Dan Harmon is kind of a jerk.

Best known for creating "Community," the cult-comedy series that forever lives on the brink of cancellation, Harmon himself admits his abrasive personality and too-honest public confessions have hampered his writing career.

Yet "Community," at least under the control of Harmon, is a brilliant and genre-pushing comedy series. The man is immensely talented, even if Chevy Chase can't stand working for him.

Harmon is the subject of "Harmontown," a documentary that follows the writer on a tour of his podcast of the same name. The podcast is noteworthy for its live stagings of the fantasy role-playing game, "Dungeons & Dragons," as well as an outlet for Harmon to vent about his personal and professional struggles.

The documentary, released last year, is newly available on Netflix Instant streaming. "Community," following its cancellation from NBC, will debut its sixth season exclusively on Yahoo! Screen later this month.

The doc doesn't do much to explain the ups-and-downs of Harmon's initial firing from "Community" after its third season. The cameras follow him on the podcast tour between his firing and eventual reinstatement with the show prior to season five.

The fourth season of "Community," while still adhering to the basic structure and tone of the show, definitely sticks out as being the least satisfying season, proving Harmon's oversight to be the show's core asset.

Why exactly was Harmon fired in the first place? The movie tries to explain that by capturing the day-to-day neuroses of the man, and how his eloquent way with words can be the equivalent of a nuclear missile when he's angry.

Harmon talks about himself a lot in the film, but none of it really builds into a comprehensible portrait. It's Sarah Silverman, the comedian Harmon worked with on Comedy Central's "The Sarah Silverman Project," who offers the most concise explanation. She says, "I'm Dan's biggest fan, and even I fired him."

"Harmontown" may not help outsiders understand the enigma of Dan Harmon, but the film lovingly honors the eccentric followers of his podcast. To them, Harmon is something of a role model - a brilliant, antisocial, probable alcoholic who makes art that represents their own awkward, nerdy worldviews.

Whatever the case, "Community" remains one of television's (now online television's) true originals - a show where a bunch of apparent losers come together as a family and better themselves because of it. That and it's a show with too many pop culture references and genre homages to count. At his best, Dan Harmon is the heart of what makes "Community" great.

Certain episodes of "Community" better explain the mind of Harmon than the 90 minutes of "Harmontown." Still, it's a fascinating, all-access look at an important (if jerky) comedic voice.

Past seasons of "Community" are available on DVD and Hulu Plus. Yahoo! Screen is an ad-based streaming service. New episodes of "Community" will be released weekly on the platform starting March 17.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected].