Bruce Eric Kaplan

Learn about Bruce Eric Kaplan (born ca. 1964), better known as BEK, the American cartoonist whose minimalist, wry cartoons appear in The New Yorker, and who is also a television writer/producer.

Introduction

Bruce Eric Kaplan (often signing his work as BEK) is an American cartoonist and television writer/producer. The New Yorker, characterized by stark lines, sparse composition, and a blend of dark, existential humor. Seinfeld, Six Feet Under, and Girls.

His work often touches on themes of anxiety, human relationships, adult life’s little absurdities, and the tension between clarity and confusion.

Early Life, Education & Beginnings

• Bruce Eric Kaplan was born around 1964.

• He graduated from Wesleyan University (class of ’86).

• After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to attempt a writing career.

Kaplan describes that early on, he submitted cartoons weekly to The New Yorker—receiving rejection after rejection—but persisted until one day his work was accepted.

Cartooning Style & Themes

Bruce Eric Kaplan’s signature style is minimalist and immediately recognizable:

• Sparse lines & minimal detail: His characters often have simple, almost fragile forms, drawn with economy of line.

• Psychological undercurrents: His cartoons often convey anxiety, doubt, existential tension — the “inner life” in a small frame.

• Juxtaposition of innocence and melancholy: Simple scenes or dialogues often carry a twist of sadness, resignation, or dark humor.

• Stark composition: Little background detail, often isolating characters to emphasize emotional space.

Kaplan has said that he prefers working in a controlled, fictional world (his cartoons) over real life, where many variables are uncontrollable.

Television Writing & Production

While cartooning is his first love, Kaplan has had a substantial career in television:

• He wrote for Seinfeld, including the episode “The Cartoon”, which humorously addresses a character’s obsession with understanding a New Yorker cartoon.

• In Six Feet Under, Kaplan began in season 1 as supervising producer, went on to co-executive producer, and eventually executive producer. He wrote seven episodes across seasons.

• Later, he worked as a co-executive producer and writer on Girls for HBO.

Kaplan balances these dual creative modes—visual and narrative—bringing to television some of the sensibilities of his cartoons: emotional clarity, precise tone, and attention to human smallness in large settings.

Publications & Books

Kaplan has published multiple collections and works (often combining text and illustration). Some notable titles include:

• No One You Know: A Collection of Cartoons (1999)

• The Cat That Changed My Life: 50 Cats Talk Candidly (2002)

• This Is a Bad Time: A Collection of Cartoons (2004)

• Every Person on the Planet: An Only Somewhat Anxiety-Filled Tale for the Holidays (2005)

• Someone Farted (2007)

• Edmund and Rosemary Go to Hell (2007)

• I Love You, I Hate You, I'm Hungry

• Monsters Eat Whiny Children

• Everything Is Going to Be Okay: A Book for You or Someone Like You (2011)

• I Was a Child: A Memoir (2015)

• His more recent: They Went Another Way (2024)

His books often mix cartoons, short prose, and reflective tone, bridging his visual art and narrative voice.

Personality, Influences & Approach

Kaplan is known to be introspective, wry, and patient with the slow burn of creative work. In interviews he’s described the repeated rejections early in his cartooning career, and how he maintained confidence over time. The New Yorker were so formative that he still keeps one nearby.

His influences include James Thurber (for his “primitive” yet expressive style) and New Yorker cartoon tradition, but he has developed a voice apart from the magazine’s classic school.

Kaplan has reflected on childhood: television was a formative medium for him — “television was my primary relationship … the third parent.”

Legacy & Influence

Bruce Eric Kaplan has carved a unique space: the intersection of cartooning and television narrative. His minimal visual style, emotional honesty, and tone of quiet absurdity have influenced many contemporary cartoonists and writers alike.

In cartoons, his works stand as modern exemplars of how less can say more — how a simple line drawing can evoke complex emotional states. In television, he brings a cartoonist’s sensibility to pacing, scene, and human vulnerability.

Moreover, his persistence in the face of rejection—sending weekly submissions to The New Yorker for years—serves as inspiration to creatives who don’t always hit early success.