Ed Piskor
Encyclopedia
Ed Piskor is an alternative comics
artist operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. He is a former student of The Kubert School and is best known for his artistic collaborations with underground comics pioneers Harvey Pekar
of American Splendor
fame, and Jay Lynch
who illustrates Garbage Pail Kids
. He has a cult following amongst minicomic
fans with his series Deviant Funnies and Isolation Chamber.
Piskor has been fascinated by comics throughout his childhood. He was a great fan of mainstream comics such as The Amazing Spider-Man
, but his interest in the alternative comics developed rapidly when, at the age of 9, he saw a documentary that had Harvey Pekar reading one of his American Splendor stories.
After finishing high school, he attended the renowned Kubert School for a year. He met some notable comic artist there such as Steve Bissette, Tom Yeates, John Totleben
, and Rick Veitch
.
His first major comics Deviant Funnies and the autobiographical Isolation Chamber are generally marked with dark humour. In 2003 he started his collaboration with Jay Lynch, and shortly after that with Harvey Pekar. Piskor's first major with Pekar task was illustrating stories of American Splendor: Our Movie Year, which elaborates Pekar's experience after the release of the movie American Splendor
. Piskor also illustrated Pekar's latest graphic novel
Macedonia
, which was released on June 26, 2007 through Villard Books.
Piskor's latest series, Wizzywig deals with Kevin "Boingthump" Phenicle, a young prodigy who becomes fascinated with social engineering, phone phreaking, and eventually computer hacking. As the series progresses, Kevin grows as well as his trials and tribulations with hacking. His endeavors make him legendary; his abilities are feared and also revered by many.
The character from the series, Kevin, is a composite of many well known phreaks and hackers such as Kevin Mitnick
, Kevin Poulsen
, Joy bubbles, and many others. Volume 1: Phreak is available through Piskor's website.
Piskor's drawing has been influenced by 60s and 70s underground comix
scene, and he also points Robert Crumb
as a major influence, but comic critics have praised Piskor for developing his own artistic style.
In 2009 Piskor collaborated with Pekar on the graphic book The Beats: A Graphic History. The book was published in the UK by Souvenir Press Ltd and drew plaudits from Studs Terkel
: “The Beats is as fresh and pertinent as the latest scholarly history, only far more entertaining.” The Beats tells the story of Jack Kerouac
, Allen Ginsberg
, William S. Burroughs
and John Clellon Holmes
who became known as The Beat Generation
. This cultural revolution is seen through the eyes of the movement's key figures and its minor characters including Diane di Prima
, Carolyn Cassady
, Philip Lamantia
and others. The startlingly original graphic non-fiction work was highly praised in Vanity Fair: “Editor Paul Buhle’s graphic history The Beats—with riffs from cats such as Harvey Pekar and Trina Robbins—burns like a Roman candle.”
Alternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
artist operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. He is a former student of The Kubert School and is best known for his artistic collaborations with underground comics pioneers Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
of American Splendor
American Splendor
American Splendor is a series of autobiographical comic books written by the late Harvey Pekar and drawn by a variety of artists. The first issue was published in 1976 and the most recent in September 2008, with publication occurring at irregular intervals...
fame, and Jay Lynch
Jay Lynch
Jay Lynch is an American cartoonist who played a key role in the underground comix movement with his Bijou Funnies and other titles. His work is sometimes signed Jayzey Lynch. He has contributed to Mad, and in 2008, he expanded into the children's book field.-Early life and career:Born in Orange,...
who illustrates Garbage Pail Kids
Garbage Pail Kids
Garbage Pail Kids , "La Pandilla Basura" or "Basuritas" in Latin America, "Gang do Lixo" in Brazil, "Sgorbions" in Italy, "Les Crados" in France and "Die total kaputten Kids" in Germany) is a series of trading cards produced by the Topps Company, originally released in 1985 and designed to parody...
. He has a cult following amongst minicomic
Minicomic
A minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term "small press comic" is equivalent with minicomic reserved for those publications measuring A6 or less...
fans with his series Deviant Funnies and Isolation Chamber.
Piskor has been fascinated by comics throughout his childhood. He was a great fan of mainstream comics such as The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
, but his interest in the alternative comics developed rapidly when, at the age of 9, he saw a documentary that had Harvey Pekar reading one of his American Splendor stories.
After finishing high school, he attended the renowned Kubert School for a year. He met some notable comic artist there such as Steve Bissette, Tom Yeates, John Totleben
John Totleben
John Totleben is an American illustrator working mostly in comics.-Biography:After studying art at a vocational high school in Erie, Totleben attended The Kubert School for one year...
, and Rick Veitch
Rick Veitch
Richard "Rick" Veitch is an American comic book artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics.-Early career:...
.
His first major comics Deviant Funnies and the autobiographical Isolation Chamber are generally marked with dark humour. In 2003 he started his collaboration with Jay Lynch, and shortly after that with Harvey Pekar. Piskor's first major with Pekar task was illustrating stories of American Splendor: Our Movie Year, which elaborates Pekar's experience after the release of the movie American Splendor
American Splendor (film)
American Splendor is a 2003 American biographical comedy-drama film about Harvey Pekar, the author of the American Splendor comic book series. The film is also in part an adaptation of the comics, which dramatize Pekar's life...
. Piskor also illustrated Pekar's latest graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
Macedonia
Macedonia (comics)
Macedonia is a biographical comic book, published in June 2007 by Random House. The book was written by Harvey Pekar and Heather Roberson, with illustrations by Ed Piskor...
, which was released on June 26, 2007 through Villard Books.
Piskor's latest series, Wizzywig deals with Kevin "Boingthump" Phenicle, a young prodigy who becomes fascinated with social engineering, phone phreaking, and eventually computer hacking. As the series progresses, Kevin grows as well as his trials and tribulations with hacking. His endeavors make him legendary; his abilities are feared and also revered by many.
The character from the series, Kevin, is a composite of many well known phreaks and hackers such as Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick
Kevin David Mitnick is a computer security consultant, author, and hacker. In the late 20th century, he was convicted of various computer- and communications-related crimes. At the time of his arrest, he was the most-wanted computer criminal in the United States.-Personal life:Mitnick grew up in...
, Kevin Poulsen
Kevin Poulsen
Kevin Lee Poulsen is a former black hat hacker. He is currently News Editor at Wired.com.-Biography:...
, Joy bubbles, and many others. Volume 1: Phreak is available through Piskor's website.
Piskor's drawing has been influenced by 60s and 70s underground comix
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
scene, and he also points Robert Crumb
Robert Crumb
Robert Dennis Crumb —known as Robert Crumb and R. Crumb—is an American artist, illustrator, and musician recognized for the distinctive style of his drawings and his critical, satirical, subversive view of the American mainstream.Crumb was a founder of the underground comix movement and is regarded...
as a major influence, but comic critics have praised Piskor for developing his own artistic style.
In 2009 Piskor collaborated with Pekar on the graphic book The Beats: A Graphic History. The book was published in the UK by Souvenir Press Ltd and drew plaudits from Studs Terkel
Studs Terkel
Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for The Good War, and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.-Early...
: “The Beats is as fresh and pertinent as the latest scholarly history, only far more entertaining.” The Beats tells the story of Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
, William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
and John Clellon Holmes
John Clellon Holmes
John Clellon Holmes , born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was an author, poet and professor, best known for his 1952 novel Go. Considered the first "Beat" novel, Go depicted events in his life with his friends Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg. He was often referred to as the "quiet Beat"...
who became known as The Beat Generation
The Beat Generation
The Beat Generation is a film by MGM starring Steve Cochran and Mamie Van Doren, with Ray Danton, Fay Spain, Maggie Hayes, Jackie Coogan, Louis Armstrong, Vampira, and Ray Anthony...
. This cultural revolution is seen through the eyes of the movement's key figures and its minor characters including Diane di Prima
Diane di Prima
Diane Di Prima is an American poet.-Early life:Di Prima was born in Brooklyn. She attended Hunter College High School and Swarthmore College before dropping out to be a poet in Manhattan...
, Carolyn Cassady
Carolyn Cassady
Carolyn Elizabeth Robinson Cassady is an American writer associated with the Beat Generation through her marriage to Neal Cassady and her friendships with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and other prominent Beat figures...
, Philip Lamantia
Philip Lamantia
Philip Lamantia was an American poet and lecturer. Lamantia's visionary poems were ecstatic, terror-filled, and erotic which explored the subconscious world of dreams and linked it to the experience of daily life.-Biography:...
and others. The startlingly original graphic non-fiction work was highly praised in Vanity Fair: “Editor Paul Buhle’s graphic history The Beats—with riffs from cats such as Harvey Pekar and Trina Robbins—burns like a Roman candle.”
External links
- www.edpiskor.com Piskor's homepage
- interview with Rob clough
- Profile at ninthart.com
- Interview about Macedonia Graphic novel written by Harvey Pekar and Heather Roberson
- Review of Wizzywig Volume 1: Phreak by Brian Heater
- Review of Wizzywig Volume 1: Phreak at Newsarama
- Short comic featured in Smith Mag: “My neighbor the dickhead”