The Quitter

Last weekend I picked up a copy of The Quitter , Harvey Pekar's new graphic novel. As a fan of American Splendor , I expected to enjoy it, and I wasn't disappointed. The Quitter is about Harvey's experience growing up, and covers a period in his life earlier than that presented in American Splendor. The title refers to Harvey's tendency to quit activities (football team, college, the Navy) due to his insecurity and fear of failure. Like most of Harvey's work, it's "just a story" about ordinary people and ordinary events, without much effort to make it fit any particular mold or moral. But, as any fan of American Splendor knows, "ordinary life is pretty complex stuff," and Harvey has a talent for making it interesting and exciting.

If you are at all a fan of American Splendor, or even graphic novels in general, then you can't go wrong with The Quitter.