Am I a guy who writes about himself in a comic book, or am I just a character in that book? If I die, will that character keep going, or will he just fade away?
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the relationship between the creator and their creation, questioning identity and legacy.
Harvey Pekar's quote delves into the complex interplay between the artist and their work, raising existential questions about personal identity and the permanence of artistic expression. It suggests a contemplation of whether a creator's influence persists after their demise and how they are perceived in their own narrative versus that of their creations. Pekar's musings prompt us to consider how much of ourselves we invest in our work and the implications of that investment on our legacy.
In practice
In a panel discussion about personal storytelling and graphic novels.
It dawned on me that comics were not an intrinsically limited medium. There was a tremendous amount of things you could do in comics that you couldn't do in other art forms - but no one was doing it. I figured if I'd make a try at it, I'd at least be a footnote in history.
Well, in the theater, I think you're actually more responsible for what is going on onstage as a director than you are in film.
A primary function of art and thought is to liberate the individual from the tyranny of his culture in the environmental sense and to permit him to stand beyond it in an autonomy of perception and judgment.
There is no one more deserving of a place in Poets' Corner. Ted Hughes introduced a new kind of landscape into English poetry. The most compelling aspect of his work was his intimacy with nature.
To say that these men paid their shillings to watch twenty-two hirelings kick a ball is merely to say that a violin is wood and catgut, that Hamlet is so much paper and ink.
I am no longer afraid of becoming lost, because the journey back always reveals something new, and that is ultimately good for the artist.
I want to see the thirst inside the syllables I want to touch the fire in the sound: I want to feel the darkness of the cry. I want words as rough as virgin rocks.” - Verb.
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