With an appreciation by Anthony Bourdain
HAVE ATTITUDE, WILL TRAVEL
Harvey Pekar changed the face of comics when his American Splendor
series replaced traditional slam-bang superhero action with
slice-of-life tales of his own very ordinary existence in Cleveland,
Ohio, as a file clerk, jazz-record collector, and philosophical
curmudgeon. Much as Seinfeld famously transcended sitcom conventions
by being "a show about nothing," Pekar's deadpan chronicles of regular
life--peppered with wry and caustic reflections--have transformed comics
from escapist fantasy into social commentary with voice balloons.
Huntington, West Virginia "On the Fly" is prime Pekar, recounting the
irascible everyman's on-the-road encounters with a cross section of
characters--a career criminal turned limo-driving entrepreneur, a toy
merchant obsessed with restoring a vintage diner, comic-book archivists,
indie filmmakers, and children of the sixties--all of whom have stories
to tell. By turns funny, poignant, and insightful, these portraits à la
Pekar showcase a one-of-a-kind master at work, channeling the stuff of
average life into genuine American art.