lately i've been struggling to find meaning in my daily grind. i love my job -- grantwriting and promoting community-based programs -- but i'm tired in a metaphysical way i never felt before. so i've been looking to others as i often do for inspiration & guidance. in the 90s while living in northern cali, when i needed comfort i escaped into the world of zines and comics. stuff like cometbus, beer frame, dirty plotte & deep girl kept me sane in the insane world around me. back then i heard alot about a dishwasher zine and the american splendor series but i never got hooked. wish i had. pete jordan aka dishwasher pete and harvey pekar of american splendor are american cultural treasures and they stand for the souls who don't quite fit the mainstream mold.dishwasher pete washed dishes for twelve years ('89 to '01) with a goal of "busting suds" in every state. he catalogued his adventures in zines (see #1 above) throughout the years, gaining friends, fans and a shot at fame. recruited to be on the letterman show, he decided he hated the press/publicity machine, so he sent his friend jess instead to impersonate him... but this friday he returns to letterman to promote his autobiography, dishwasher-- one man's quest to wash dishes in a
ll fifty states. i read his book in a weekend, mesmerized by his "dish dog" tales & it did lift me out of my doldrums. pete lives life on the outskirts, without apologies (he now is a bike mechanic and writer in amsterdam).
ll fifty states. i read his book in a weekend, mesmerized by his "dish dog" tales & it did lift me out of my doldrums. pete lives life on the outskirts, without apologies (he now is a bike mechanic and writer in amsterdam).
my partner started reading all the american splendor books after we saw the 2003 movie based on harvey's life and starring a terrific paul giamatti. harvey captures everyday real life in cleveland as a government file clerk, its routines, quirks and disappointments through anxiety ridden stories, anecdotes, and childhood memories. he knew robert crumb in the 60s before san francisco made him a cult legend. harvey started writing & self-publishing in '76 (see #1 at right) & recruited crumb to illustrate his daily travails. over the years, harvey recruited many illustrators to visually enhance his work-- stories ranging from car troubles, obsessions, pessimistic views of his life, money woes, wacky colleagues at the job, family struggles, and his reoccuring stints on the letterman show (where he shot back at dave, calling him a GE "shill" after dave called harvey a "dork" & made fun of his comics).dishwasher pete and harvey... thanks for breaking from the norm, embracing that which is different & true. your spirit keeps me from losing hope.
1 comment:
Wow! I can't believe that Dishwasher Pete is going to be on Letterman. I have to dust off the TV and see if I can get any reception to watch. One of my favorite episodes of This American Life is when Ira Glass had Dishwasher Pete on talking about how he scammed the Letterman show!
Post a Comment