“I was sort of on a mission with 'American Splendor.' I wanted to try to prove that comics could do things. I wanted to expand them beyond superheroes and talking animals. And I knew that was going to take a long time. But I just started writing an autobiography about my quotidian life.”

American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality

Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality. He is best known for his autobiographical comic series American Splendor. Pekar wrote about his own life in a plain, direct style that helped define the feel of American Splendor. The series later inspired a 2003 film of the same name, and his work also reflected his interests as a critic and public personality.