Celebration For Release of 'Harvey Pekar's Cleveland' Set for Today

This article was originally published April 12.

Before acclaimed American Splendor comic book creator Harvey Pekar died in 2010, the Cleveland Heights resident was writing a graphic novel about Cleveland.

That book, Harvey Pekar's Cleveland, was shipped to in April. And the bookstore and are joining forces to celebrate.

A book release party is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Big Dog Theater, which is in the former Centrum Theater on Coventry. The free event will feature an informal panel of Joyce Brabner, Pekar's widow, Joseph Remnant, who illustrated Harvey Pekar's Cleveland, Josh Frankel, president of Zip Comics, which is co-publishing the book with Top Shelf Productions, and Jeff Newelt, editor of Smith Magazine’s The Pekar Project and Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland.

Light food and beverages will be served, and Remnant will sign copies of the book.

Harvey Pekar's Cleveland touches on moments of Pekar's life and Cleveland's history, including his memories of visiting Higbee's and riding the Rapid. And he couldn't leave out the infamous Cuyahoga River fire.

“The script was complete before Harvey passed, and 20 pages had already been finished by Joseph (Remnant),” said Newelt in a press release about the event. 

On The Pekar Project website, a few excerpts from the graphic novel are available, and one pays homage to Cleveland Heights.

"Cleveland's been in decline for years, as many of you know. Recently a study showed that it was losing inhabitants faster than any of the major population centers. But I'm not gonna worry about that too much. My neighborhood is still pretty pleasant," he wrote, a drawing of a welcome to Cleveland Heights sign included. "Anytime I want, I take a nice walk."