Doubleday, 150 pages, paperback, $13.95

Some of the stories in this collection of American Splendor made their way into the film, including the monologue concluding with, “Who is Harvey Pekar?” which is one of my favorite strips. Later American Splendor became a bit too meta and self-referential, and while there are moments like that here, it’s much less than the “Best Of” collection.

There’s quite a bit of Crumb in this collection too, which I like. His artwork is so “cartoony” it provides a nice contrast to the realness of Pekar’s world.

Many stories have some moments of profundity, some are kind of boring, but Pekar is just a guy who lived a life I enjoy peeping on. What else can I say?