Underground Comic Book Writer Harvey Pekar

Pekar and his wife Joyce Brabner speak on Fresh Air about the movie American Splendor, which is based on Pekar's life. Pekar has been described as a "working-class everyman," and "first-class curmudgeon." In 1976 he published the first in a series of comic books about his mundane life as a VA hospital clerk and record collector in Cleveland. It was called American Splendor, and he's continued to publish them since. In 1987 one of them earned him an American Book Award. (Pekar doesn't do the drawings himself; R. Crumb illustrated some). The film American Splendor is out now on DVD. It's been nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay. This interview was first broadcast Aug. 4, 2003.