Joyce Brabner

Joyce Brabner (born March 1, 1952) is a writer of political comics who sometimes collaborated with her late husband Harvey Pekar. Brabner is also a liberal social activist who raised funds via a Kickstarter campaign for a Harvey Pekar Comics as Art and Literature memorial statue and desk, installed October 2012 at the Cleveland Heights Public Library, where the couple often worked. She later agreed to help build the Harvey Pekar Park in Cleveland Heights, OH in July 2015:

Brabner stated: "For a few years, now, I’ve been asked to endorse installation of a big, permanent “Harvey Pekar” billboard on a wall in my neighborhood: an image of American Splendor #1 “where it all started.” I’ve always said no. This year, I saw an opportunity and said I would co-operate if a nearby corner was returned to its earlier, youth/arts friendly state by removing the big blocky “people bumper” planters that were installed to discourage assembly– and by welcoming back young people, street musicians, storytellers, chess players, etc. to a communal meeting space and encouraging artists, storytellers and comics makers. The corner is where (young) Harvey used to try out material on the crowd, as a sort of stand up comedian who later wrote and published his stories about neighborhood life in his American Splendor autobio comic books. The spot had been a haven for nonconformist and creative youth until overblown anxiety about flash mobs and kids hanging around without money to support local business led to curfews and what many felt was repressive “rezoning” and redesign. On July 25, Cleveland Heights will turn the space where it really did all start for Harvey into “Harvey Pekar Park,” complete with tiny amphitheater for future “Harveys” and small-scale performance. I’ve designed permanent banners of a special American Splendor story (illustrated by Joseph Remnant) that can be read as you walk from lamp post to lamp post.