30 most shocking moments in late night history
By Jeremy Dick
8. Harvey Pekar gets banned by David Letterman
His name might not be instantly recognizable to most, but Harvey Pekar had become a celebrity based on the success of a comic book series he created. Called American Splendor, the series first debuted in 1976, and had become a hit with comic readers. The autobiographical stories would eventually be adapted into an acclaimed feature film in 2003.
During the 80s, however, Pekar was involved in an on-air altercation with David Letterman. After previously appearing on the show several times to promote his comics, the two didn’t seem to get along, particularly arguing about General Electric’s ownership of NBC. Pekar would even suggest that Letterman was a shill for GE, much to Letterman’s annoyance. Things came to head in an August 1988 appearance when things between the two got heated very quickly.
After Letterman and Pekar snapped at each other for a couple minutes, Letterman informed Pekar that he was never going to be brought back onto the show. Letterman then mocked Pekar over his comic book, calling it a “Mickey Mouse magazine”, before putting a merciful end to the interview. Eventually, the two did make amends, as Pekar did in fact return to the show in 1993.
Next: 7. Colbert makes Richard Branson sad