Harvey Pekar's The Beats: A Graphic History

The graphic novel The Beats: A Graphic History by author Harvey Pekar, editor Paul Buhle, and illustrator Ed Piskor is an astonishing look into the lives of those who helped to form the Beat generation, including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and even the women of the Beats, known as the Beatnik Chicks (160). The graphic novel follows the life of Jack Kerouac after he moved from Lowell, Massachusetts to New York in 1939, where Kerouac would enjoy jazz music and later meet many of his future Beatniks. The graphic novel takes a turn with the later chapters of the novel by focusing more on the unknown elements of the Beats generation, including the Beatnik Chicks, who Kerouac had met either in New York or San Francisco,
As a child, Pekar learned Yiddish as his first language, which allowed him to read and appreciate books in the language. After graduating high school from Shaker Heights in 1957, Pekar attended Case Western Reserve University, where he dropped out after a year in college to join the United States Navy. After being discharged from the United States Navy, Pekar returned to Cleveland, where he worked various odd jobs before finally being hired to work at the Cleveland Veteran’s Administration (V.A.) Hospital. Pekar held his job at the Cleveland V.A. until he finally retired in 2001, and worked the job even after he became famous. Harvey Pekar was best known as an underground comic book writer, which differed from other mainstream comic writers for their often socially relevant and satirical in nature writing. Harvey Pekar’s most famous creation was his autobiographical comic book series from 1972, American Splendor, which Pekar collaborated with his longtime friend and illustrator, Robert Crumb. American Splendor told the story of Pekar’s everyday life in Cleveland, as he worked at the V.A., and detailed the numerous wild relationships that Pekar had with colleagues and patients. Pekar’s major success didn’t come until the early 2000’s, when the film adaption of American Splendor was released in 2003,
Jack Kerouac is one of the most unique individuals from the 1950s and 60s, and his individuality is emphasized with his writing of On the Road, which was written on a 120 foot long roll of paper (23). Kerouac’s individuality is also emphasized by his personality, which focused on a free spirited attitude towards life instead of strict rules. Pekar also highlights individuality with Allen Ginsberg, who was a gay man at a time when gay men were being persecuted and beaten for their individuality