DRAWN primarily by the inimitable Pekar and Piskor, creators of American Splendor, which inspired the indie hit film of the same name, this surprisingly successful graphic novel lays out the lives and times of the big name beatniks.

Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S Burroughs are afforded all due respect and while some of their less charitable character traits are omitted, enough warts are highlighted to give a flavour.

Equally, and frequently more, interesting are the accounts of those who came next including Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gregory Croso and Diana di Prima.

Look out also for musician/graphic artist Jeffrey Lewis’s chapter on Tuli Kupferberg.