American Splendor

[richardf8]

I have been reading American Splendor, a comic book anthology written by Harvey Pekar and drawn by a variety of rather stunning icons of cartooning including Robert Crumb and Gary Dumm. It is basically a set of autobiographical sketches of Pekar's life, episodes of the unremarkable. Ironically this is precisely what makes it so fascinating. Pekar's writing, with its unerring gift for dialect and colloquialism, and a remarkable narrative continuity for a text that is both episodic and non-linear goes a long way to establish a sense of place. Add to that artwork from R. Crumb, Gary Dumm, Greg Budgett, Kevin Brown, and others and the scene becomes palpable. Indeed, Crumb's dark and gritty linework, heavily hatched and beautifully textured, goes a long way to convey the sense of quiet desperation that pervades the book. In terms of mood, Pekar is very similar to Leonard Cohen before he discovered synths.

And while the overall mood of this work might be somewhat depressive, it manages to remain upbeat in its way, seeking to learn and convey life lessons from the events portrayed. It is surreal in the way that a life lived on the fringes of society often is, and yet it speaks to some universal human concerns. Of course, I also happen to see a lot of myself in Pekar; we share that whole "growing up Jewish" experience (and not a few bad habits besides).

Being interested in the art of the comic strip, I also find the various artists' techniques to be and education in themselves. These range from pen and brush techniques to stippling, mechanical tint, and collage. The art of pictorial story telleing is mastered and beautifully showcased in rich variety in this work.