§ If all profiles/travelogues were as good as Brian Heater’s account of a trip to Cleveland for Harvey Pekar’s 70th birthday, people wouldn’t wonder about the state of comics journalism.
In five days, Harvey Pekar will turn 70, a fact commemorated by the cake in the center of the room, shaped like a giant doughnut, with a dozen or so donught holes, powdered and glazed, erupting from its center. There will be a toast, too, before it’s all over, a crowd of people squeezed between the comics-covered walls, as the man himself attempts to blow out two candles on the massive white cake. Failing to do this, his wife Joyce happily steps in to put them both out.
With photos and video as well.
I drove the car with Brian in it to and from Cleveland this past weekend for the Pekar interview and thought Brian polite, friendly but unusually quiet. I now realize that on the way there he was thinking, planning, preparing. The piece he wrote sums up the experience perfectly and the portrait he paints with words of its subject says it all. Great job, Mr. Heater!
American Splendor was the original blog. Happy 70th Harvey!
awesome ‘documentary’ by Heater!!! :)
Harvey is a cantankerous old man, and are oh so very luck to have him in this medium we love
happy 70th