Launch Party for Harvey Pekar's Cleveland

Writer, commentator, and all-around Cleveland icon Harvey Pekar had just finished the script for Cleveland, his newest graphic narrative, when he passed away in 2010. That left his collaborator, artist Joseph Remnant, with the task of finishing the illustrations without him. The book finally dropped this week, and according to Suzanne DeGaetano of Mac’s Backs Books, it was worth the wait. “Like Harvey’s books The Beats and Students for a Democratic Society, it’s nonfiction: sort of a people’s history of Cleveland told from Harvey’s point of view.” Fans are invited to celebrate this evening at Big Dog Theater. “It’s going to be cool,” says DeGaetano, who is co-hosting the event with Big Dog’s Don Mitri. “The illustrator, the publisher, and the editor are all coming, and Joyce (Brabner, Pekar’s wife) is going to speak. Basically, it will be a reception followed by an informal panel discussion and time for some questions and answers.” Admission is free; if you want to tote home a book, that’ll cost you $21.95.