics, but he talks at length about Hollywood personalities, visits Weta (the effects studio for Lord of the Rings) in New Zealand, checks out a manga shop in Japan (he's not that impressed), and visits Allan Moore in England for an afternoon.
As much as Pekar presents himself as a cynical everyman, his writing is very intellectual, particularly when discussing music and politics. He puts a great deal of thought into what he writes about, and his depth of knowledge on jazz is encyclopedic. I was also surprised by how positive Pekar is. In spite of his pessimistic, hard-luck outlook on his own life, Pekar speaks very highly of just about all of the people that he worked with, whether on comics, music reviews, or the movie. Pekar is always upbeat and appreciative of the creative and talented people that he has had the chance to meet.
Because this is a collection of a year's worth of Pekar's writing in various individual features and comics, there is some redundancy to the book, and some of the music features are clearly meant to be of local interest. But even the repeated material is presented by different artists, and it's fun to see the variety of interpretations of the same sequence of events.
This may not be the absolute best starting point when it comes to Pekar's work, but it's a good place to jump in for those who got to know Pekar by way of the movie.
July 29, 2012
Harvey Pekar was a file clerk in Cleveland for 35 years who, after a chance meeting with a young artist called R. Crumb, was turned on to the possibilities of comics and began writing stories about his life in the form of comics and getting artists to illustrate them. This became the indie comics series "American Splendor" that Pekar worked on until his death in 2010. The series was made into a film in 2003 and the story of how this series went from the page to screen is told here in a series of vignettes.
But while this book has a fair few strips on the history of "American Splendor" and Hollywood, how filming went, and the reactions to it once it was released, quite a lot of this book has nothing to do with the movie and is a straight up reprint of several issues of "American Splendor".
There's a story about a fish collector, a strip on the musician Billy Bragg, a story on Harvey's cat, getting his car serviced, the musician Ralph Carney, a conversation with a convenience store clerk, his life as a collector, how "American Splendor" got started, his Letterman years, and so on. They're all excellent comics and show why people thought this series had the potential to become a feature film.
Part of what makes Pekar and his comics so essential is the focus on fringe artists. Pekar was a noted jazz and blues critic for decades and there are a lot of his comics essays included here on artists like Joe Maneri, Jay McShann, Clifton Chenier, Willa Mae Buckner, Preston Fulp, etc. Though I'd never heard of these artists, it's great to see someone celebrating their work and bringing their accomplishments to a wider audience. For that alone, Pekar's comics stand out as important as well as entertaining.
I really enjoyed the book. "Our Movie Year" is both funny, clever, and compulsively readable, illustrated by a number of talented artists working today like Gary Dumm, Frank Stack, Dean Haspiel, Ed Piskor, and the guy who got Harvey going, R. Crumb himself. If you're a fan of Pekar's you'll love this and if you've never read his work, he's definitely worth reading if only to expose yourself to another facet of comics. And the film "American Splendor" is excellent as well.
But while this book has a fair few strips on the history of "American Splendor" and Hollywood, how filming went, and the reactions to it once it was released, quite a lot of this book has nothing to do with the movie and is a straight up reprint of several issues of "American Splendor".
There's a story about a fish collector, a strip on the musician Billy Bragg, a story on Harvey's cat, getting his car serviced, the musician Ralph Carney, a conversation with a convenience store clerk, his life as a collector, how "American Splendor" got started, his Letterman years, and so on. They're all excellent comics and show why people thought this series had the potential to become a feature film.
Part of what makes Pekar and his comics so essential is the focus on fringe artists. Pekar was a noted jazz and blues critic for decades and there are a lot of his comics essays included here on artists like Joe Maneri, Jay McShann, Clifton Chenier, Willa Mae Buckner, Preston Fulp, etc. Though I'd never heard of these artists, it's great to see someone celebrating their work and bringing their accomplishments to a wider audience. For that alone, Pekar's comics stand out as important as well as entertaining.
I really enjoyed the book. "Our Movie Year" is both funny, clever, and compulsively readable, illustrated by a number of talented artists working today like Gary Dumm, Frank Stack, Dean Haspiel, Ed Piskor, and the guy who got Harvey going, R. Crumb himself. If you're a fan of Pekar's you'll love this and if you've never read his work, he's definitely worth reading if only to expose yourself to another facet of comics. And the film "American Splendor" is excellent as well.
August 29, 2013
there are many criticisms one can make of this book, firstly, many of the stories in it were originaly printed in colour, but are not so presented here, awful, just aweful, can't stand it when publishers do that, which is all to often. secondly, despite how it was sold and titled, it is not by any stretch of the imagination a graphic novel (a hated term within the comics community) thirdly the title itself deliberately brings to mind harvey pekar and (his wife) joyce brabner's brilliant (and very much a graphic novel) our cancer year, despite a bout with cancer appearing in this book, the two works in many respects couldn't be further apart (despite having the same author and characters) where 'our cancer year' provides brilliant artistic and narrative consistency without ever repeating itself, 'our movie year' is on both fronts inconsistent, and repeats itself often. which brings me too my third criticism, repetitiveness, it repeatedly covers the same ground, and uses the same artist (gary dumm) over and over again. which brings me to something positive about this book, gary dumm's art work has never been this good, i've never been a fan of his style, but this has turned me right around! another strength of the book is the stories themselves, they have been put together in a cack-handed fashion, but the stories themselves are often quite brilliant, if one strips out the repeativeness, and the musical visual essays, one is left with a strong central narrative, one that i wish had have been developed more and turned into the promised graphic novel, something that with the death of pekar will sadly never happen. all in all a badly put together collections of sometimes quite disparate stories and strips/spreads, united only by the fact that they were written or published around the same time, none the less, try to look past that and just read the stories, take them in for what they are, forget the book, forget the forest, just look at the trees.
April 25, 2009
An OK supplement to the large "American Splendor" collection I read last week. Many of the stories revolve around the making of the American Splendor movie that was released in 2003. A wonderful movie, of course. Just started this; should be fast.
HALFWAY:
Not sure why there are three strips in here---even before the book is half over---that cover the same territory (the background of the lead-up to the making of the movie "American Splendor and the triumph at the Sundance Film Festival). The second one goes further back in Pekar's bio, but that stuff was covered in the earlier American Splendor collection. Not a big deal, just curious as to why this was done... There does to be a lot of overlap in information to several of the strips here. It's great to see the little guy make good; I can understand Pekar's enthusiasm, but the braggadocio is a little unbecoming. The more humble Pekar perhaps has more street cred. Oh well, these are good stories. Vacillating between two or three stars on this.
DONE:
This was a mixed bag; lots of repetition. Some interesting portraits of musicians and so forth who were important to Pekar. Some middling things, too. Nothing really as resonant here as in the large American Splendor collection. The around the world trip story at the end was kind of fun.
HALFWAY:
Not sure why there are three strips in here---even before the book is half over---that cover the same territory (the background of the lead-up to the making of the movie "American Splendor and the triumph at the Sundance Film Festival). The second one goes further back in Pekar's bio, but that stuff was covered in the earlier American Splendor collection. Not a big deal, just curious as to why this was done... There does to be a lot of overlap in information to several of the strips here. It's great to see the little guy make good; I can understand Pekar's enthusiasm, but the braggadocio is a little unbecoming. The more humble Pekar perhaps has more street cred. Oh well, these are good stories. Vacillating between two or three stars on this.
DONE:
This was a mixed bag; lots of repetition. Some interesting portraits of musicians and so forth who were important to Pekar. Some middling things, too. Nothing really as resonant here as in the large American Splendor collection. The around the world trip story at the end was kind of fun.
January 16, 2010
I’ve read and appreciated the work of Pekar for some time now. But it wasn’t until I came across this remainder table copy of American Splendor: Our Movie Year – many years after seeing it at the Seattle International Film Festival, oddly enough – that I realized he even wrote this. (Which is always a delightful surprise, I might add.) Although I would quibble with his tendency to repeat himself throughout these many separate pieces that highlight the year in which his movie was produced, released, and promoted – an indication that they most were published separately elsewhere before being collected here in one volume – this is classic Pekar in the sense that he brings to life the quotidian moments in his otherwise average joe life.
More specifically, his best moments are those in which he captures the seemingly mundane real-life happenings in-between the glitzier moments of the film American Splendor’s production and release. Pekar proves yet again that his acute power of observation is unparalleled in the comics medium, and is right up there with best raconteurs in American prose today.
More specifically, his best moments are those in which he captures the seemingly mundane real-life happenings in-between the glitzier moments of the film American Splendor’s production and release. Pekar proves yet again that his acute power of observation is unparalleled in the comics medium, and is right up there with best raconteurs in American prose today.
January 7, 2014
I got to know Harvey Pekar because I watched American Splendor in a film theater.
I enjoyed the movie enough to be curious about who was this Harvey Pekar and wanted to know more about the details I couldn't get at first while watching the movie. I discovered the writer, the artists, underground comics and more...
This book is about the couple's (Harvey and Joyce) adventures while filming a movie more or less about their life and their influence in the comic medium (also compiles some of the stories Pekar published and/or wrote during filming).
Harvey Pekar is an expert writer (also a noted jazz and blues critic), and an astute observer, he writes real stories about real people, so it's very easy to relate to them. Also, he asks his fringe artist friends for collaboration on drawing (for which he sometimes draws basic sketches) and ends up with a book drawn with different styles and different emotions.
The book again breathes his own humorous take on life and people, and it never gets old...
I enjoyed the movie enough to be curious about who was this Harvey Pekar and wanted to know more about the details I couldn't get at first while watching the movie. I discovered the writer, the artists, underground comics and more...
This book is about the couple's (Harvey and Joyce) adventures while filming a movie more or less about their life and their influence in the comic medium (also compiles some of the stories Pekar published and/or wrote during filming).
Harvey Pekar is an expert writer (also a noted jazz and blues critic), and an astute observer, he writes real stories about real people, so it's very easy to relate to them. Also, he asks his fringe artist friends for collaboration on drawing (for which he sometimes draws basic sketches) and ends up with a book drawn with different styles and different emotions.
The book again breathes his own humorous take on life and people, and it never gets old...
June 13, 2012
Harvey Pekar rarely disappoints, so when I saw this for three bucks at a thrift shop, it was a no-brainer. His reflections on the making of American Splendor: The Movie are important meta-texts that complement the film nicely. (Combine with DVD commentary and we move beyond the standard confines of cinematic text.)
There's some repetition, since several of the pieces are collected from various sources. By and large, though, we get a classically Pekarian array of thoughts on a diverse variety of topics, from the piquant to the mundane. It's also nice to see Danielle as an adult; she and Joyce (once again) serve as level-headed foils to Pekar's sour grumpiness.
Seems like they wanted to flesh the book out a little, so there are maybe a dozen short biographies about important musicians in the middle here. They're interesting, but not really what I expected (or wanted) from the book, so I skipped some of them. Thus four rather than five stars.
There's some repetition, since several of the pieces are collected from various sources. By and large, though, we get a classically Pekarian array of thoughts on a diverse variety of topics, from the piquant to the mundane. It's also nice to see Danielle as an adult; she and Joyce (once again) serve as level-headed foils to Pekar's sour grumpiness.
Seems like they wanted to flesh the book out a little, so there are maybe a dozen short biographies about important musicians in the middle here. They're interesting, but not really what I expected (or wanted) from the book, so I skipped some of them. Thus four rather than five stars.
December 14, 2012
I love the movie adaptation to Pekar's works "American Splendor," and kind of expected this book to kind of serve as supplementary material to the film. Pekar's experiences during the filming etc. While there was that aplenty, there was simply way too much repetition for me. You spend the entire middle of the book reading different comics covering the exact same scenarios. Then towards the end, there are several vignettes about local jazz musicians, and I'm not entirely sure whey they were placed in this anthology in the first place (were they originally published the same year the movie came out?). He wraps up discussing a round the world press tour for the movie that left me feeling like the book was back on track and it ended well.
Didn't enjoy this nearly as much as "Our Cancer Year," but will give Pekar's works another shot in the future. :)
Didn't enjoy this nearly as much as "Our Cancer Year," but will give Pekar's works another shot in the future. :)
July 11, 2007
For some reason I have been avoiding the American Splendor comics. I finally picked up this one the other day at the public library (which has a quite nice "adult" comics selection). I liked it ok and will check out other American Splendor collections, but I can't say I was thrilled with this one. There was a lot of repetition; several different comics would be about the same topic and presented in basically the same way. Also there were many comics that were not about the Movie Year, many about jazz and rock'n'roll singers. I thought those items were particularly slow paced and kind of boring.
Read
August 10, 2011I enjoyed some of his work, the use of different artists helped stave of the tedium of his everyman's premise, and parts were quite good. On the other hand the schtick ran thin at parts, such as the story of his difficulty opening the gas tank for his car. Another big problem with this work is that it doesn't seem to be written as a book, rather it appears to be a number of commissions strung together, as a result he treads over the same material, which gets tedious. The low point of the work for me was the biographical sketches of various Jazzmen, and early rockand roll bands.
9/25/09
9
9/25/09
9
January 27, 2017
This collection has its moments – I enjoyed especially "Waiting for a Jump" and "Blackout" –, but there is also a lot of repetition. Many of the stories are told twice, only from a slightly different angle. The stories about the history of jazz and rock are dry as dust, and there is really too much text in them. In this book the autobiographical genre shows its limits. At times it feels like Pekar is careful not to say anything that might make his acquaintances seem funny or ridiculous, and he does not really dig into his discomfort (or alienation?) during his pr tours, either, even though that might have produced something interesting.
November 15, 2011
More Splendor for dat ass! This collection focuses on the period when the idea of making a film based on Harvey Pekar(which you should all have seen) up until the time it was made and Harv had to tour the world pimping the film. Thing is, being a collection of work that was published in various magazines and comics there are a few things that are repeated quite alot. Padding is not good is it? Still some good bits, a brief bit about him having cancer and his hospitalisation due to depression and a funny in-depth piece about those infamous Letterman appearances. Better than the average..
August 27, 2012
Harvey Pekar delivers more slice-of-life humor and pathos, this time documenting his experience creating the film "American Splendor." Woven in are other Cleveland residents' stories of surviving a major blackout. A marine aquarium hobbyist's experience of watching his prized saltwater fish slowly suffer and die in the still water of their tank once again had me pondering that these rare and extremely fragile animals probably shouldn't be kept in private homes.
March 12, 2009
Harvey Pekar's down to Earth writing style is surprisingly addictive. He truly accomplishes what he sets out to do and that's make the ordinary extraordinary. This collection of comics from the year the American Splendor film was made is on par with everything Pekar writes. I finished it wanting more, fortunately there is.
July 5, 2009
Not as strong as some of his other pieces, with about half of them related to what happens after the excellent movie based on his comics premieres. Still, there's a lot of repetition and part of the book is dedicated to talking about musicians and movies that Pekar enjoys. Not a must for 'American Splendor' fans.
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