On February 28, 2007 I had the pleasure of attending a lecture with Harvey Pekar of American Splendor fame. What an honor that was just to be in the same room as that guy. He's so very down-to-earth and honest about his role in the history of comics. As an aspiring comic creator I found his words moving and humbling at the same time.

When asked by an attendee if he would have been doing comics had it not been for Robert Crumb Harvey replied, "... had it not been for Bob and the boost that his art gave me in the beginning I probably woudn't have done comics. They would have been in my mind but I probably would have just done my job at the V.A. and forgotten about having a career in comics." (I'm paraphrasing 'cause my memory sucks)

This just goes to show that a timely intervention by a friend can make all the difference in the world.

If you haven't seen the film, Amercian Splendor, do yourself a favor and go get it right now.

And if you're a comic fan and you haven't read any of his stuff...

...shame on you!