Ivan Brunetti
Ivan Brunetti (born October 3, 1967) is an Italian and American cartoonist and comics scholar based in Chicago.
| Ivan Brunetti | |
|---|---|
 Brunetti at "Lines on Paper" panel, Chicago 2012 | |
| Born | October 3, 1967 Mondavio, Italy |
| Nationality | American |
| Area | Cartoonist |
Notable works | Schizo Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice |
| Awards | Ignatz Award, 2006 Eisner Award, 2012 |
Ivan Brunetti (born October 3, 1967) is an Italian and American[1] cartoonist and comics scholar based in Chicago.
Early life and education
[edit]Brunetti was born in Mondavio,[1] Italy, and moved to Chicago at age 8.[2] He earned a B.A. in English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1989.[3]
Career
[edit]Noted for combining blackly humorous, taboo-laden subject matter with simplified and exaggerated cartoon drawing styles, Brunetti was strongly influenced by Charles M. Schulz and Peanuts. His best known comic work is his largely autobiographical series Schizo, of which four issues appeared between 1994 and 2006, the first 3 of which have been collected as Misery Loves Comedy.[4] Schizo #4 received the 2006 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Comic of the Year.[5]
He has also produced two collections of gag cartoons, Haw! (2001) and Hee! (2005). He has worked as an illustrator, including cover designs for The New Yorker since 2007.[6] His early work includes also the strip Misery Loves Comedy which he created for the University of Chicago newspaper The Maroon while a student there. The strip bears no relation to the 2007 Fantagraphics Books collection of the same name, which collects the first three issues of Schizo in their entirety, along with additional material contributed to various other publications during the same time period.
In 2005, Brunetti curated The Cartoonist's Eye, an exhibit of 75 artists' work, for the A+D Gallery of Columbia College Chicago.[7][8] He then edited An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories (2006, Yale University Press), which was declared a bestseller by Publishers Weekly in January 2007.[9] The second and final volume of the anthology was released in October 2008. Brunetti also illustrated the cover of comedian Patton Oswalt's album, My Weakness Is Strong.[10]
Brunetti's nonfiction book Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice (2011, Yale University Press) won a 2012 Eisner Award. Also in 2012, Brunetti contributed to The Guardian's "Cartoonists on the world we live in" series.[11]
His second nonfiction book, Aesthetics: A Memoir, appeared in 2013 to positive reviews.
Later books include Wordplay (2017), 3X4 (2018), and Comics: Easy As ABC (2019), all from Toon Books.
As of 2026, he is an Adjunct Professor of Instruction (and an Associate Professor of Illustration in the Design Department) at Columbia College Chicago.[3] At Columbia College, he previously taught classes on illustration, comics & graphic novels, visual narrative, drawing, and design.[2][12]
Bibliography
[edit]Comics
[edit]- Schizo #1–4 (Antarctic Press, 1994–2006)
- Haw! Horrible, Horrible Cartoons by Ivan Brunetti (Fantagraphics, 2001)
- 32 Drunks (Self-published mini-comic, 2001)
- Hee! Yet More Horrible Cartoons (Fantagraphics, 2005)
Collected editions
[edit]- Misery Loves Comedy (Fantagraphics, 2007)
- Ho! (Fantagraphics, 2007)
Nonfiction
[edit]- Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice (Yale University Press, 2011)
- Aesthetics: A Memoir (Yale University Press, 2013)
Children's books
[edit]- Wordplay (TOON Books, 2017)
- 3x4 (TOON Books, 2018)
- Comics: Easy As ABC (TOON Books, 2019)
Anthologies (as editor)
[edit]- An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories (Yale University Press, 2006)
- An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories, Volume 2 (Yale University Press, 2008)
New Yorker covers
[edit]- January 8, 2007
- May 7, 2007
- March 2, 2009
- September 7, 2009
- January 4, 2010
- February 15 & 22, 2010
- November 1, 2010
- May 31, 2010
- March 19, 2012
- July 1, 2013[13]
- September 23, 2013
- November 4, 2013
- April 21, 2014
- December 15, 2014
- November 2, 2015
- September 12, 2016
Illustrator
[edit]- David Wilton (2008). Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195375572.
- Cover art for Tomahawk's album Oddfellows.[14]
- Cover art for Patton Oswalt's album My Weakness Is Strong.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Ivan Brunetti". The Comics Journal. No. 264. Interviewed by Gary Groth. November–December 2004. Archived from the original on May 5, 2006.
- ^ a b "Ivan Brunetti - Assistant Professor, Graphic Design". Columbia College Chicago. Archived from the original on 2013-06-10.
- ^ a b "Ivan Brunetti". Academics: Faculty. Columbia College Chicago. March 9, 2026.
- ^ Heater, Brian (24 July 2007). "Misery Loves Comedy by Ivan Brunetti". The Daily Cross Hatch.
- ^ "2006 Ignatz Award Recipients". Small Press Expo.
- ^ Mina Kaneko; Françoise Mouly (12 March 2012). "Cover Story: Life as a Comic Strip". The New Yorker.
- ^ Susannah J. Felts (2 September 2005). "Ivan Brunetti Gets Happy" (PDF). Chicago Reader. pp. 18–19.
- ^ "Ivan Brunetti". Creative Nonfiction Week, 2007. Columbia College Chicago. Archived from the original on 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
- ^ "Comics Bestsellers," in Publishers Weekly, January 8, 2007, pg. 18.
- ^ a b Nathan Worcester (21 February 2013). "Interview: Ivan Brunetti". The Chicago Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013.
- ^ "Cartoonists on the world we live in: Ivan Brunetti". The Guardian. 20 July 2012.
- ^ "Ivan Brunetti: Illustration Faculty". SHOP Columbia. Columbia College Chicago. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
- ^ Mina Kaneko; Francoise Mouly (24 June 2013). "Cover Story: Ivan Brunetti's "Box Garden"". The New Yorker.
- ^ Adam Gold (26 June 2012). "Tomahawk's Duane Denison Talks New Album". Rolling Stone.
External links
[edit]- Jenna Marotta (March 2011). "Ivan Brunetti Explains His Art in 'Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice'". Chicago magazine.
- Christopher Borrelli (27 May 2011). "There's no comforting cartoonist Ivan Brunetti". Chicago Tribune.
- Faculty Spotlight - Columbia College Chicago
- Stripped Books: A Comics Panel – comics-form adaptation of a discussion panel featuring Chris Ware and Seth, moderated by Brunetti
Interviews
[edit]- "The Ivan Brunetti Interview". Comic Book Galaxy. Interviewed by Gordon McAlpin. 2005. Archived from the original on Jan 5, 2006.
- "A Conversation with Ivan Brunetti". Yale Press Log. August 18, 2006. Archived from the original on Nov 6, 2006.
- ""Nothing Good Can Come Out of Dishonesty": An Interview about Teaching with Ivan Brunetti". The Comics Journal. Interviewed by Ken Parille. 18 April 2011.
