American Splendor Page #2

-Yeah.

But most of my records are back in Philly.

Harvey, meet my buddy, Bob Crumb.

He Just moved to town.

He's an artist

with the American Greeting Card Company.

You should see his comics, Harv.

They're out of sight.

l'm into comics myself.

So Crumb showed me this comic book novel

he was working on..

Big Yum Yum Book.

I'd never seen anything like it.

This is terrific. l really dig your work, man.

This peter Wheat book is by Walt Kelly.

lt's pretty rare.

-Yeah? Can l get good bread for it?

-Not yet.

Let's get back to your book.

What are you gonna do with it?

l haven't really thought about it.

lt's Just an exercise.

No, man. lt's more than Just an exercise.

lt's breaking ground, man.

There's some wild sh*t in here, Bob.

You're spitting on me, Harvey.

Crumb and I hung out a lot back then.

We had records and comics in common.

Check it out, man.

Pretty scary.

You don't know the half of it, man.

Eventually, people got hip

to Crumb's artwork...

and he started hanging out

with the bohemian crowd.

After a while, he got sick of greeting cards

and moved away to San Francisco...

where he got the whole underground

comic scene off the ground.

He'd come back to Cleveland

every few years...

and people would treat him like a celebrity.

Once, he came to visit

when I was feeling real bad.

It was right after my wife left me.

She got so mean to me at the end...

like l tried to keep her captive

or anything like that.

l don't know, man.

But don't think

l'm buying any of this growth crap, man.

Everybody's always talking about

how bad experiences cause you to grow...

and all that cliched stuff.

Man, l got enough bad experiences

and growth to last me plenty.

Right now...

l'd be glad to trade some growth

for happiness.

How long you staying in Cleveland, man?

l don't know,

l got to see this chick in New York...

and l'm really busy

with the comic book stuff.

lt's good bread and all.

l'm Just getting sick of the whole scene.

What are you talking about?

You make a good living

doing your art, right?

How many guys get that lucky in their life?

Listen, l'll tell you something.

People are starting

to know the name Crumb.

When you croak, man,

you're gonna leave something behind.

Yeah, l guess.

lt's not like l'm Blind Lemon jefferson,

or Big Mama Thornton.

Come on, man.

l tell you something,

it sure beats working a gig like mine...

being a nobody flunky

and selling records on the side for $1 .

Well, that's true.

Listen, girlie...

these glasses are six for $2

because l couldn't carry 1 2.

But l wanted 1 2.

So today, l'm buying six more.

But you should only charge me

$1 .50 for them.

lt's all right. You can ask the manager.

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