John Kovalic
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John Kovalic (born Robert John Kovalic, Jr. on 24 November 1962) is an American
cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...
, illustrator, and writer.


Career

Born in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England, Kovalic is best known for his ''
Dork Tower ''Dork Tower'' is an online comic created, written and drawn by John Kovalic. It chronicles the lives of a group of geeks living in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin. Mud Bay's design is strongly influenced by the author's home town of Ma ...
'' comic book,
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
, and
webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be co ...
, and other humorous work set in and about the fantasy
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
genre, such as ''The Unspeakable Oaf''. He has illustrated
board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...
and
card game A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). A small number of card ...
s for several companies, including
Steve Jackson Games Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and (until 2019) the gaming magazine ''Pyramid''. History Founded in 1980, six years after the cr ...
(notably the ''
Munchkin A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in O ...
'' card game, plus its many expansions and derivatives, and '' Chez Geek'' and its derivatives), Cumberland Games & Diversions ('' Pokéthulhu''), and the third edition of
Fantasy Flight Games Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game company based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a subsidiary of Asmodée Éditions. History Fantasy Flight Publish ...
's '' Mag Blast''. He was also the sole illustrator for the "Super Deluxx" edition of ''
Kobolds Ate My Baby! ''Kobolds Ate My Baby!'' (also known as ''KAMB'') is an indie role-playing games, independently published role-playing game from 9th Level Games, a small-press publisher and designer of humour, humorous role-playing games (RPGs) based in Pennsylva ...
'' and has subsequently occasionally featured supplemental KAMB material in the ''Dork Tower'' comic book. Kovalic is a co-founder and co-owner of
Out of the Box Publishing Out of the Box Publishing was a Wisconsin-based publishing company specializing in family, card, and party games. As of October 2013, they had published over 45 titles. Out of the Box Publishing was best known for games that are easy to learn a ...
. He is also the company's art director and designer of the 2003 trivia
party game Party games are games that are played at social gatherings to facilitate interaction and provide entertainment and recreation. Categories include (explicit) icebreaker, parlour (indoor), picnic (outdoor), and large group games.Frankel, Lillian; ...
''Whad'Ya Know?'', based on ''
Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know? ''Whad'Ya Know?'' is an American comedy, interview, and quiz radio show. Hosted by Michael Feldman, it was created in 1985. During its radio run, it was produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed through Public Radio International. Feld ...
'', as well as the illustrator of ''
Apples to Apples ''Apples to Apples'' is a party game originally published by Out of the Box Publishing Inc., and now by Mattel. Players start with a hand of seven "red apple" cards, which feature nouns. A player is selected to be the first judge, and that judge ...
''. Kovalic is an editorial cartoonist for the ''
Wisconsin State Journal The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of September ...
''. His work has appeared in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', and he continues to freelance for Milwaukee's '' The Daily Reporter''. He has also worked for ''
CARtoons Magazine ''CARtoons magazine'' is an American publication that focuses on automotive humor and hot rod artwork. Originated by Carl Kohler and drag-racing artist Pete Millar, it was published by Robert E. Petersen Publication Company as a quarterly startin ...
''. He is also the writer of the comic ''
Doctor Blink Superhero Shrink Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...
'', which is penciled and inked by Christopher Jones and colored and lettered by
Melissa Kaercher Melissa is a female given name. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey". ''Melissa'' also refers to the plant ''Me ...
.


Honors

Kovalic's cartoons are multi–Origins Award–winners and have been nominated for two Harvies—for best cartoonist and the special award for humor in comics. ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' called Kovalic a "Hot Pick". In 2003, Kovalic became the first cartoonist inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming's Hall of Fame. Kovalic has thrice been a guest of honor—in 2003, 2007, and 2008—at the science, science fiction, and fantasy convention
CONvergence Convergence may refer to: Arts and media Literature *''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen * "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics: **A four-part crossover storyline that united the four Wei ...
., and on multiple occasions at
Warpcon Warpcon is Cork's biggest gaming convention, and has been Ireland's largest student-run gaming convention. Beginning in 1990, it is run every year, during the last weekend of January. WARPS (the UCC Wargaming And RolePlaying Society) is the ...
in
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.


List of games illustrated

Kovalic has provided illustrations for large number of games, including: * ''10 Days'' series * ''aBRIDGEd'' * ''
Apples to Apples ''Apples to Apples'' is a party game originally published by Out of the Box Publishing Inc., and now by Mattel. Players start with a hand of seven "red apple" cards, which feature nouns. A player is selected to be the first judge, and that judge ...
'' series * ''Backseat Drawing'' * ''Blink'' * '' Bosworth'' * '' Button Men: Dork Victory'' * ''Cash n' Guns'' Second Edition * ''Chain Game'' * '' Chez Geek'' series * ''Cineplexity'' * ''Cloud 9'' * ''Cover Up'' * ''Creatures and Cultists'' * ''Creepyfreaks'' * ''Dork 20'' * ''Dork Tower: The Boardgame'' * ''Dungeonville'' * ''Easy Come, Easy Go'' * ''Escape from Elba'' * ''Fish Eat Fish'' * ''Gold Digger'' * '' Illuminati: New World Order'' series * ''
Kobolds Ate My Baby! ''Kobolds Ate My Baby!'' (also known as ''KAMB'') is an indie role-playing games, independently published role-playing game from 9th Level Games, a small-press publisher and designer of humour, humorous role-playing games (RPGs) based in Pennsylva ...
'' * ''Letter Flip'' * ''Letter Roll'' * '' Mag Blast'' * ''Mix Up'' * ''
Munchkin A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in O ...
'' series * ''Munchkin Quest'' * ''My Dwarfs Fly'' * ''My Word!'' * ''Ninja Versus Ninja'' * ''Nutty Cups'' * ''Party Pooper'' * ''Pepper'' * ''PokeTHULHU'' * ''Quitch'' * ''Rock'' * ''ROFL!''ROFL! at Cyrptozoic games
* ''Shape Up'' * ''ShipWrecked'' * ''Snorta'' * ''Squint'' * ''Tutankhamen'' * ''Wallamoppi'' * ''Warhamster Rally'' * ''
Whad'Ya Know? ''Whad'Ya Know?'' is an American comedy, interview, and quiz radio show. Hosted by Michael Feldman, it was created in 1985. During its radio run, it was produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed through Public Radio International. Feld ...
'' * ''Wheedle'' * ''ZenBenders'' series


References


External links


''Dork Tower''
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kovalic, John 1962 births American comic strip cartoonists American webcomic creators English comics artists English comics writers Living people Artists from Manchester