togcthcr thc_\'\c xccn through xcrioux iIIncxx tl’ckar'x t\\icc xullcrcd trout and “on |_\ rnphonia. a lot‘lti olcanccri.
IIar\c_\ and Jo} cc arc llo\\ thc proutI guar'tIianx ol a tccnagc girl namctl Danicllc. \xho thc_\ arc bringing to Iitlinburgh'x Intcrnational I'ilin I’cxti\a|. \\hich L‘Itixc‘\ \\ith a gala xcrccning ol‘ .-IIII('I‘rt'rlII .V/i/c/Ii/ur lIIat'\c_\ ix aIxo joining liclhm comic book crcator. “arrcn I1IIix. tor a tIixcuxxion about coiuicx and mm icx caIIctI .X'u' run in l/lt‘ I 1mm Ilium.)
‘II;ii'\c‘}’x backf xa_\x lirabncr. Ihat iuxt ax I'm rcalixing lianc) ain't thc onl} ci'cati\c talcnt in thc houxc (Hrabucr C(IIIL‘tI Rt’tl/ IIilI‘ Slur/1w. it L‘UIIIIL' \‘l'lilL‘tlI HI lIlL‘ IS lltlIIlitl‘} and wax .xubxcqucntl} haraxxctl b_\ thc Hcparlmcnt ol Dclcnxc. Shc alxo collaborach \\ llIi i\lan .\Ioorc on a graphic tio\'c| about thc \IitItIlc liaxt \\hich l‘lx' rctailcrx rcl'uxctl to .xtock ‘bccauxc it xho\\ctI _\ou ho\\ to makc a \Iolotox cocktail.‘ thc author laughx. .\Iorc xucccxxltll “ax Brabncr'x collalmration \xith hcr huxbantl. thc xcll'—c\p|auator} ()m‘ (‘umw‘ )iur.)
'Sorr} l \xaxn't around. but thc_\ tohI inc it \\ax ninc o'clock. So. ninc l'ort} li\c I prit.' xa)x I’ckar \\ith a quc collar \oicc that'x moxt tlclinitcl} ‘l'rom ol'l‘ thc xtrcctx ol' (‘iL‘\'L‘IlllitI.. ‘So. \\hat can I tcll )otl'.” hc axkx.
I)Iti )ou kno\\ at thc timc _\ou \xci'c doing xomcthing tlil‘lct‘cnt \\ ith :imcricun .X‘plciulur'.’
‘Ycah. I kncu l “ax. ('ox I couldn't xcc amthing on thc market likc it. Looking through othcr comic bookx. lhc_\ \xcrc all .xupcrhcrocx and crap. I had a tIil'lcrcnt pcrxpcctn c. l “ax a working man. I \xrotc it l'roin that xtantl—poinr Him I incl (‘runib hc lilt)\L‘tI into Ill} ncighbourhootl in No: and ,xtattcd looking at hix xtul‘l'. I xtartctl thinking it \\axn't comicx that \Vcrc Iiinitcd. it \\ ax thc atulicncc that \\ax IIIliIIL‘ti. I xa\\ thct'c \x'ax xuch a hugc opportunit} in comicx. xo much territory that could bc cowrcd to bc innmatixc.‘
I’ckar hax bccn clc‘xcribctl ax ‘curmtulgconb. gIoolti} and
If; Festivai
A file clerk by day and comic book writer by night, Pekar has had his life turned into an acclaimed film
xomctimcx obxcxxixc'. (’crtainl}. thc charactcr actor I’aul (iianiatti pl;i_\x him that \\a} in thc lihn. Ix that lair. I axk‘.’ I’ckar xa_\x: ‘Ycah. it ix.‘ \thn _\ou‘rc writing about making claxx lil'c iii ('lcwIantI that'x iuxt rcaIixm. I ol'l‘cr. Again. I’ckar ttltx\\ct‘x ‘_\cx‘. But hc alxo xa)x writing comicx hax bccn a cathartic mpcricncc. 'I‘hc crcati\c outlct l‘or hix gripcx \x'ith Iilc muxt haxc bccn a hcalth} onc. bccatIxc hc‘x rcccntly L'\PillltIL‘tI hix rangc b} \\ ritiug biographical xtoi'icx.
‘.-\ rcaI ob\ioux changc ix I did a comic about Victnalti. about a black gu}.' xa_\x I’ckar. ‘.\'ot xo much about thc \xar. inorc lItc \ocial and political \ItIL‘. I don't knou il' l c\'cn xaitl amthing in thc comic. I \\ax picturctl in a couplc ol' panclx. I
didn't c\cn \\ritc in}xcll' in. thc cartoonixt ilxxlllliL‘tI | \xoultl \xant imxcll in thcrc.‘ ‘It‘x til\\;i}x changing in tcrmx ol xubjcct inattcr bccauxc it‘x autobitigraphical about in} lilcf I’ckar xa}x oi hix \xriting. ‘I‘m no“ writing l'rom thc xtantI-point ol a rctirctI manf 'I'aking itx cuc lroni I’c‘k;it"x comicx. .imcrii'un BOOKS, .S’p/wu/ur thc mo\ic mi\cx lact \\llI1 liction (tor c\amp|c. I’ckai' ix pIa} L‘ti b_\ both (iiamatti and b_\ SUPERHEROES AND CRAP ' ()m' .Ilui'lt' Ii'm‘. prcxumabl} about I’ckar and Brabncr'x inmhcnicnt in thc film and IIiill}\mml tlconartlo I)i(‘aprio uax oncc intct'cxtctI in p|a}ing I’ckar thc horror. thc horror? I. But that comic ilocxn't actually cxixt.
IIat‘\c} himxcll'i. ()nc ol thc man} cIchr iii-joka
ix thc incquion ol a comic book b_\ I’ckar titIctI
_\ct. ‘\\c'rc thinking about that] xa_\x I’ckai‘. ‘Wc'rc jttxt not c\actI_\ xurc \\ hcn our mm ic _\car critlx.'
American Splendor, Odeon, 24 Aug, 6pm, £10 (£7.50); See you in the Funny Pages, UGC, 23 Aug, 3.30pm, £5.50 (£4). American Splendor (the comic) is available at: www.harveypekar.com.
'- . : -'- inn: .r ' ' THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 81