Harvey Pekar gained notoriety for his strong opinions, sardonic sense of humor and his bristling brilliance. His wife, Joyce Brabner, found Pekar dead this morning.

Pekar rose to fame after meeting R. Crumb and gaining inspiration from him to begin writing his "American Splendor" comic book series. A run of eight interviews with David Letterman furthered his career but also ended with him being banned from the NBC network. Although a self-described "flunky file clerk," Pekar was also an accomplished book and jazz critic.

The 2003 film adaptation of "American Splendor," starring Paul Giamatti as Pekar, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar.