Studs Terkel’s Working. A Graphic Adaptation

Comics impresario Harvey Pekar brings to vivid life Terkel’s bestselling masterpiece, with comics by America’s leading illustrators

Ever since Pulitzer Prize winner Studs Terkel’s Working first documented American workers’ hopes and dreams, that “deep penetration of American thought and feeling” ( Los Angeles Times ) has sold over a million copies, captivating readers with accounts of how their fellow citizens make a living. A masterpiece of words, Working is now adapted into comic-book form by Harvey Pekar, the blue-collar antihero of his American Book Award–winning comics series American Splendor . Brilliantly scripting and arranging Terkel’s interviews, Pekar collaborates with established comics veterans and some of the comic underground’s brightest new talent, selected by editor Paul Buhle. Readers will find a visual palette of influences from Mexican, African American, superhero, and feminist art, each piece an electric melding of artist and subject. This is a book that will both delight Terkel fans and introduce his work to a whole new audience—a fitting tribute to an American legend.

Contents:

Preface / Harvey Pekar
Acknowledgments
Original introduction to Working / Studs Terkel
Introduction / Paul Buhle

Working the Land
• Katherine Haynes, Farm Woman / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art
• Joe and Susie Haynes, Coal Miner and Wife / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Anne Timmons, art
• Roberto Acuna, Farmworker / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Dylan A. T. Miner, art

Pecking Order
• Bill Talcott, Organizer / Peter Kuper, adaptation and art
• Roberta Victor, Hooker / Sabrina Jones, adaptation and art
• Barbara Terwilliger, Idleness / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Joan Reilly, art

Footwork
• John Fuller, Mail Carrier / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art
• Jack Spiegel, Organizer / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Peter Gullerud, art
• Brett Hauser, Supermarket Box-boy / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Ryan Inzana, art
• Dolores Dante, Waitress / Lance Tooks, adaptation and art

In the Spotlight
• Rip Torn, Actor / Danny Fingeroth, adaptation; Bob Hall, art
• Bud Freeman, Jazz Musician / Lance Tooks, adaptation and art
• Steve Hamilton, Baseball Player / Danny Fingeroth, adaptation; Bob Hall, art
• Eddie Arroyo, Jockey / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art


Behind a Desk
• Tom McCoy, Proofreader / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Terry LaBan, art
• David Reed Glover, Stockbroker / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Pablo G. Callejo, art
• Beryl Simpson, Airline Reservationist / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Emily Nemens, art

Appearance
• Sam Mature, Barber / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Nick Thorkelson, art
• Edward and Hazel Zimmer, Hair Stylists / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art
• Hots Michaels, Bar Pianist / Lance Tooks, adaptation and art


Cleaning Up
• Maggie Holmes, Domestic / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art
• Nick Salerno, Garbageman / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Nick Thorkelson, art

Second Chance
• Bruce Fletcher, Greenhouse Worker / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art
• Nick Lindsay, Carpenter/Poet / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Pat Moriarity, art
• Mario and Bob Anichini, Stone Cutters / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art


Looking After Each Other (From Cradle to Grave)
• Ruth Lindstrom, Baby Nurse / Sharon Rudahl, adaptation and art
• Gary Bryner, Lordstown Local UAW President / Gary Dumm, adaptation and art
• Elmer Ruiz, Gravedigger / Harvey Pekar, adaptation; Ryan Inzana, art

About the Contributors