Harvey Pekar's On-Air Implosion | Letterman

Spoiler alert: He did come back.
(From "Late Night," air date: 8/31/88)
#harveypekar #americansplendor #letterman
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[@bc1969214]

From Harvey's wikipedia page- After Pekar's death, Letterman reflected in 2017 that "He was great.... He would just go after stuff. He ... would go after me, he would go after the network, he would go after everything, in a very committed way. It wasn’t a gag, it wasn’t an act, he would really go to work on you.... [Pekar] was anti-establishment in a way that you don’t see guys like that anymore. And that used to really upset me, because I just thought 'Come on Harvey, don’t do this to us, just play the game, blah blah blah blah.'... I’m a completely different person now. And I would be so much more better equipped to view the immediate surroundings of that show now, than I was [then].... Now, jeez, I wish I could have had Harvey on every night.

[@presto709]

Wow, that's interesting. Thanks for sharing

[@profile2047]

Pretty cool.

[@danny1959]

It was great television, and Dave was no fool.

[@presto709]

@@danny1959 Charles Grodin was very antagonistic and always had a great interview on Letterman. It was a little more playful than with Pecor.

[@amra33]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@ahappyshow]

I watched this episode when it aired. Harvey was truly fearless, and you'll never see network TV like this again.

[@JK-br1mu]

Clearly a little "off".

[@spb7883]

@@JK-br1muIf you read his work and understand his motivations, not in the slightest. What he *was* was his own person, and - unsurprisingly - that seems “off” to anyone in American culture.

[@JK-br1mu]

@@spb7883 very off, he didn't really make much sense here, and if he was going to attack Dave, he could do it in a coherent fashion. One of those counter-culture weirdos who aren't capable of forming coherent thoughts, but they're very anti. Very, very anti.

[@derekderek2570]

What’s network TV?

[@ahappyshow]

@@derekderek2570 NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, are all network television.

[@markjohnson7910]

The unblinking stare. Right into Dave’s soul. Absolutely amazing.

[@fatmunch6318]

He didn’t blink the whole interview

[@ParaousiaComingnow]

He didn't blink because he's a psycho... he's also high. Look at the gloss in his eye.

[@andreaholcock8992]

@@ParaousiaComingnow that’s not an indicator of a psycho lol

[@ParaousiaComingnow]

@@andreaholcock8992 I've worked with Schizo's for years, they don't blink... unless you used the phrase metaphorically, it absolutely is an indicator.

[@andreaholcock8992]

@@ParaousiaComingnow a schizophrenic isn’t a psychopath, so even if you were telling the truth you’re still wrong

[@MrDuneedon]

"Sneakers and a suit -- that looks weird, man." THANK YOU, HARVEY.

[@Taffey_Lewis]

He f'n got him there wow

[@StrikeTeam0316]

Exactly! Sneakers 👟 don’t go with suits

[@hannibalburgers477]

Looked 🔥 on 10th Doctor

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

I have to agree. Buckaroo Banzai is quirky and loveable but it didn't work him, either.

[@Braindead591]

Harvey reminded me of Al Pacino here

[@Chris_34]

Dude reminds me of Andy Kaufman doing a character. This was awesome.

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

That's who I thought this was when I clicked the thumbnail. Then, "Wait, this isn't Andy Kaufman...." I needn't have worried.

[@michaelgpartridge2384]

But if you were around to see it back then, you knew it was for real. It was awesome

[@granthurlburt4062]

He;s nothing at all like Kaufman, who was a self-aggrandiizing entertainer who some people found funny. Pejar was honest.

[@leucifer2]

​@@michaelgpartridge2384it wasn't real. It was staged

[@marcowerner8739]

Exactly what I thought!!!

[@Jimmietwotimes]

Every now and then you can see a twinkle in Pekar's eye that says, "This is fun as hell."

[@milesstover3724]

it comes with his unique cultural and ethnic heritage

[@Bulvan123]

​@@milesstover3724 there are quite a few Jews like this. Brilliant & "out there" but kookoo as well.

[@PhilJRose]

Cough cough, Andy Kaufman.@@Bulvan123

[@mr.blackhawk142]

I see a GLASSY-eyed guy who writes comic books. What is the attraction here? BTW, I hope he DIN lol shave his back just for this appearance! :P

[@mr.blackhawk142]

Yup! It's a SKIT! They'll go for beers after and laugh at the audience!

[@terracottapie]

Where was the implosion? That was just Harvey being himself. Seemed like Dave imploded, if anything.

[@brt5273]

Exactly.

[@Splandrocity]

Right, he couldn't match his energy so he tapped out.

[@williamlyons3947]

Yep, Harvey won this

[@benjaminqmorris]

this is a definite EXplosion. see, imploding is silent; exploding is audible.

[@svalbard01]

Dave filled his diaper about 60 seconds in.

[@evangalyen3407]

When you insult a man before he even comes on stage you’re bound to get something back

[@stevec7770]

Always despised Letterman

[@useliteski3381]

Letterman is absolutely awful.

[@57briben]

awfully good.@@useliteski3381

[@taylorbayouth998]

I get that, but look what he was wearing

[@keithobrien7894]

@@stevec7770yet here you are on a Letterman channel lmao

[@MensaGiraffe]

"How about another joke, Murr-Ray?"

[@thedetailspot6107]

exaclty lmao

[@shrapnel77]

Everybody would have remembered that type of ending!

[@victorymansions]

Haha, you beat me to it 😂

[@69MaxPower69]

My first thought lol

[@jareddyer1990]

My thoughts exactly

[@Zer0fuks]

"meditation is silent..... *Dave* ....." 😂

[@DrummerJacob]

Wasnt really a good roast. Dude was being silent when Dave said it. It made complete sense when he said it and Harvey was just snapping off hot remarks before he had a chance to even make sure it makes sense.

[@animals_of_overtown]

@@DrummerJacob "Dude was being silent when Dave said it" - yeah, that's how conversations work, dude. One person is audible, then the other, then the first one again. Sometimes both have a go at the same time. All auduble. Unlike meditation, which as Pekar said *is* silent.

[@DrummerJacob]

@@animals_of_overtown You've completely missed my point and decided to write a block of text about how conversations work. Dave said meditation is silent as if he wasn't being silent, thus not truly meditating, but he was silent when he said that, thus the roast wasnt a very good one. That would have worked better if he was talking a lot or agitated but he really wasn't.

[@torgman]

I remember this. Harvey's beef was that Dave didn't honor the writers' strike that was going on at the time.

[@Scorchy666]

That must have been why his first question was what Dave had been doing. Letterman looked very uncomfortable answering.

[@fostena]

Oh! That makes sense. And what about 5:20 "why you defended G"? "being a shill for G"?

[@torgman]

@@Scorchy666 if I remember right, that was the week that Dave returned to the show after honoring the strike for a bit

[@jdsciano]

For working people, most honorable thing is not to cross the Picket line in a Union strike-cannot blame Harvey but kudos to Letterman for having him on knowing that was his beef.

[@dbadagna]

@@fostena He might have actually said "GE," referring to General Electric, the owner of NBC at the time.

[@MsPea]

I met Harvey around this time. This was his normal. You never knew what to expect. My ex-husband illustrated a couple of Harvey's stories in American Splendor. Weird times it was.

[@jamesjdm]

He has a personality disorder and needed therapy

[@nighthawk5295]

Maybe your husband left you because you're a raging feminist. (lol) 😑

[@v4v819]

He seems like a reasonably agreeable, charming, elegant kind of fellow... I'm sure you enjoyed his company and i wish you and your family the best for 2024! :)

[@jediryan9454]

So this wasn't staged or a bit?

[@OTOss8]

Val Mayerik?

[@Brandon-tk2rw]

I think the "you're in a rut, you do the same thing every night" stung a little for Dave, hence him falling back on his well used "thanks for dressing up" line .. and I love Dave

[@nextworldaction8828]

my eyes are burning just watching him not blink!

[@markmorico5439]

Paul Giamatti played Harvey brilliantly

[@wungabunga]

I can imagine Dave getting extremely uncomfortable here, once that line is crossed it’s hard to pull back! Hahaha. Tough gig. Loved the guest.

[@guardshack9865]

Harvey actually grabs Dave's pencil from him. That is the true source of Dave's power....notice how Harvey's demeanor changes to calm when he has it and Dave loses control.

[@daveconnor6174]

Haha that's wild. Dave really didn't wanna give it up.

[@callmesceptical9114]

So true! The pencil grab was a savage move💪🏼

[@autonomoustronomous5264]

That's because Dave went from getting laughs to getting laughed at and it broke him. Lol

[@devonalomar9012]

Harvey was actually trembling. Truly a sad mental case.

[@CPRICEIV]

I thought Dave was going to catch it in the jugular there for a minute!

[@foreleftyall]

"I want you to savor this appearance" is such a great line

[@misterpsych3804]

brilliant way to say you're never coming back!

[@luskvideoproductions869]

This is what I miss the most about Letterman...he was nearly perfect with pointed ripostes to guests off the cuff. The Between 2 Ferns out-take where he grills Zack about why the show is called between TWO ferns is just comedy perfection

[@educateme8455]

No. The way you yanks worship these tv shills is just depressing.

[@jasonsgroovemachine]

Reminds me of when Joaquin Phoenix came on and did his "act" with the gum.

[@phrozac]

One of the best interviews I've ever seen. Harvey just being Harvey and Dave trying to navigate the storm on live TV. Brilliant for as long as it lasted. RIP Harvey

[@warrenenglish942]

Harvey was one of a kind. Loved his visits to the show. I saw him once at a literary festival. He was just himself and I loved it.

[@travelwell8098]

This dude knew how to get under David's skin... it's wonderful

[@thegreatrenaldo7718]

He was mad because he’s bald

[@travelwell8098]

was does that even mean?@@thegreatrenaldo7718

[@seanoleary1979]

@@thegreatrenaldo7718 ...don't quit your day job. Comedy won't pay the bills for you!

[@Hausbrauen]

@@seanoleary1979 Seemed to me like a genuine hypothesis as to why he may not be a happy fella, rather than intended as a joke.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

@@thegreatrenaldo7718 Thanks for sharing the perspective of a small child.

[@thenavajoknow]

I admire how Pekar succeeded in dragging out Letterman's unflattering side into the open from behind the glib facade, live on camera, in Dave's control room.

[@bobvp9434]

spot on.

[@user-fk6lf6yy4s]

Great take, exactly.

[@katg7965]

Unflattering side? Or just showing annoyance? Calm down

[@user-fk6lf6yy4s]

@@katg7965 Unflattering not strong enough. Arrogant and condescending. Still calm over here. Letterman should stick to interns.

[@MinecraftMartin]

You think we should always display our unflattering sides, and anything else would be fake and glib? ... Why?

[@MrBradfordchild]

'Dave, you're wearing sneakers with a suit'. Dave quickly puts his sneakered foot behind the desk.

[@djdonald243]

Yah, Dave thought that made him anti-establishment edgy, but he was a midwesterner in New York

[@DaveDexterMusic]

no, he shifts his sneakered foot into view afterwards then moves it back. it wasn't like it was on display the whole time and only pekar's comment got him to hide it

[@djhenyo]

Dave's foot was already behind the desk when Harvey said that and was moved sideways, putting it in view for less than a second, while Dave rotated his body slightly away from Harvey and towards the audience. Your interpretation of events is horrible.

[@NP-ux9xg]

@@djdonald243 being a "midwesterner in New York" has nothing to do with being edgy one way or another. As a matter of fact someone going to New York (the center of the universe as far as boring and normal goes) is as much the opposite of edgy as you can get. Add to that someone working in the TV business in New York and you have as much of a square as someone can be.

[@DrummerJacob]

Dave didn't do anything. He wore sneakers because you never saw his feet. Why would you lie about something we can literally instantly fact check? Watch it again. Zero reaction. You're just projecting. You wish he did something so it made sense but none of Harvey's roasts made any sense. Harvey was also silent when Dave asked if he was meditating and then started talking a lot to pretend like he wasn't zoning off but he did in fact zone off and appear to be meditating if you were being funny about it.

[@undeadspaghetti]

The "implosion" is Harvey knowing that Letterman was scabbing for Disney during a strike and not letting up on it.

[@jackskerry2467]

Thank you, that puts a little more context to what happened here.

[@aragorn767]

Who cares. People need to work.

[@michaelr.5676]

Help me with the phrase "scabbing" for Disney...?

[@henryhill92]

@@michaelr.5676 Scabbing means taking the side of a company over unionized employees fighting for better pay and conditions.

[@michaelr.5676]

@@henryhill92 thanks!

[@williamoleary9330]

I’ve never seen Dave get this upset. He was steaming

[@Zz2424zxcvbnn]

No kidding! Most of these guys who dish, can never take it!

[@Nantosuelta]

David Letterman is such a lame.

[@DrummerJacob]

That's because Harvey carried a heavy darkness around him and loved pulling people down with him.

[@tdbass2968]

Dave didn't get upset he was playing along.

[@Recessio]

Dave later said in hindsight he wished he could have dealt with it better and had people like Harvey on every night.

[@KurtChristensenPhoto]

Nowadays you would never see a Harvey Pekar on late night TV. It's sad. Now it is just a bunch of actors and pop stars pretending they are excited to lip sync with Jimmy Fallon as he fake laughs and ruins every joke that every guest tells.

[@hunterericson6782]

nailed it. the fakeness is so cringeworthy i cant dare to watch

[@maddrop]

Facts. It became so fake that it´s annoying.

[@lablaine1981]

Fake" describes late nite tv,

[@cdgolem]

Last time I watched a late night comedy show was when Jimmy Fallon had Obama on and he was "slow jamming the news." They had the Roots playing and Obama stood their and gave a bunch of talking points to push Obamacare. It was literal propaganda from the State and the audience were too stupid to even realize what was going on. There was no comedy, there was no talent. It was simply propaganda.

[@andrewrobert5019]

Don't forget the absolute garbage heap that is Kimmel lol

[@misterbonzoid5623]

Anyone who can rock that hairstyle does not care what anyone thinks of him.

[@ruok3351]

Who sold comics about his life story. That’s ego and people with big egos actually care deeply about what people think of them.

[@humphreygruntwhistle3946]

I doubt he even owned a mirror. Just a frivolous waste of money.

[@ler5478]

A suit and sneakers is better than t-shirt and a comb-over

[@dustinprewitt]

Him and Crispin Glover are the only two guests that I know of who have made Dave visibly lose his temper

[@Nastyboy269]

I remember him getting heated with Bill O’Reilly once, but you’re probably right. The weirder and more uncomfortable an interview the more he loved it. Especially the early days.

[@dustinprewitt]

@Nastyboy269 I sorta remember that interview.... but Dave seemed less angry and more annoyed

[@peterjensen6233]

Richard Simmons.

[@thedude4672]

Harmony Korine, who was a weird interview and who got banned when Letterman caught him going through Meryl Streep's purse backstage.

[@thedude4672]

Oh yeah, and we can't forget Andy Kaufman

[@willdotchill7607]

If Michael Keaton and Andy Kaufman had a baby.

[@thygoldentents]

You could see him nearly break when Letterman said 'I could have guessed half of that' lol.

[@UberNeuman]

Harvey lived to flip the table over and he pretty much did that on every appearance. Still remember him complaining about not getting dounuts and then there's that thought-bubble picture of dounuts - I about died laughing that night. RIP, HP, you beautiful bastard.

[@Hengry-hn7rb]

I’m making a t-shirt that says “ beautiful bastard “😂

[@Kestrel13]

"Sneakers and a suit" really got me ☠️

[@sinistergrin7053]

Harvey was everything Dave never was

[@sgt.thundercok4704]

Well at least you got that going for ya.

[@aolson1111]

@@sinistergrin7053 Dead?

[@drillbag]

Harvey was one of the few people who would have no problem with talking to Dave the way he spoke to his guests and called BS anytime he smelled it!!!!

[@MikeSchmidt969]

Yeah those types of folks are invited to parties once and only once.

[@TheGeenat]

@@MikeSchmidt969good. Those types of people are superior to the idiots at the party (sheep fest) anyway.

[@blakfloyd]

Indeed. I thought the exact same thing.

[@westerling8436]

​@@TheGeenat being loud doesn't make you smart

[@jallanb1963]

The way he kept saying Dave's name...reminiscent of the talk show scene in the Joker.

[@danbrodsky57]

The perfect guest for Dave.. Wish there was more authentic folks like him which you don't see anymore.

[@mkb7013]

3:25 “Harvey, I want you to savor this appearance” 😂😂😂 you will not be asked back.

[@LincolnsLawyer]

But was kinda refreshing, considering the 100% sychopantic segments we get on late night shows these days 😅

[@ArchernAce]

I saw this when it happened when it was broadcast. I'm sure he meant it. He was always off the hook.

[@JockoV]

If anyone is wondering what the donuts were about they were used in a comedy bit earlier in the show. The bit started with a stage light crashing down next to/on Dave's desk and it turns out it was Biff Henderson's (stage hand) plan to kill Dave so he had more donuts to himself in the breakroom. So the bit ended with the camera fixed on a disappointed Biff thinking about the extra donuts he's missing out on. Some genius in the control room decided to bust out the donut graphic again to use on Harvey. I saw this when it first aired and I lost my mind laughing 😆 It's been quite a while but that's the way I remember it.

[@lowkeysoundsystem6174]

Nice. I thought it was from one of their previous interviews where Harvey asks Dave for doughnuts. 😅

[@derekderek2570]

40 years!!! Is quite awhile. Better times back then I’m sure

[@ADrunkBassist]

he was promised donuts the next time he came to the show in a previous interview.

[@caderoger]

haha without any context it looks bizarre and random

[@thjola]

On his first visit on the show, Harvey complained about the lack of snacks in the green room, e.g. donuts, to which Dave replied that Tom Brokaw ate them all when he was a guest a little earlier on the same show.

[@XeroFailGames]

Bros intensity is insane i love it

[@squirelova1815]

Priceless. Like watching a Lone Piranha going a a big buffalo all by himself.

[@curtislindsey1736]

That stare though, no blinking.😂😂😂

[@kdooms]

This. I've stared pretty hard at certain people in my life.....I'm not sure he actually ever does blink though....

[@justinsixx90]

Cocaine

[@randallf.4646]

A common trait of a psychopath....

[@blazer3327]

Pekar was the real deal amidst the phony personalities of the celebrity mill wheel.

[@blazer3327]

In a match I’d have to give Pekar the edge over Dave by virtue of his unpredictability and relentless focus.

[@charlescowan6121]

It's awkward as hell and amazingly fun! This guy is having a blast!

[@DrummerJacob]

Is he? He looks like one of the most miserable people I've ever witnessed. If this is him having fun, that's a HUGE cope.

[@robatsea2009]

The unpredictability of the guests - and the sheer eclectic variety of who was appearing - made this show must-see each night.

[@gordons-alive4940]

Yeah,. They lost that when Dave moved to an earlier time slot. It became a pretty conventional late night talk show.

[@markbeames7852]

Pekar was on five or six times.

[@crackawood]

​@@gordons-alive4940but dave's influence was already well established. his effect on comedy reverberates to this day and every late night show is just a rehash of conventions that dave established

[@olorin1710]

Left version of Trump

[@mossbogger8366]

the look of a man who has been up every night thinking about his interview since the day he was born

[@georgehenderson7783]

3:20 "Harvey, I want you to savor this appearance."

[@The_Notorious_N.O.E.]

I hope Dave still has that autographed comic from Harvey. What an amazing collectable it is now

[@danielstoddart]

I loved this one. I remember staying up late in college to watch this episode. Amusingly, right from the get-go Pekar's body language and the way he shakes Dave's hand is very telling. And it goes downhill from there...

[@brt5273]

I think it was going downhill before Pekar even came out. Letterman's tone is already dismal, probably because they exchanged words before the show and he got an idea of the sort of ride it was going to be.

[@danielstoddart]

@@brt5273 My fave Letterman guests were Pekar, Charles Grodin, Harrison Ford, Harmony Korine (before he got banned), Crispin Glover, and Andy Kaufman. Those were absolute musts to stay up late.

[@kbrewski1]

​@danielstoddart Man, I don't remember issues with Grodin and Kaufman, those guys were Dave regulars, especially Grodin. I'm going to have to search for those clips. Joaquin Phoenix is the one that stands out for me. He appeared like he was drugged and Dave couldn't get him to talk.

[@danielstoddart]

@@kbrewski1 They weren't really "issues" because especially in the case of Grodin, it was a bit. A gag. Grodin's entire act was to be antagonistic to the host. But all of the guests mentioned above scored high on the passive-aggressive quotient.

[@kbrewski1]

@danielstoddart That was my point. Dave didn't have issues with Grodin because he knew Grodin's shtick. This Pekar wasn't in that category, he was truly so odd and obstinate he wanted to upset the apple cart.

[@johnskrizniak6573]

Back story on GE and Dave. GE owned NBC at the time and would give Dave a hard time for having unpredictable guys like Pekar on. Dave had to play a balancing act because CEO of GE at the time would not hesitate to cancel any show, no matter how successful. So Pekar calling Dave a shill isn't right. If it wasn't for Dave pekar would never be on the show at all. Dave took a lot of heat for Pekar and fought for him to be on and be invited back after this. GE hate Pekar, Despised him.

[@tuffteddy1446]

"Three and a quarter Dave, but for YOU - two fifty. We'll settle up after the show, you got it on ya?!" Man, Harvey was fantastic!

[@westleywest7259]

I remember when Dave used to have actual psychos on the show. We at home were never really sure how much was real or fake. BEST TELEVISION EVER!

[@mwdiphone]

Your comment is exactly why Harvey finally went off. He wasn’t a psycho. Not even close. He was a brilliant writer. A regular guy with a job who had a talent. Dave and the audience played him and his words like he was a fool. Harvey felt like he was being used instead of being listened to. Thats why he went off.

[@sonicdiablo8968]

How is he a psycho?

[@thedude4672]

I don't think Harvey was a psycho at all, but Dave was good about having eccentric people on who wouldn't make you comfortable

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Harvey was pushing Dave's buttons hard that night and he knew it. Dave kept things comedy-oriented while still demonstrating that he wasn't a pushover for someone like Harvey to steamroll on his own show.

[@Mozart1220]

@@mwdiphoneI don;t know him but from this interview he's a psycho.

[@blurredlenzpictures3251]

There's a very funny, well-made film about Harvey, with Paul Giamatti playing him. American Splendor.

[@emerpus01]

Pekar covered the whole thing from his perspective in an issue of American Splendor labeled “David Letterman Exploitation Issue” showing Dave telling Harvey (in front of the audience) “You f-cked up a great thing!”.

[@ChrisCarnage-jp4fc]

Priceless. Someone who saw hollywood for what is was long before now.

[@ignatiusgrippa]

Absolute legend. Stuff like this is why Late Night was so entertaining and unpredictable. Nothing like it since.

[@wastedapathy22]

“Harvey, I want you to savor this appearance!” Ooof…savage. Dave telling him he ain’t ever gonna be on again.

[@thedude4672]

But he did come back on ... two or three times

[@wastedapathy22]

@@thedude4672 was he as worked up in those later appearances as he was here?

[@chiefscheider]

Thanks for explaining what Dave meant by that

[@Brendan-Black]

​@@wastedapathy22Nope, Pekar was much more subdued when he finally came on again.

[@simonfeakes]

​@@wastedapathy22he came back after a number of years, and before it started Dave opened that they had a misunderstanding/disagreement previously but they'd got over it. Harvey was still his awkward weird self, but definitely less antagonistic towards Dave than he was in this particular interview

[@jasperburchfield2028]

I think calling him "whining" in his intro is what started it.

[@Deadfoot-Dan]

I watched this live, one of those many interviews on Late Night that you never, ever forget.

[@AskJoe]

One of my favorite unpredictable guests. I never knew what to expect to guests like him, Brother Theodore, Bill Murray, Crispin Glover, Charles Grodin, Cybill Shepherd, Teri Garr, and Andy Kaufman.

[@lesbianmustardbottle957]

Mark Borchardt.

[@212days]

" ... to promote your little Mickey Mouse magazine here, your little news letter, your little club house rainy day fun for boys and girls, your little weekly reader deal..." 🤣

[@BenGates]

I would pay good money to see Eric Andre flip his own script and do a whole season where every guest is combative and angrily talking over him like in this interview.

[@andrehendrik]

really? I tried watching his show, kind of empty shock value, I thought it got boring pretty fast

[@mralexforbes]

100% the show is pure shit​@@andrehendrik

[@thechosenmountain9815]

or eric andre having harvey pekar

[@D2ezbmu]

except this sint a skit or an act or a gag.

[@steventhana8314]

Found the smooth brain who enjoys eric andre elementary school humor

[@AlanDavidDoane]

Harvey was one of the greatest comic book writers in history. His American Splendor comics are absolute genius. I cannot recommend them enough. Anyone interested in him should check them out and also watch the great Paul Giamatti bring him to life in the American Splendor movie.

[@mwdiphone]

His appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation Cleveland episode is a classic as well. The entire show was pretty much themed to go with Pekar’s comics.

[@dengueberries]

oooooh i have to check that out, thanks a lot @@mwdiphone

[@keefriff99]

@@mwdiphone Oh damn, I gotta look this episode up now! Thanks for the suggestion.

[@brt5273]

Good stuff. Available online.

[@user-db6pt7vr3l]

Oh, shut up. He's a social misfit. He's the problem not everybody else.

[@RajeshJustaguy]

actually this is the first time ive seen Dave visibly losing patience at 5:14, very rarely have i seen him shaken... You can see he isnt happy at all

[@Road2acept]

Harvey Pekar looked ready to fight him. The way he grabbed the pen. Privately these 2 definitely would have traded blows.

[@Cockneyartist]

Good, Letterman is awful

[@asdf2593]

@@Road2acept you're projecting, why would anyone fight over words? because they are an idiot

[@Steviecraig7]

Being from the other side of the pond, I'd never heard of Harvey Pekar before tonight. Which is a shame, seemed like a good guy.

[@guins99]

Seemed like a flake with angry tendencies…

[@LTD-7]

In 1999 i won a post card mail in contest on Dave Letterman's show. I set beside Tony Randall and it was a blast.

[@bmewes]

I gotta admit, that’s the first I saw Dave loose an interaction. But he got owned.

[@krewgarr]

"Lose" is the word you're looking for.

[@blakfloyd]

@@krewgarra one-letter typo doesn't change the validity of what they're saying.

[@morb0yo]

@@blakfloydWho says it did?

[@blakfloyd]

@@morb0yo ya mama.

[@Prince.Hamlet]

@@blakfloyd Nah, we're tired of y'all spelling lose wrong.

[@ricebrown1]

Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.

[@perrymihalakos2119]

Kudos to Pekar. Love the guy.

[@lamelama12]

Harvey was a genius captured David held him hostage for like 15 minutes a thing of beauty.

[@dylanmartin9190]

Letterman rises to the challenge and almost reveals his hand

[@ronehill]

The comic store I own had the pleasure of selling books for Harvey at a New York Comic-Con 20 plus years ago. On the first day, one of our managers showed up and gave Harvey a two liter bottle of Sunkist, which pleased Harvey to no end. Harvey's wife at stop by the booth and it kept asking her if she wanted some pop, and she was like "Harvey Do you have a glass? " Which of course he didn't. He was insisting she just drink some straight from the bottle like he was!

[@ronehill]

On Day 2 I was personally doing the vending. Harvey was very much the guy you see here on TV, telling me the only reason he's here at this show was to get the free trip to New York. The convention area he was in was filled with all kinds of b movie celebrities, and sitting directly across from us was Peter Tork, from the Monkees (another classic late night guest!).

[@Zepster77]

What???!

[@claytonbouldin9381]

@@ronehill I met Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz at Chicago Comiccon YEARS ago. Taylor Dayne was there too. Lots of wrestlers too for some reason.

[@jayess7177]

Harvey was a simmering volcano of saccharine contempt, God love him!

[@zimmerman1031]

What was saccharine about his contempt?

[@jamescarter3196]

"saccharine" means 'artificially sweet' and he wasn't artificial or sweet, just extremely focused on whatever he was thinking

[@gzayas08]

I used to love watching Letterman growing up, even though I didn't get half the jokes. I have never heard of Harvey Pekar before, he's awesome!

[@lesweizman388]

you should read american splendor

[@PaulDale-og1lk]

I have the great pleasure of meeting Harvey pekar at the San Diego Comic-Con in 1995. We were both in the artist Ali section. This is an area in which famous artists and writers of comic books can get a table for free and sell their work to the attendees. Few people seem to recognize him as he has never been at the Comic-Con before, it was also his first time in California. He was such a nice person and he was impressed with my ability to do sales. He was so interested that he put me in his next issue of American Splendor comics published in June 1996.

[@cappystrano1]

I am old, but every Harvey I have ever met in my life, has been an exceptional and interesting person, seriously.

[@calixa]

I don't know him or anything about this, but I like Harvey.

[@lostsols-ancienttreasure6457]

Letterman was so much better when it wasn’t just about spoiled celebrities.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

I gave up on talk shows because of celebrities shilling their crappy projects, well before The Late Show ended. I watched the last few weeks, which I enjoyed, and I watched/watch clips of Conan and Kimmel on KZbin, sans celebs.

[@fatalmodelmadhatter]

Thank you! Funny how the "talk" parts of a talk show are often the less interesting unless there is chemistry with a guest or it's not a celebrity pandering. Dave usually made an effort to go beyond the shilling and when the celebrity went along with it got gold, but modern talk shows don't even bother, everybody comes rehearsed and all is insufferable because of it!

[@keefriff99]

@@fatalmodelmadhatter There are some celebrities who are REALLY great at talk shows…relaxed, funny, conversational, not overly scripted, but they’re few and far between. Nothing is worse than a comedian who’s being prompted by the host for anecdotes. It’s so fake that it drives me crazy…can’t do it.

[@apchsiri1156]

​@@keefriff99Comedians doing bits from their latest show during their talk show interview: uggh.

[@jonesnbones]

I loved when Dave really did get uncomfortable. It made for good tv.

[@chiefscheider]

"Look Dave, I signed the paper, I'll talk when I wanna talk." This guy was great 😄

[@BenjaminRay]

What a wild interview. I would have loved to be in the audience to feel how uncomfortable it might have been in the studio!

[@bonitabromeliads]

Harvey really got under his skin, never saw Dave lose his cool like this. Dave knew he was a sellout and didn't like hearing it from the working mans hero. It's too bad Dave didn't realize what he had until after Harvey died.

[@davemustaki134]

He had an Andy Kaufman vibe to him here

[@kbrewski1]

More of a Son of Sam vibe....

[@davemustaki134]

@@kbrewski1 nah lol

[@user-gn3qt4pu3u]

Yes, with a little Christopher Lloyd's Reverend Jim from Taxi mixed in.

[@davemustaki134]

@@user-gn3qt4pu3u yeah kinda....

[@jamescarter3196]

@@user-gn3qt4pu3u Like Reverend Jim if he was a scary crackhead

[@joelzulueta5585]

Love Harvey, and love his comics. Kudos to Dave for keeping this interview in the show. I thought it was one his best interviews, ever.

[@hughmcaloon6506]

Harvey was interviewing Dave, from the outset. It's really stunning to see; fascinating. Harvey was large and in charge until Dave blew his top.

[@carewser]

@@hughmcaloon6506 Dave never "blew his top", he just got rightfully annoyed with Pekar

[@useliteski3381]

Yes, he did. Harvey is an incredible man, Dave is not.@@carewser

[@chrisisnowliftingstuff3248]

This was Harveys 6th appearance and they were all like this one. After this appearance Harvey continued to come on. Dave and Harvey loved going back and forth. It wasn't scripted or rehearsed but this was the magic they knew would naturally happen.

[@jean-paulgagnon8479]

Unmatched intensity.

[@Jivolt]

This is just two guys having a good time playing off each other. It’s gorgeous.

[@vegaslimoguy2376]

Finally someone with a brain. All these morons in the comments

[@gutenstagl]

Seems like Letterman wasn't equipped to spar with a mind as sharp is Pekar.

[@Nastyboy269]

I remember watching this. Harvey was a character.😆

[@deathisaprimitiveconcept]

It’s funny how on other nights their banter was in good spirits, this particular night was a perfect storm of Harvey been a little more toxic than usual and for whatever reason Dave just not being in the mood for Harvey.

[@andyrose5616]

0:52 I had forgotten about his deal to star in movies for Disney. Almost as soon as he signed that deal, he started making jokes and giving interviews saying he didn't intend to fulfill it.

[@chiefscheider]

Thank God he fulfilled his obligation to appear in Cabin Boy

[@danielbrown4383]

@@chiefscheider Would you like to buy a monkey?

[@Brendan-Black]

​@@chiefscheider"Man oh man, do I hate them fancy lads."

[@phdtobe]

Looks like David Letterman imploded! 😂

[@DocnoXXX]

Yep!

[@johnhancock8556]

I miss this kind of confrontational interviews on late night talk shows. Those were the good old days.

[@TandemKnights]

Ah, the good ole days of television.

[@rsuriyop]

What a real peculiar fella that guest was. If you didn’t know him (like myself), it’d be hard to tell whether he was trying to get into character mode or if that was really just him being himself.

[@oldsoulshow]

Harvey being Harvey. Read his American Splendor mag, real slice of life stories of a Cleveland file clerk.

[@exciteproductions4two0]

This reminds me so much of the ending of the new joker movie. Just waiting for him to pull out a snub nose and pop him live on air. Lmfao

[@miked6426]

Waiting for him to pull a joker...i want you to savor this last time youll ever be on this show...😂

[@DrAMP1022]

"From off the streets of Cleveland" ... that's it right there. RIP, Harv.

[@rangers11ization]

Paul was getting nervous😂

[@jeff-ds2pr]

He's a kiss ass for Dave, so seeing someone challenge him probably made him wet himself.

[@quiksix25]

For a brief moment they got real and it was compelling- real stuff is so much more entertaining than phony comedy bits

[@colddirtybastard]

Find some higher standards.

[@wilkinsmusicfl4141]

Yup. You are seeing real Dave here, and Harvey pulled it out of him.

[@carewser]

So when someone is annoyed that's the "real" person you're seeing? uhhh okay

[@cable7152]

This was a phony comedy bit.

[@carewser]

@@cable7152 I don't think so, Dave looked genuinely annoyed with Harvey so if this was a comedy bit it was anything but funny

[@user-nn3ii1ct7k]

A real New York interview

[@jasonf9325]

It's hilarious how he always puts the emphasis on DAVE! Dave: "Did you get those free with your subscription to Field and Stream?" 🤣🤣

[@LeftIsBest001]

I'd love to see a biopic where John C. Reilly plays Pekar. 😂😂

[@mplandis7080]

there is one (American Splendor (2003)), and he's played by Paul Giamatti! it's great, nothing compares to the real Harvey, though.

[@claytonbouldin9381]

American Splendor is an absolute must to see. You will like the movie for sure.

[@LeftIsBest001]

Thanks I'll check it out!!

[@davebushmediadesign]

Harvey was the absolute best guest of Dave's entire career. RIP

[@joeschmo2693]

Dude, get serious - it's Brother Theodore.

[@thedude4672]

I'd go with Norm Macdonald

[@M-ps6ve]

not a funny bone in his body

[@theshapeexists]

​@@thedude4672agreed

[@pinecone9045]

@@joeschmo2693 My first thought Brother Theodore was the consummate Letterman guest he didn't have the need to insult Dave to make his point.