INTERVIEW: Comix Legend and Creator of American Splendor – Harvey Pekar
Speaking of friends, do you still hang out with Toby (Radloff)?
Nahh… not anymore… I used to hang out with him a little bit… I mean I WORKED with him… We would be in the same place… but he moved all the way to the other side of town for one thing, and I just gradually lost connection with him… Although, whenever I hear about a movie being made here, I try and get him into it. Like that Bourdain thing, you know… I got him into that… GOD HAS HE GOTTEN FAT… Did you see that when he was in the cafeteria line, and the first thing he got was TWO HUGE PIECES OF CAKE??
Genuine Nerd -- Toby Radloff
(LAUGHS)
Dessert first…
How did you relate to Toby? On what level?
Well, you know, see I think, I’m almost SURE Toby’s autistic…
Yeah Asperger’s Syndrome…
Which is a form of autism… and in some ways, its kind of hard to relate to him, ‘cause he doesn’t… well, if you tell him a joke, for example, he won’t get it… He’ll just stand there and look at you… and then he’ll get off on something that you don’t see any point in… you know, and… but he’s HIGH FUNCTIONING… he’s a good worker… he was a pretty good student when he was in school… and, you know, he’s a real entertaining guy.. intentionally or not.. and so I liked being around him… you never knew what was gonna come out of him…
He really would like to make it.. in… uh… get in as many movies as possible.. I got him in some stuff… he doesn’t care if they pay him or not… not really.
Being a depressive type of guy… I’m one as well so I’m speaking from my own perspective… Was working in a hospital with someone like Toby, in that vibe… did that ever get you down?
No Toby NEVER depressed me… I mean, he used to delight me.. You never knew what he was gonna say…
So he was a lift…
When he first got on the media… what happened was I had just been on the Letterman show… and MTV sent somebody out to do a story on me at the VA Hospital and I was just taking them around and showing them different things. I introduced them to Toby and after five minutes with him they kicked ME to the curb! I can’t compete with that guy…
There was one guy who was really in Toby’s corner, this one producer… he did a whole bunch of stuff with Toby, but when he quit working for MTV, I guess nobody picked up the ball…
SO one final question… Who’s your favourite cartoon character? Is it yourself?
Well, it has to do with the artist… not the character.. When I was a kid I used to like Captain Marvel… but since it was revived… it’s probably shitty… but the original guy who created him… it was sort of like a satire on comics…
You know, I dunno… I like an awful lot of stuff..
Well YOUR stuff is OUR favourite…
Well, thank you…
I KNOW it will… Thank you so much Harvey, for this opportunity again..
No problem… Call me anytime.
Back«--- ---»Next
Reading this article, all I could think of is how a piece on this website about some vapid, talentless fuckwad gets dozens of comments defending said vapid, talentless fuckwad. That Harvey Pekar has not been given his proper due of success and financial security for his body of work is an absolute fucking crime.
It is incredible isn’t it.
[...] interview with Harvey. Learn more about Harvey on his Wiki [...]
This is a great interview, thanks for posting it. I’ve never really read an at-length interview with Harvey Pekar before, and I think you asked a great range of questions. I loved your capitalized response when he said that his wife had sold his records!
American Splendor was a great comic, and I think what Pekar did just keeping it going year after year was really impressive. It was a real work of art, and it is a true loss that he has passed away. My best wishes go out to his friends and family.
Thanks.. Harvey’s passing is a great loss.. Heartens me to see how appreciated he was..