VERMONT VOICES: HARRY BLISS
Bliss: I don’ t think I’ ve adjusted my humor. I’ m just more reluctant to put something out that might offend on a broader scale. It still happens, but rarely. My cartoons, back in the day of the rabbit’ s foot cartoon, used to be far more offensive. One of my earliest cartoons sold to The New Yorker featured a little boy in class at“ showand-tell.” He’ s gutted a deer and the guts are on the floor, and the caption reads,“ And that’ s how you clean a deer.” The New Yorker ran that in 1999.
Sherman: I remember that cartoon very well. There were a lot of cartoonists in that era at The New Yorker, in which dark humor was more accepted— like Gahan Wilson. That sensibility thrived in the‘ 90s. Today, less so.
Bliss: Yeah, the culture has shifted. I’ ve gotten softer and cuter as I’ ve gotten older. I don’ t like to be mean or negative. I don’ t like cartoons that emphasize how terrible things are. It depresses me. I draw for myself, and if the audience likes it, that’ s a nice bonus. It’ s tough these days. People take offense more easily. I had one controversial cartoon I thought was hilarious. Christopher Guest thought it was funny, but I didn’ t publish it, because I don’ t think anyone would.
Sherman: When did you start drawing?
Bliss: Both of my parents met in art school, so I joke that I started drawing“ in utero.” But seriously, from ages four, five, six— we were always drawing. I doodled constantly in school. One of the earliest moments where my art was recognized was in fifth or sixth grade. A teacher asked me to do lettering for a school bulletin board, which was the first acknowledgment
42 VERMONT MAGAZINE of my artistic skill. I always doodled; if not doodling, I was drumming on desks. If I weren’ t a cartoonist, I’ d have been a drummer— I drum constantly.
Sherman: Are you a musician?
Harry and Steve Martin
Bliss: I wouldn’ t say I’ m a musician. When I think of a musician, I think of someone who studies and plays beautifully. I could be in a cover band. I can handle a two-four beat, triplets, and work the bass a little.
Sherman: Let’ s switch gears and talk about Vermont. I understand that you split your time between New Hampshire and Vermont, usually Burlington. How did you first discover Vermont?
Bliss: I first came to Vermont in‘ 99, because my son’ s mother relocated here. We were both living in Nyack, New York, and we separated. I didn’ t want to be separated from my son. I was working for The New Yorker at the time. She met someone who lived in Vermont and told me she was relocating here. It was a tough time, but we worked it out, and that’ s what brought me to Burlington. Eventually, I left Burlington because I developed a kind of strange disorder: seeing too many stores, leaf blowers, cars, and city life in general would make me anxious. I became hypersensitive and needed quiet and a rural setting. That’ s why I moved out here.
Sherman: I’ m sorry you went through that. I’ m glad you found your current home. Let’ s talk about the Cornish CCS Fellowship Residency. What inspired you to create this fellowship, and how do you see it impacting the broader cartooning and illustration community?
Bliss: In the book, I mention being selected with Nora Krug as a Maurice Sendak Fellowship winner around 2008. We stayed on Sendak’ s farm in Cambridge, New York for six weeks. That inspired me to create my own little fellowship here, starting around 2017. There’ s a separate garage apartment on this property, fully furnished and cozy.
Initially, my idea was to buy J. D. Salinger’ s estate in Cornish, New Hampshire, this 12-acre land parcel— and another 17 acres nearby— and have all the cartoonists from The New Yorker chip in. I thought it could be a cartoonist getaway. But nobody had any money. Everyone lived in New York and couldn’ t afford it. One day, I visited this property, and it fit me like a glove. It’ s super quiet. I can’ t express how much I love it here. It’ s beyond words— I’ ve found my place. People who live here feel similarly. The fellowship was my way of nurturing talent. I love encouraging talented cartoonists, especially those who can tell stories and write well. Writing is crucial for graphic novels. It’ s great,