1945–1960 in Western fashion
Young adults returning to college under the G.I. Bill adopted an unpretentious, functional wardrobe, and continued to wear blue jeans with shirts and pullovers for general informal wear after leaving school. Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation" in 1948, generalizing from his social circle to characterize the underground, anti-conformist youth gathering in New York at that time. The term "beatnik" was coined by Herb Caen of the "San Francisco Chronicle" in 1958, and the stereotypical "beat" look of sunglasses, berets, black turtlenecks, and unadorned dark clothing provided another fashion alternative for youths of both sexes, encouraged by the marketing specialists of Madison Avenue.
Ed Piskor
In 2009 Piskor collaborated with Pekar on the graphic book "The Beats: A Graphic History". The book was published in the UK by Souvenir Press Ltd and drew plaudits from Studs Terkel: “"The Beats" is as fresh and pertinent as the latest scholarly history, only far more entertaining.” "The Beats" tells the story of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and John Clellon Holmes who became known as The Beat Generation. This cultural revolution is seen through the eyes of the movement's key figures and its minor characters including Diane di Prima, Carolyn Cassady, Philip Lamantia, and others. The startlingly original graphic non-fiction work was highly praised in "Vanity Fair": “Editor Paul Buhle’s graphic history "The Beats" — with riffs from cats such as Harvey Pekar and Trina Robbins — burns like a Roman candle.”