American Splendor

Well, I have just seen the best film of 2003 and its name is American Splendor. I had no doubt that this film would delight me in this fashion and it's not because I'm a comics fan. It's because I am a Harvey Pekar fan and it is really nice to see his life story translated into such an innovative, sincere film. I have been following Harvey's exploits since the mid-1980's when I began reading and collecting issues of his self-published comic book American Splendor. I was fascinated with his life and felt proud to be living in the same area of the county that he did, Northeast Ohio. He was a hero to me, this "normal" person who could recount his ordinary life in comic book form. I saw all of his David Letterman appearances, including his final, abortive one. One of my favorite American Splendor stories is about one of the libraries that I worked at in Ohio. For a short while, I was Head of Circulation at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine Library. All of my co-workers knew that I liked Harvey Pekar and when I decided to leave for another job, they gave me a stack of American Splendors as a going-away gift. I will never forget the feeling of co-existing with Harvey Pekar and you will never forget this film. Go out and see it right now, or see it when it hits your area in October. When March 2004 rolls around and the Oscars are being doled out, don't be surprised if American Splendor wins a couple. For more information about American Splendor, go to the official movie site. For reviews, go here and here.