As one of the most unfiltered voices in comics, fans around the world have never been more than a few pages away from stepping into the mind of Harvey Pekar over the years. Whether it was in his autobiographical "American Splendor" series and its 2003 cinematic adaptation starring Paul Giamatti, he and his wife Joyce Brabner's account of his battle with cancer in "Our Cancer Year" or his latest endeavor the online "Pekar Project," Pekar routinely explored his everyday struggles and triumphs with a fan base that came to expect the unexpected from a sometimes cranky, often endearing, but always entertaining creator.

According to Cleveland.com, Pekar was found dead this morning just before 1 a.m. Born October 8, 1939, the creator spent most of his career balancing a passion for art, jazz and writing while working a day job as a government file clerk in his native Cleveland.

Survived by Brabner and the couple's foster daughter Danielle, Pekar's collaborations with some of the comic industry's most celebrated artists - including R. Crumb, Dean Haspiel, Joe Sacco and a host of others - will continue to serve as a look into the mind of an ordinary outspoken man whose lifetime of creation achieved extraordinary influence.
[Via The Comics Reporter]

More From ComicsAlliance