AS 19: Escape (Revenge of the Nerds Part I)

American Splendor scene #19 (49:08 to 52:18) — It’s one week later, and (a strangely chipper) Harvey sees Toby sitting in his car, the dashboard covered in White Castle sliders. Toby is on his way to Toledo to see the new movie Revenge of the Nerds. Meanwhile, Harvey is on his way to Delaware to marry Joyce and help her move to Cleveland. Harvey steals Toby’s fries. Rupert Holmes sings “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).”

An appreciation of Judah Friedlander’s performance as Toby. Thoughts on Revenge of the Nerds, bullying, and nerd culture. A thorough discussion of White Castle hamburgers and junk food burgers in general. Debate — the sports fan vs. the sports nerd. How Sari proposed to Josh (yes, it’s true!), Josh’s evolving beliefs about marriage, and their subsequent commitment ceremony.

Shout-outs to spontaneous choking moments, native Clevelander Jason R. Wright and his AS shooting locations Google doc, Oberlin’s Apollo Theater, the movies Purple Rain & Inception, Where’s the beef?, Nathan’s Chow Mein on a Bun, Route 80 & long-haul driving, and Dino’s unique bullying methods.

Episode Notes

Two pages from the comic that inspired this scene, “Double Feature Part 2: Revenge of the Nerds” (©1985 Harvey Pekar, American Splendor #10), art by Bill Knapp…