People like James Kochalka

James Kochalka (born May 26, 1967, in Springfield, Vermont) is an American comic book artist and writer, animator, and rock musician. His comics are noted for their blending of the real and the surreal. Largely autobiographical, Kochalka's cartoon expression of the world around him includes such real-life characters as his wife, children, cat, friends and colleagues, but always filtered through his own observations and flights of whimsy. In March 2011 he was declared the cartoonist laureate of Vermont, serving a term of three years.

Kochalka grew up in Springfield, Vermont. He attended the Maryland Institute College of Art and has an MFA in painting.

His first published comics work was around 1994. He has cited by cartoonist Daniel Clowes as being a key inspiration in leading him "towards a whole world of comics that [he] never knew existed." Kochalka strongly believes that simplicity is desirable in comics and says that "craft is the enemy", and has had public debates in print and online with other cartoonists who disagree with his position. Kochalka's "Craft Is the Enemy" essays were collected in the 2005 book The Cute Manifesto.