Bob Burden
Encyclopedia
Bob Burden is an American comic book artist and writer
, best known as the creator of Flaming Carrot Comics
and the Mystery Men
.
of the Northeast United States. After twenty years in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Akron, and Sharon, Pennsylvania, he moved south to Atlanta, where he has lived since. In 1976, Burden graduated from University of Georgia
, in Athens
, with a degree in journalism and minors in advertising and political science.
; an original cover drawing in Sotheby's art auction; and reviews in The Village Voice
literary supplement. Flaming Carrot has even appeared as a Jeopardy!
answer.
Burden's Mystery Men was the subject of a 1999 film adaptation
, directed by Kinka Usher and starring Ben Stiller
and Geoffrey Rush
.
Besides Flaming Carrot Comics and Mysterymen, Burden wrote a Gumby
story, a two-part Cholly & Flytrap story with Arthur Suydam
, and Robot Comics, a series which was reprised as the "Robot Crime" story for the 20th anniversary of Heavy Metal
.
Burden also inadvertently affected the name of the cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants
, whose creator Stephen Hillenburg
had initially thought to name him "SpongeBoy", until he discovered that Burden had already trademarked the name. Hillenburg eventually named him SpongeBob in reference to Burden's given name, Bob.
Bob Burden has also produced some prose work, including a short story called "You've Got Your Troubles, I've Got Mine" and an anthology of short stories by various writers, including Stephen King
, called Dark Love, from Penguin Books.
for Outstanding Achievement in Comic Arts, the ACE Award, and perhaps the most prestigious award in comics, the Will Eisner Comics Industry Award
for the Best Single Issue (Gumby's Summer Fun Special). Burden also has two 1998 Eisner Award Nominations, for Invincible Man and Flaming Carrot's Greatest Hits Volume Three.
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
, best known as the creator of Flaming Carrot Comics
Flaming Carrot Comics
Flaming Carrot Comics is a surrealist comic book series by cartoonist Bob Burden. The character first appeared in Visions #1, a magazine published by the Atlanta Fantasy Fair in 1979. Flaming Carrot can be seen as a parody of various aspects of the superhero genre...
and the Mystery Men
Mystery Men
Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who...
.
Early life
Burden grew up in the industrial rust beltRust Belt
The Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...
of the Northeast United States. After twenty years in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Akron, and Sharon, Pennsylvania, he moved south to Atlanta, where he has lived since. In 1976, Burden graduated from University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, in Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, with a degree in journalism and minors in advertising and political science.
Career
Burden’s best-known creation, Flaming Carrot, has received some scholarly recognition: a cover story and interview in Atlanta's prestigious Art PapersArt papers
FileART PAPERS is a non-profit bimonthly magazine about contemporary art. Established in 1977 as the Atlanta Art Workers Coalition Ltd. Newsletter, it is the only critical arts magazine published in the Southeastern United States...
; an original cover drawing in Sotheby's art auction; and reviews in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
literary supplement. Flaming Carrot has even appeared as a Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
answer.
Burden's Mystery Men was the subject of a 1999 film adaptation
Mystery Men
Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who...
, directed by Kinka Usher and starring Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
and Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
.
Besides Flaming Carrot Comics and Mysterymen, Burden wrote a Gumby
Gumby
Gumby is a green clay humanoid character created and modeled by Art Clokey, who also created Davey and Goliath. Gumby has been the subject of a 233-episode series of American television as well as a feature-length film and other media...
story, a two-part Cholly & Flytrap story with Arthur Suydam
Arthur Suydam
Arthur Suydam is an American comic book artist and musician. He has done artwork for magazines including Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated and National Lampoon, while his comic book work includes Batman, Conan, Tarzan, Predator, Aliens, Death Dealer, and Marvel Zombies.-Illustration:Suydam has...
, and Robot Comics, a series which was reprised as the "Robot Crime" story for the 20th anniversary of Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
.
Burden also inadvertently affected the name of the cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants (character)
SpongeBob SquarePants is a main fictional character in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Tom Kenny and first appeared on television in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. SpongeBob was created and designed by cartoonist Stephen Hillenburg...
, whose creator Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg is an American animator, writer, producer, actor, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. He currently owns his own production company, United Plankton Pictures...
had initially thought to name him "SpongeBoy", until he discovered that Burden had already trademarked the name. Hillenburg eventually named him SpongeBob in reference to Burden's given name, Bob.
Bob Burden has also produced some prose work, including a short story called "You've Got Your Troubles, I've Got Mine" and an anthology of short stories by various writers, including Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, called Dark Love, from Penguin Books.
Awards
Burden's works have won numerous awards including the Inkpot AwardInkpot Award
The Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as...
for Outstanding Achievement in Comic Arts, the ACE Award, and perhaps the most prestigious award in comics, the Will Eisner Comics Industry Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
for the Best Single Issue (Gumby's Summer Fun Special). Burden also has two 1998 Eisner Award Nominations, for Invincible Man and Flaming Carrot's Greatest Hits Volume Three.