Jim Benton

Jim Benton
Born (1960-10-31) October 31, 1960 (age 65)
EducationWestern Michigan University
OccupationsIllustrator, author
SpouseMary K. Hart
Children2
Websitehttp://www.jimbenton.com/

Jim K. Benton (born October 31, 1960) is an American illustrator and writer. He is best known for It's Happy Bunny, and has created several other properties, which include Dear Dumb Diary, Dog of Glee, Franny K. Stein, Just Jimmy, Just Plain Mean, Sweetypuss, The Misters, Meany Doodles, Vampy Doodles, Kissy Doodles, and the jOkObo project.

Early life and education

Jim Benton was raised in Birmingham, Michigan, graduating from Seaholm High School in 1978. He studied fine arts at Western Michigan University.

Career

Benton began his career in a Shirt shop where he started designing his own characters on T-shirts. At the same time, he did illustrations and artwork for magazines and newspapers. People magazine named him "one of the most visible cartoonists in America."

Benton also created greeting cards and worked in the magazine and publishing industry. In 1998, his SpyDogs characters became an animated series, The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, that aired on Fox Kids. Licensing his own creations brought them widespread attention on products, such as It's Happy Bunny, which he created in the mid-1990s but licensed in 2002.

Benton lives in Birmingham, Michigan, where he operates out of his own studio. He is married with two children.

Bibliography

Dear Dumb Diary and Dear Dumb Diary: Year Two

It's Happy Bunny

Franny K. Stein

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Dalka-Prysby, Sandra (February–March 2007). "It's Happy Benton!". Signature. Retrieved 2007-12-01.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ↑ Campbell, Janis (2007-09-25). "Jim Benton, artful writer". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2007-12-01. [dead link]
  3. ↑ Reed, Susan (1989-05-08). "Success Brings Cartoonist Jim Benton a Pile of Funny Money". People. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  4. ↑ Holmes, Elizabeth (2007-06-19). "How Licensing Helped an Artist Pull a Rabbit Out of His Hat". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  5. ↑ Gryphon Award - Center for Children's Books
  6. ↑ "It's Happy Bunny wins public service awards". License! Global Weekly E-news. 2007-03-27. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  7. ↑ "This Year's Nominees". National Cartoonists Society Website. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
  8. ↑ "2011 Reuben Award Winners". National Cartoonists Society Website. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
  9. ↑ Inkpot Awards