Comments on: Comics: A Beginner’s Guide: Underground Comix

By: Dan M.

Dan M. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:52:10 +0000

I found Pekar pretty revelatory when he first appeared. I had had enough of him by the time his cancer book came out (mostly because I didn’t like any of his artists besides Crumb, but maybe for other reasons as well), but I recently started picking up the new issues of American Splendor that Vertigo is putting out — some good artists there now. I think it’s fair to say that he hasn’t progressed much as a writer, if at all, in 25 years or so.

By: Martin Skidmore

Martin Skidmore — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:28:15 +0000

I think Pekar is a compelling writer, personally.

By: james

james — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:51:36 +0000

I’d argue that Pekar doesn’t belong on the list because, well, he’s not very good. (and for the record, neither is Sophie Crumb. She’s almost as bad as David Heatley.)

Kim Deitch, however, is amazing.

By: Dan M.

Dan M. — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:52:51 +0000

I agree with you about Pekar; generationally he has a kind of unique spot. He’s the same age as the “underground generation,” and he was inspired by their innovations, but he didn’t start creating comics until their movement was waning, when he initiated a new phase of more-or-less straight, “auto-bio” comics that in turn inspired the younger artists you listed. But it was really the Crumb connection that, in his own version of events, egged him into creating, and — from a reader’s point of view — was key to his popularity, at least at first.

The underground artist who, in my opinion, is doing the best work today is (with the possible exception of Crumb, I guess), Kim Deitch. His graphic novel “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (no connection with Green Day) of a few years back is terrific — in that book and in his series “Stuff of Dreams,” he explores his obsessions with the cartoons, popular songs and films of the 1920s and creates a weirdly coherent fantasy world all his own. I’ve also seen some good later work from Spain, especially his graphic novel adaption of “Nightmare Alley.”

It’s also worth noting that Crumb’s daughter Sophie is producing a lot of comics of her own these days, which I’ve seen in the “alternative” anthology MOME. Her father’s influence is evident.

Good stuff, Martin!

By: Martin Skidmore

Martin Skidmore — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:44:06 +0000

Well, there are all sorts of ways of defining genre. Culturally, Pekar comes along way after the rest, and had no connection with hippy culture (nor does Crumb, but as the inspiration for the movement, he is excused other requirements), and he is a writer rather than a cartoonist, which is very unusual in undergrounds. His subject matter also isn’t that of most undergrounds.

He can as sensibly be placed within the newer confessional-autobiographical genre, which spun off from undergrounds but has separated: we might start with comix luminaries like Crumb and Justin Green, and include Pekar, Eddie Campbell, Chester Brown, Joe Matt, Joe Sacco and many others.

By: koganbot

koganbot — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:21:47 +0000

Why wouldn’t Harvey Pekar belong? Did you have another category in mind for him?

I’d like to put in a word for Dori Seda. Very funny and goofy, and if whe were still alive I could imagine her posting on poptimists.