The last of Harvey

The last of Harvey
Michael Heaton | Plain Dealer Reporter
I
t is Harvey Pekar’s final gift to Cleveland. ¶ The late graphic novelist has written a wonderful history
of his home. And our home. ¶ “Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland” is out today. Pekar, creator of “American
Splendor” and other comics, was always Cleveland’s heart and soul. ¶ But don’t take our word for
it. The greatest tribute Pekar could ask for is the introduction by Alan Moore, creator of “Watchmen.”In
the world of comics and graphic novels he is without peer, revered
for both his talent and integrity. Here’s part of what he had to say:
“Harvey Pekar was and is one of the very finest
writers ever to grace the comic medium, a fact
frequently overlooked, perhaps as a result of
Harvey the gigantic character overshadowing
Harvey the fiercely original and accomplished
author in his audience’s imagination. Never
trafficking in fiction, his work studiously
avoids narrative flash and the twist-ending storytelling gimmickry that tends to draw attention to the writer rather than to what his or her
writing is about. By way of a result, this sometimes means that much of the sheer craft and
ingenuity of Harvey’s output goes unnoticed
by a readership who are not preconditioned to
expect or notice subtlety.”
Pekar’s narrative details Cleveland’s early history as an industrial powerhouse as it flows into
his own story as an emerging artist and witness
to our times, good and bad. We thank Harvey’s
widow, Joyce Brabner, for the opportunity to share
this with you.
Brabner has successfully raised $30,787 for a
desk and a sculpture to be installed at Cleveland
Heights-University Heights Library.
“Money is still needed for related expenses,
such as installation, insurance, maintenance, legal
fees, taxes, order fulfillment, postage, etc.,” Brabner said. “That falls upon my shoulders, unless
people help, and I’m not exactly a well-monied
celebrity. And we very much wanted to purchase
more graphic novels to expand the library collection.”
To that end, contributors can donate via PayPal
to hpekar@aol.com. Checks can be made payable
to Estate of Harvey Pekar, P.O. Box 18471, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.
Ten facts about Harvey Pekar
1. Middle name is Lawrence.
2. Was a jazz fanatic, once owning 15,000
albums.
3. Appeared eight times on talk shows with
David Letterman.
4. Survived lymphatic cancer.
5. Became friends with his collaborator, illustrator R. Crumb, and they swapped jazz
albums.
6. Parents were from Bialystok, Poland.
7. Birthday is Oct. 8.
8. Graduated from Shaker Heights High
School in 1957.
9. Got his job as a file clerk in the Veterans
Administration hospital in Cleveland in 1965;
he kept it until he retired. He died in July
2010.
10. Literary critics have compared his work
to Chekhov and Dostoevsky.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
mheaton@plaind.com, 216-999-4569
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011
pdQ
D | THE PLAIN DEALER
5 HEADLINES
YOU MIGHT
HAVE MISSED
LAST WEEK
1
Wrong address: A man broke into a
2
Is belching a felony? A 13-year-old
3
Dogs ’n’ hogs: Three Louisiana resi-
4
Oh, deer: Two teens face charges af-
5
Bad dog: A Utah bird hunter was shot
Florida Keys apartment and trashed it.
He told police it was his ex-girlfriend’s.
He was wrong; he was arrested.
in New Mexico was handcuffed and taken to juvenile detention for burping. His
teacher called a school-resource officer to complain he was disruptive. A civil-rights lawsuit
has been filed.
dents put a hog in a man’s yard to see
if their dogs would attack it. They were
cited for cruelty to animals and illegal animal
fighting.
ter police say they released deer urine
scent in a Walmart in Alabama, damaging clothes worth more than $11,000.
in the rear after his dog stepped on a
gun laid across the bow of a boat.
— Items compiled from wire reports by
Plain Dealer Reporter Michael Heaton.
HUMOR US
Readers: Send your caption for this cartoon by
Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow to pdq@plaind.com.
Or submit entries by mail to PDQ Editor Marc
Bona, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114. Deadline is Thursday. Note: We
do not accept entries by phone.
This week’s contest
Last week’s winners
Rodeo Champion BoPeep Carson digs in
her heels at 7 seconds in the semifinals
of the World Cat Herding Contest.
— Doyt Echelberger, Huron
Just another day at the O.K. CATrral.
— Mike Petrilli, Twinsburg
Kitty-up, kitty-up!
— Walt Dychko, Berea
Listen lady, no matter how hard you try,
those cats will never play dead.
— Mike Stephens, Cleveland
You cats can stop it now; we didn’t
make it on “American Cats Have Talent.”
— Harry George, Middleburg Heights
Fido thought ‘Sure, try herding those
things with no leash and surrounded by
an invisible fence.’
— Bill McCarthy, Bay Village
The cats went a little crazy when she’d
sing ‘Git Along, Little Doggies.’
— Bill Carpenter, Avon
PDQ Editor Marc Bona can be reached
at mbona@plaind.com or 216-999-5012.