American Splendor #4

(1979)

Visualize, Actualize, Realize (Table of Contents: 1)

American Splendor / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar; Rollins

Synopsis:

Rollins offers some philosophical advice on how to get ahead.

Reprints:

• in More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (Doubleday, 1987 series) (1987)
• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)
• in American Splendor (Random House, 2003 series) (August 2003)

Keywords:

autobiography

The Young Crumb Story (Table of Contents: 2)

American Splendor / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Robert Crumb; Harvey Pekar; Marty Pahls; Liz; Dana Crumb; Bob Armstrong; Dave

Synopsis:

Harvey writes about how he met Robert Crumb and how both of them got into underground comics.

Reprints:

• in American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (Doubleday, 1986 series) (1986)
• in Subliminal Tattoos (Robert DuPree, 1994 series) #6 (Fall 1995)
• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)
• in American Splendor (Random House, 2003 series) (August 2003)

Keywords:

autobiography

How I Quit Collecting Records and Put Out a Comic Book With the Money I Saved (Table of Contents: 3)

American Splendor / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar

Synopsis:

Harvey Pekar explains how he quit collecting jazz records and used the money he saved to publish American Splendor.

Reprints:

• in American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (Doubleday, 1986 series) (1986)
• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)
• in American Splendor (Random House, 2003 series) (August 2003)
• in An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories (Yale University Press, 2006 series) #2 ([October 21] 2008)

Keywords:

autobiography

An Argument At Work (Table of Contents: 4)

American Splendor / comic story / 11 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Gerry Shamray

Inks:

Gerry Shamray

Letters:

Gerry Shamray

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Herschel; Librarian; File clerk; Supervisor

Synopsis:

Herschel lets his anger get the better of him at work after a secretary turns down his request for a date.

Reprints:

• in American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (Doubleday, 1986 series) (1986)
• in American Splendor (Random House, 2003 series) (August 2003)

Keywords:

autobiography

Indexer Notes

Herschel is Harvey Pekar. In early American Splendor stories he frequently uses stand-ins for stories about his workplace.

Out of the Past (Table of Contents: 5)

American Splendor / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Gerry Shamray

Inks:

Gerry Shamray

Letters:

Gerry Shamray

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Herschel; Steve Svoboda; Herschel's father; Rudy Svoboda

Synopsis:

Someone Herschel knows from years ago is to be treated in the hospital where he works.

Reprints:

• in The New American Splendor Anthology (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1991 series) (September 1991)

Keywords:

autobiography

Indexer Notes

Herschel is Harvey Pekar. In early American Splendor stories he frequently uses stand-ins for stories about his workplace.

Ridin' The Dog (Table of Contents: 6)

American Splendor / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar; Sun Ra

Synopsis:

A conversation with Sun Ra on the bus.

Reprints:

• in American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (Doubleday, 1986 series) (1986)
• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)
• in American Splendor (Random House, 2003 series) (August 2003)

Keywords:

autobiography

Indexer Notes

'Lamar Washington' who comes up in the conversation is a pseudonym for Albert Ayler. Pekar later revisited this encounter in Dark Horse Presents #102 in the story titled "Sun Ra."

Jack the Bellboy Meets Stewball (Table of Contents: 7)

American Splendor / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Jack The Bellhop; Stewball

Synopsis:

Jack's hustling albums again.

Reprints:

• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)

Keywords:

autobiography

Walkin' an' Talkin' (Table of Contents: 8)

American Splendor / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar; Mr. Wright

Reprints:

• in The New American Splendor Anthology (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1991 series) (September 1991)
• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)

Keywords:

autobiography

Indexer Notes

Comments overheard from co-workers.

Lunch With Carmella (Table of Contents: 9)

American Splendor / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb]

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar; John; Carmella; Charlie Graham; Rose Rizzo

Synopsis:

Harvey recalls Carmella, whom he once worked with, and tells John about her.

Reprints:

• in More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (Doubleday, 1987 series) (1987)
• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)
• in American Splendor (Random House, 2003 series) (August 2003)

Keywords:

autobiography

Sid's Detroit Job Interview (Table of Contents: 10)

American Splendor / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Gary Dumm

Inks:

Gary Dumm

Letters:

Gary Dumm

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Sid; Harvey Pekar

Synopsis:

Sid remembers applying for a job in Detroit.

Keywords:

autobiography

Going To Work (Table of Contents: 11)

American Splendor / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Gerry Shamray

Inks:

Gerry Shamray

Letters:

Gerry Shamray

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar; Driver

Synopsis:

Harvey is offered a lift from a guy who is studying welding.

Keywords:

autobiography

The Kissinger Letter (Table of Contents: 12)

American Splendor / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Inks:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Letters:

Robert Crumb [as R. Crumb] (signed)

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar

Synopsis:

The story of a letter that was sent to Henry Kissinger, and the reply the sender got back.

Reprints:

• in Bob & Harv's Comics (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996 series) (September 1996)
• in The Complete Crumb Comics (Fantagraphics, 1987 series) #12 - We're Livin' in the Lap of Luxury (March 1997)

Keywords:

autobiography

Library Story (Table of Contents: 13)

American Splendor / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Michael T. Gilbert

Inks:

Michael T. Gilbert

Letters:

Mary Gordon

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar; Librarian; Poet

Synopsis:

A frustrated poet tries to have the librarian look at his work

Reprints:

• in Michael T. Gilbert's Strange Brew (Aardvark-Vanaheim, 1982 series) (December 1982)

Keywords:

autobiography

Indexer Notes

This is the same story as that presented in issue 3 drawn by Gary Dumm.

Disc Topics (Table of Contents: 14)

American Splendor / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Harvey Pekar

Pencils:

Gary Dumm

Inks:

Gary Dumm

Colors:

Gary Dumm?

Letters:

Gary Dumm

Genre:

biography

Characters:

Harvey Pekar; Record dealer

Synopsis:

Harvey cops a bargain.

Keywords:

autobiography

Indexer Notes

back cover