Famous Comic Strip Artists


Famous comic strip artists

The recent death of "Family Circus" creator Bil Keane reminds us how the pen-and-ink antics of our favorite comic characters have brought mirth to our mornings, and inspired postage stamps and even public art. Find out more about the artists behind the newspaper comic strips, past and present.
"B.C."

Johnny Hart introduced his award-winning cast of smart-aleck cavemen in 1958 and cranked out the strip until his final day in 2007.
"Blondie"

Chic Young drew beautiful Blondie and her bumbling Dagwood from 1930 until his death in 1973.
"Bloom County"

Berkeley Breathed's spastic Bill the Cat and pensive Opus the Penguin ran in papers from 1980 to 1989.
"Boondocks"

Aaron McGruder's incendiary comic about square-peg suburbanites Huey and Riley had collegiate roots and ran in major papers from 1999 to 2006.
"Calvin & Hobbes"

Bill Watterson led these partners in crime through one backyard escapade after another from 1985 to his last original strip in December 1995.
"Cathy"

Working women across the country related to Cathy Guisewite's strip throughout its 34-year run, which ended in October 2010.
"Dick Tracy"

Chester Gould had his fedora-clad gumshoe solve cartoonish crimes until his retirement in 1977.
"The Far Side"

Gary Larson explored nature's funny side until his retirement ended the single-panel strips in 1995.
"For Better or For Worse"

The chronicles of a growing Canadian family were Lynn Johnston's bread and butter from 1979 until her retirement in July 2010.
"Mark Trail"

Ed Dodd created these wilderness adventures in 1946 and wrote them until retiring in 1980.

"Peanuts"

Charles "Sparky" Schulz gained international fame with his troop of precocious kids and iconic beagle, who debuted in 1950 and ran for 50 years.