"Things improved a little bit in the '80s; there was kind of a revival of alternative comics, but then they went downhill in the '90s"

This quote by Harvey Pekar is referring to the state of alternative comics in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 1980s, there was a revival of alternative comics, which were comics that were not traditional and often had more fully grown styles. This revival was a favorable development for the alternative comics industry, as it allowed for more imagination and experimentation. However, in the 1990s, the market went downhill. This might be due to the increase of mainstream comics, which were more popular and had more resources available to them. It might likewise be because of the truth that alternative comics were not as widely accepted as mainstream comics, therefore they were unable to reach the very same level of success. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the alternative comics industry suffered in the 1990s.