Why Cartoons Are Important

He may not be a household name, but Conan O’Brien says that Michael Kupperman is “one of the best comedy brains on the planet.” His work has been featured in publications ranging from The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal to shows like Saturday Night Live. Though he finds inspiration in the absurd, the comic’s comic takes a serious tone, explaining why cartoons have helped motivate social change in the past and are the sister art to film.

Kupperman’s “anti-characters” like Hobo and Mannister are usually not based on anyone. But when one past employer found the comedian’s drawings of the “Bossman,” hilarity ensued. Still, that wasn’t his biggest career mistake: Kupperman deeply regrets revealing his identity after years of using a pen name.