Harry Bliss

Who is Harry Bliss?

Harry Bliss is an American cartoonist and illustrator.

Bliss grew up in New York State among an artistic family. His sister Rachel Bliss and brother Charlie Bliss, and father Jack Bliss are all artists. He studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and studied illustration at the University of the Arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and at Syracuse University earning an M.A.

Bliss has illustrated many books and produces cartoons and covers for The New Yorker. His first book for children, A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech was a New York Times bestseller, as was Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider and Diary of a Fly all by Doreen Cronin. Bliss' self-titled cartoon collection Death by Laughter with an introduction by Christopher Guest was published in 2008. In 2008 Bliss published Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo followed by Luke on the Loose in 2009. Bliss has a syndicated single-paned comic titled Bliss. Bliss is syndicated through Tribune Media Services and appears in over 50 newspapers in the United States and Japan.

As of the mid-2000s, Bliss lives in South Burlington, Vermont.

The May 12, 2008 edition of The New Yorker magazine published in its weekly caption-writing contest a cartoon by that closely resembled Jack Kirby's cover of Tales to Astonish #34. Intended by Bliss as a homage and tribute to Kirby, critics complained that the magazine did not mention Kirby's name. After being notified by readers and the media, the magazine said it would update its website to read, "Drawing by Harry Bliss, after Jack Kirby".