Harry Bliss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harry Bliss |
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Bliss at the 2018 U.S. National Book Festival
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| Born | March 9, 1964 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Area(s) | cartoonist |
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Notable works
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Bliss |
| Awards | Maurice Sendak Fellowship, 2014 |
Harry Bliss, born on March 9, 1964, is an American artist. He is famous for drawing cartoons and illustrating books. He has created thousands of cartoons, including 25 covers for The New Yorker magazine.
Bliss also has his own daily cartoon called Bliss. This cartoon appears in over 80 newspapers. You can find it in the United States, Canada, and Japan. It is shared through Tribune Content Agency.
Contents
About Harry Bliss's Early Life and School
Harry Bliss grew up in New York State. He came from a very artistic family. There are eleven visual artists in his close and extended family!
Bliss studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He also studied illustration at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Later, he got his M.A. from Syracuse University.
Harry Bliss's Amazing Career
Harry Bliss has been a cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine since 1997. His cartoons have also appeared in The New York Times and Time magazine. You could also find his work in the Philadelphia Inquirer magazine and other publications.
His daily cartoon, Bliss, has been published over 5,668 times since 2005. It appears in major newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Japan.
Harry Bliss's Books for Kids
Bliss has illustrated many popular children's books. His first children's book was A Fine, Fine School. Sharon Creech wrote this book. It became a New York Times bestseller.
Other bestsellers he illustrated include Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, and Diary of a Fly. Doreen Cronin wrote all of these books. In 2019, Amazon started a children's TV series called 'Bug Diaries'. It is based on these popular books.
In 2008, Bliss published Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken. Kate DiCamillo wrote this book. He dedicated it to Urry, who passed away in 2006.
Bliss's Graphic Novels and Picture Books
In 2008, Bliss created his first comic book for children. It was called Luke On The Loose. This Toon Book was written and illustrated by him. Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly helped advise him on this project.
Bailey, a picture book for children, was published in 2011. Bliss wrote and illustrated this book himself. It was published by Scholastic. A sequel, Bailey At the Museum, came out in 2012.
He also illustrated Anna and Solomon, written by his mother-in-law, Elaine Snyder. In 2015, Grandma in Blue With Red Hat was published. More recent illustrated books include My Favorite Pets: By Gus W. For Miss Smolinski's Class (2016) by Jeanne Birdsall. He also illustrated Grace for Gus (2018) and Good, Rosie (2018) by DiCamillo. Another book was Comics Confidential by Leonard Marcus.
Collaborations and Future Projects
In 2019, Harry Bliss started working with the famous entertainer Steve Martin. They teamed up to create cartoons and comic strips. Their first cartoon collection, 'A Wealth of Pigeons', was published in 2020. It became a bestseller.
Their second book together, ‘Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions’, came out in 2022. Both books were New York Times bestsellers. Bliss is currently working on a cartoon memoir. It is called ‘You Can Never Die’ and is expected in 2024.
Harry Bliss's Community Work
Bliss has served on the board of directors for The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS). This center is located in White River Junction, Vermont. In 2016, he helped create a new fellowship for cartoonists. It is called the "Cornish CCS Residency Fellowship". This fellowship is housed in a home in Cornish, New Hampshire that Bliss bought. It used to belong to the famous author J. D. Salinger.
Harry Bliss is also an animal rights activist. He often draws covers for PETA's Animal Times magazine. He has also designed sculptures for PETA. These sculptures have appeared in major American cities. They are part of an effort to stop animal suffering.
Teaching and Inspiring Kids
Since 2004, Harry Bliss has visited many schools around the world. He has met thousands of children. He teaches them about comics, drawing, and satire. He has traveled to places like Peru, Bucharest, Moscow, and Dubai. He also visits schools all over the United States.
His goal is to show kids how drawing can help them think critically. He uses easy-to-understand language and a fun "scribble" game. He wants to help kids understand how drawing can change their way of seeing things.
Harry Bliss's Personal Life
As of 2016, Harry Bliss lives in Cornish, New Hampshire.
Awards and Recognition
In 2014, Harry Bliss received the Maurice Sendak Fellowship. He shared this award with fellow artist Nora Krug.
