Influences

Overview
While writing for magazines and having interest in jazz, Pekar met an artist by the name of R. Crumb. He influenced Pekar to explore animation/comics as a medium for his writing and storytelling. Crumb published Pekar’s work in his magazine called The People’s Comics in 1972. Soon after, more artists were hired to help draw Pekar’s life since he himself had limited artistic skills.

R. Crumb (Robert Dennis Crumb)
Robert Crumb spent many childhood years looking up to his brother Charles, whom he would draw comics with. After finishing school, he spent his time working for the American Greetings Corporation in Cleveland. It was here that he started as a colour separator but eventually got promoted to an illustrator only a year later. Since Crumb had to draw for cards, his boss found that his drawings were very grotesque and not cute enough. This would influence his style of drawing for years to come. After many more years of hardship which includes a divorce and experimenting with LSD, Crumb stumbled upon Pekar. He helped Pekar draw some illustrations for his memoir.

Joyce Brabner
Pekar's third wife, Brabner was a very loyal and dedicated woman who was a big fan of Pekar's American Splendor. In 1982, she was working in a prison arts program in which she would help inmates towards a better life through art. After reading Pekar's comics, she fell in love with his ideas and found her personality to be that of Pekar's. While selling comic books at a store, one of her partner sold the latest edition of American Splendor before she could read it. She then wrote to Pekar, and since then, they both fell in love with each other over letters. Brabener first appeared in Pekar's comics in 1985. Her character was a determined feminist while Pekar was a meek and incompetent geek. Braber also helped write several books with Pekar which includes Our Cancer Year and American Splendor: The Official Script.