Bob Staake facts for kids

Bob Staake (born September 26, 1957, in Los Angeles) is an American illustrator, cartoonist, children's book author, and designer. He lives and works in Chatham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

Bob Staake started drawing editorial cartoons when he was in high school in Torrance, California. He later attended the University of Southern California in 1977.

Bob Staake's Creative Work

Cartoons and Illustrations

Bob Staake's artwork has been featured in many well-known newspapers and magazines. These include The New York Times, Time, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. His illustrations have also appeared in advertisements for big companies like American Express, McDonald's, and Sony.

Starting in 1993, Staake began contributing cartoons to "The Style Invitational" in The Washington Post. In 1995, he became a regular artist for Mad magazine. He has also created many covers for The New Yorker magazine, with his first cover appearing on September 4, 2006.

Staake is known for using older computer software to create his illustrations. He uses Adobe Photoshop 3.0, which runs on an older system called Classic in Mac OS X.

Books for Children

Bob Staake began illustrating books in 1992. His first book for children that he both wrote and illustrated was My Little 1 2 3 Book, published in 1998. Since then, he has created many more children's books. One of his books, The Red Lemon, was named one of the ten best illustrated children's books of 2006 by The New York Times.

In 2016, Bob Staake released a book of children's book covers for adults under a different name, Arthur Gackley. This book, titled Bad Little Children's Books, received some criticism online. After this, Staake asked his publisher, Abrams Books, to stop printing the book. The publisher agreed to his request.

Influences and Awards

Artists Who Inspired Bob Staake

Bob Staake has been inspired by many different artists and designers. Some of these include Dr. Seuss, known for his imaginative children's books, and Richard Scarry, famous for his detailed animal characters. Other influences include photographers like Diane Arbus and designers like Paul Rand.

Awards and Recognition

Bob Staake has received several awards for his work:

• New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books Award (2006)
• National Cartoonists Society, Reuben Award, Best Cartoonist in the Division of Newspaper Illustration (1997)