Jim benton author biography sample

  • Dear dumb diary
  • Jim benton comics

    • Jim is the author and illustrator of Dear Dumb Diary®, a New York Times Bestselling series which has sold nearly 10 million books, and is printed in more than a dozen languages. He also co-wrote and produced a made-for-tv musical based on the series. He’s the creator of many licensed properties, including It’s Happy Bunny®, the licensing hit that has generated over ¾ of a billion dollars at retail. The It’s Happy Bunny books have been chosen three times by the American Librarians Association as their top picks for teen readers, and It’s Happy Bunny programs have taken top awards from the Licensing Industry Merchandising Association five times. Jim’s anti-drug program for middle school kids for The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has won three Addy awards and a Governor’s Award. Jim’s series Franny K. Stein™, has sold over five million books, and is in more than 15 languages and Braille. The National cartoonist Society (NCS) awarded Jim with two divisional Reuben awards. The End (Almost), Benton’s first picture book, was recently awarded a NAPPA gold award (National Parenting Publication Award.) Jim’s book Dog Butts and Love. And Stuff Like That. And Cats. was nominated for an Eisner Award and has a sequel titled Man, I Hate Cursive coming out this fall. Other upcoming projects include a new young reader series, two more board books, and a new gift book. To learn more about Jim, visit him at www.jimbenton.com

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    Jim Benton

    An award-winning author and artist, a TV and film producer, a joke writer, screenwriter, and very successful licensor of his own original properties. His work has hung in the offices of The New Yorker Magazine, The Society of Illustrators, and is tattooed on the skin of fans.

    Jim is the creator of It's Happy Bunny, the licensing hit that has generated over 3/4 of a billion dollars at retail.

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    The IT'S HAPPY BUNNY books from Scholastic were chosen three times by the American Librarians Association as their top picks for teen readers, and It's Happy Bunny programs have taken top awards from the Licensing Industry Merchandise Association five times.

    The Partnership for a Drug-Free-America asked Jim to develop an anti-drug program for middle school kids.The program was big success, winning three Addy awards and a Governor's Award.

    And this obnoxious bunny transitioned into successful programs for toddlers, maternity, holidays, and even as a spokesperson for the McGrath Foundation, the leading breast cancer awareness organization in Australia.

    The relaunch has begun. The kickoff started at trendy NY retailer, ROGUE, with hundreds of fans lined up and down the block. Licensees and retailers are hopping on board and products are dropping now.

    Jim's book series from Scholastic, DEAR DUMB DIARY, printed in 18 languages, has sold more than ten million books, and three titles in the series have been New York Times Bestsellers.

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    Jim adapted it as a movie musical, produced it with Walden Entertainment, and Jerry Zucker Productions (Airplane!). It was nominated for a Kidscreen award, and was shown at the Geena Davis BFF Film Festival.

    Coming Soon -​

    Dear Dumb Diary Graphic Novels!

    Jim's series FRANNY K. STEIN, published by Simon & Schuster, has sold over five million books, and is on the tenth book in the series.

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    The Fran That Time Forgot was selected as one of two winners of the Eleanor Camer

    Benton, Jim 1963-

    PERSONAL:

    Born 1963, in OH. Education: Attended Western Michigan University.

    ADDRESSES:

    Office—J.K. Benton Design Studio, Inc., 3170 Middlebury Rd., Bloomfield, MI 48301. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.E-mail—[email protected].

    CAREER:

    Artist, cartoonist, and writer. J.K. Benton Design Studio, Birmingham, MI, owner.

    AWARDS, HONORS:

    Best Art Brand License of the Year, Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association, 2005, for "It's Happy Bunny"; Gryphon Honors Award, 2005, for Lunch Walks among Us; American Library Association Quick Picks for Reluctant Teen Readers designation, 2006, for It's Happy Bunny: Love Bites and It's Happy Bunny: Life. Get One.

    WRITINGS:


    Dealing with the Idiots in Your Life, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1993.

    It's Happy Bunny: Life. Get One; and Other Words of Wisdom and Junk That Will Make You Wise or Something,Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

    It's Happy Bunny: Love Bites, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

    It's Happy Bunny: What's Your Sign?, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2006.

    Benton's books have been translated into French.

    "FRANNY K. STEIN: MAD SCIENTIST" SERIES


    Lunch Walks among Us, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2003.

    Attack of the 50-Foot Cupid, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2004.

    The Invisible Fran, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.

    The Fran That Time Forgot, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

    Frantastic Voyage, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

    "DEAR DUMB DIARY" SERIES


    Let's Pretend This Never Happened: By Jamie Kelly, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.

    My Pants Are Haunted: By Jamie Kelly, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2004.

    Am I the Princess or the Frog?: Jim Benton's Tales from Mackerel Middle School, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

    Never Do Anything

  • Jim benton net worth
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    • Jim Benton

    American illustrator and children's writer

    This is about the American illustrator and writer. For the American football player, see Jim Benton (American football)

    Jim K. Benton (born October 31, 1960) is an American illustrator and writer. Licensed properties he has created include Dear Dumb Diary, Dog of Glee, Franny K. Stein, Just Jimmy, Just Plain Mean, Sweetypuss, The Misters, Meany Doodles, Vampy Doodles, Kissy Doodles, and the jOkObo project, but he is probably most known for his creation It's Happy Bunny.

    Early life and education

    Jim Benton was raised in Birmingham, Michigan, graduating from Seaholm High School in 1978. He studied fine arts at Western Michigan University.

    Career

    Benton began his career in a Shirt shop where he started designing his own characters on T-shirts. At the same time, he did illustrations and artwork for magazines and newspapers.People magazine named him "one of the most visible cartoonists in America."

    Benton also created greeting cards and worked in the magazine and publishing industry. In 1998, his SpyDogs characters became an animated series, The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, that aired on Fox Kids. Licensing his own creations brought them widespread attention on products, such as It's Happy Bunny, which he created in the mid-1990s but licensed in 2002.

    Benton lives in Birmingham, Michigan, where he operates out of his own studio. He is married with two children.

    Bibliography

    Dear Dumb Diary and Dear Dumb Diary: Year Two

    Main article: Dear Dumb Diary

    It's Happy Bunny

    Further information: It's Happy Bunny

    • Love Bites (2004)
    • Life. Get One (2005)
    • What's Your Sign? (2006)
    • The Good, The Bad, The Bunny (2006)
    • It's Happy Bunny Nice Enough Poster Book (2007)

    Franny K. Stein

    Main article: Franny K. Stein

    Awards

    • 2004: Gryphon Award honor book, Center for Children's Books, University of Illinois at Urbana-