Award-winning cartoonist, fine artist, and stand-up comedian, Dan Piraro is best known for his daily syndicated newspaper cartoon, Bizarro. Appearing in over 300 newspapers and on six continents, Bizarro has won an unprecedented three consecutive “Best Cartoon Panel” awards from the National Cartoonists Society and in 2011 won their highest honor, “Cartoonist of the Year.”
Piraro’s cartoons appeal equally to the “average Joe” and the independent thinker alike, with irreverent undertones of biting commentary on the human condition and life in 21st century America.
Over his 26-year career, Piraro has published 16 books of his cartoons as well as three books of prose. He has also toured the country as a stand-up comedian and performed a one-man stage show about his life as a cartoonist.
His performance in the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival won the festival’s “Best Solo Show” award and The New York Times called it, “A shrewd tour of an artist’s imagination.wildly applauded.”
“I find humor in all aspects of life and am a firm believer that it is the only thing that separates us from other animals. Without it, we might as well be groundhogs. Come to think of it, some of us are.”
Piraro has appeared on NPR, CNN, and HBO. The Onion called him, “One of the best cartoonists that has ever played the game.”
Dan Piraro regularly speaks to school children, community groups and colleges and works as an animal rights activist. For his animal rights-themed cartoons, he was awarded the 2002 Humane Society’s Genesis Award for Outstanding Cartoonist. In 2006, the HSUS honored Piraro with its highest award, the Genesis Award for Ongoing Commitment. He also creates comedy segments for The Next Big Thing, a syndicated program produced by WNYC, the public radio affiliate in New York City.
Audiences and reviewers alike have routinely given Dan Piraro high marks and rave reviews for his speaking and performance skills. He regularly spends time after his presentations mingling with audience members, signing autographs, taking pictures, and drawing sketches.
Dan Piraro resides in New York City with his wife, Ashley.
