Alumni HOF
Homepage Mr.
John Backderf, known as “Derf”, is a nationally syndicated cartoonist and
one of the most widely published alternative cartoonists in the country.
His comic strip, THE CITY, appears regularly in over 50 weekly
newspapers. It debuted in the
Cleveland Edition in 1990 and quickly spread to papers coast-to-coast.
John graduated from Revere High School in 1978. He went on to attend the
Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the Ohio State University.
While at OSU he became the controversial and popular staff cartoonist for
their school newspaper, “The Lantern”.
In 1996 he was inducted into the Ohio State University School of
Journalism Hall of Fame. After
graduation, he worked for several newspapers including the Akron Beacon Journal,
and the Cleveland Plain Dealer and has won over 50 awards for his newspaper work
including a prestigious Bronze Medal from the Society of Newspaper Design.
His artistic cartoon images have been displayed in many galleries and
museums both here and abroad. John’s
distinctive style reveals a strange beauty and sharp eye for detail.
Of his many book projects, his most acclaimed are:
Trashed
by SLF Publishing, Attitude: The New
Subversive Political Cartoonists
by NBM and My Friend Dahmer
by Derfcity Comics. John works out
of his home he shares with his wife and two children.