Joyce Brabner

Joyce Brabner (March 1, 1952 – August 2, 2024) was an American writer of political comics and wife of Harvey Pekar; with whom she co-wrote the nonfiction graphic novel Our Cancer Year.

Biography Brabner was born on March 1, 1952, and grew up "poor" in Wilmington, Delaware, in a household with six younger siblings. of a Wilmington comic book (and theatrical costumes) store called Xanadu Comics & Collectables, Inc. crediting his work on "American Splendor [for giving her] a worm's-eye view of what his other marriages were like," allowing for a greater degree of understanding and openness between the two of them. They became Danielle's foster parents in 1998, and Brabner spent the next years devoting herself to Danielle's upbringing.

In 2002, Pekar was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. Similarly, Brabner's dispute with illustrator Tara Seibel led to The Pekar Project (Smith Magazine, 2009–2010) not seeing print. Seibel, a Cleveland-based artist, had worked extensively with Pekar in the last two years of his life on The Pekar Project, a webcomic alternative to American Splendor, which featured new stories by Pekar illustrated by multiple artists in addition to Seibel. The New York Times reported that Brabner opposed Seibel's continued participation in the project as well as certain other posthumous works.

Death Brabner died on August 2, 2024, at the age of 72. The cause was cancer.

Lou Ann Merkle, "an art student and activist living in Cleveland" began working with the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, a "military and draft counseling organization," and sought out Pekar for advice on the costs involved in creating a comic.

Brought to Light

Her writing on Brought to Light with Alan Moore and artist Bill Sienkiewicz brought critical praise from both the artistic and activist communities. Originally a joint publishing venture between Eclipse Comics and Warner Books, the 1989 graphic novel flip book Brought to Light dealt in part with the Central Intelligence Agency's involvement in the Iran–Contra affair.

She also wrote Activists!, which was commissioned, and then canceled, by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, but later published by Stabur Press; and the PETA-supported Animal Rights Comics, both of which illustrated by Mark Badger (among others) — as well as working on Strip AIDS (1987–1988) and a book called Cambodia, USA as well as an anthology (with Pekar, Ed Piskor and others) called The Beats (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008).

With Pekar, she co-authored and appeared as herself in an opera performed by Real Time Opera in January 2009; the event was broadcast on the Internet from Oberlin College on January 31, 2009.

She helped finish and publish two of Pekar's posthumously published works, Harvey Pekar's Cleveland (Zip Comics/Top Shelf Productions, 2012) and Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me, (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, July 2014). In addition, Brabner's 2014 nonfiction comic book Second Avenue Caper: When Goodfellas, Divas, and Dealers Plotted Against the Plague was given the Lambda Literary Award for "LGBT Graphic Novel" at the 27th Lambda Literary Awards in 2015. Illustrated by Mark Zingarelli, the book was published by Hill & Wang.

From 2015 to 2018 Brabner performed in storytelling and comedy shows that also featured Kevin Meaney, Marina Franklin, Lydia Lunch, Aparna Nancherla, Nonye Brown-West, and Cassie J. Sneider. These shows took place at Ralph's Rock Diner (Worcester, Massachusetts) and venues in and near Boston. The shows were produced and hosted by comedian Matthew Flynn, and the shows were often called Guerrilla Theatre or Thought Bomb.

After writing the foreword for Joe Biel's memoir, Good Trouble: Building a Successful Life and Business with Autism, Brabner published The Courage Party: Helping Our Resilient Children Understand and Survive Sexual Assault with Biel's press Microcosm Publishing in 2020 (co-authored with her foster daughter Danielle Batone). At the time of her death, Biel and Brabner had been planning to reissue out-of-print books and new posthumous comic books from Pekar and other unreleased work.

Awards In 1995, Brabner and Pekar shared a Harvey Award (named after cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman) for "Best Original Graphic Novel" for Our Cancer Year. In 2011, Brabner was awarded an Inkpot Award in recognition of her work in comics. Second Avenue Caper: When Goodfellas, Divas, and Dealers Plotted Against the Plague won the 2015 Lambda Literary Award.

In popular culture Brabner was portrayed by actress Hope Davis in the film adaptation of American Splendor (2003), and also appeared as herself in some scenes. Davis' performance was met with critical acclaim, and she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.

Brabner appeared as herself in the 2015 documentary Call Me Lucky, being interviewed about comedian and fellow activist Barry Crimmins.

Select bibliography Real War Stories (2 issues, Eclipse Comics, 1987, 1991) Brought to Light (Eclipse Comics, 1989) Our Cancer Year (Four Walls Eight Windows/Running Press, 1994) — co-written with Harvey Pekar; illustrated by Frank Stack Activists! (Stabur Press, 1995) — with art by Wayne Vansant and Mark Badger Animal Rights Comics (2 issues, Stabur Press, 1996) — illustrated by Mark Badger; benefit comics for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Second Avenue Caper: When Goodfellas, Divas, and Dealers Plotted Against the Plague (Hill & Wang, 2014) — illustrated by Mark Zingarelli The Courage Party: Helping Our Resilient Children Understand and Survive Sexual Assault (an "American Splendor Family" book) (Microcosm Publishing, 2020) — written with Danielle Batone; illustrated by Greta Oparaku