M. K. Brown

M. K. Brown is a cartoonist and painter whose work has appeared in many publications, including National Lampoon (1972-1981), Mother Jones, Wimmen's Comix, The New Yorker, Playboy and more. She has written several books, created animations for The Tracey Ullman Show, and was a contributing artist the "comic jam" graphic novel The Narrative Corpse. She is also an accomplished painter with work in galleries and many private collections. She was married to fellow cartoonist B. Kliban.

Dr. N!Godatu

Her animated series Dr. N!Godatu (with Julie Payne as Dr. Janice N!Godatu) debuted in 1987 on The Tracey Ullman Show alternating with the then unknown Simpsons shorts (animated by the same Klasky Csupo team). Nancy Cartwright and Dan Castellaneta from The Simpsons provided voices: Nancy Cartwright in "Freeway" (as Dr. N!Godatu's friend who refuses to drive on freeways, through tunnels, or over bridges), and Dan Castellaneta in "Blind Date" (as the date) and "Fishtank" (as the fish tank repairmen). There were six shorts in all, each divided into four Acts. There were also two unreleased episodes (The Party and The Proposal). Dr. N!Godatu is pronounced without a vowel sound preceding the N and a clicked G.

Episode synopsis:

• 1 (4W02) The Office: Dr. N!godatu wore her pink slippers to work; not to worry, since she keeps a pair of pumps in a drawer for just such an emergency - but the drawer is filled with giggling pink slippers.
• 2 (4W03) Blind Date: Dr. N!godatu has a dream date with a lawyer who's also a surgeon, and, in college, was voted cutest couple; unfortunately, he's also someone who likes to talk about himself too much.
• 4 (4W01) Freeway: Dr. N!godatu is going shopping with her friend Pat (voice of Nancy Cartwright), who never drives over bridges, through tunnels, or - until Act III - on the freeway.
• 7 (4W26) Fishtank: Dr. N!godatu's fish are doing strange things, which is nothing compared to what the two balloon-like repairmen (voice of Dan Castellaneta) are doing trying to fix it.
• 9 (4W09) The Dream: Dr. N!Godatu has a strange dream - and that guy in it looks like her blind date Bill...
• 13 (4W12) Scanner: Dr. N!Godatu breaks out a scanner that converts brain activity into a TV picture. Ah, computer programming...
• The Party: (unreleased) Pat's throwing a party.
• The Proposal: (unreleased) You remember him. Bill Wallhead. He's back and he means business.

Character list:

• Dr. Janice N!Godatu
• Elaine (receptionist)
• Mr. Marsh (patient)
• Bill Wallhead (boyfriend)
• Pat (friend)
• The Carlisles (fishtank repairmen)
• Michelle (patient)

Book cover of Aunt Mary's Cook Book.

M.K. Brown contributed various strips to National Lampoon magazine, "Aunt Mary's Kitchen" featuring regularly from the early '70s into the early '80s, often in multi-page full color spreads. In 1983 Collier Books published the "Aunt Mary's Kitchen" cookbook of 140 recipes gathered by M.K. Brown.

Character list:

• Aunt Mary
• Leo (brother to Aunt Mary)
• Dorothy (twin sister to Aunt Mary)
• Dr. Douglas McNouglas
• Nurse Laura
• Mark (nephew)
• Heather (niece)
• Dawn (niece)
• Tommy (friend of the nieces)
• Frankie (Aunt Mary's cat)
• Bill & Lillian Moronson

• The Magic Lamp, - June 1972
• Funny Pages, "Mercury, God's Own Messenger" - July 1972
• Funny Pages, "Whistle-Stop" - August 1972
• Goin' West, - September 1972
• Funny Pages, "Russ de la Rocca--Worm Trainer of the Americas" - September 1972
• Funny Pages, "Beans Morocco Rides Again" - October 1972
• Funny Pages, "Bill--The Story of a Newt Who Was Eaten by His Suit" - December 1972
• The Day the Animals Discovered Death, Illustrated by M.K. Brown - January 1973
• Another "True Life" Western Romance, - March 1973
• Funny Pages, "Night Ride" - May 1973
• Funny Pages, "Different Story" - June 1973
• Saga of the Frozen North, - October 1973
• Mercury, Messenger of God, - February 1974
• Editorial cartoon - March 1974
• Earl D. Porker, Social Worker, - March 1974
• Western Romance, - May 1974
• Funny Pages, "How to Appear Normal" and "Beans Morocco" - June 1974
• Waste Not Want Nots, - July 1974
• Funny Pages, "Worms" - October 1974
• Earl D. Porker, Social Worker, - January 1975
• Aunt Mary's - 12 panel Full COLOR spread. - August 1980
• Aunt Mary's - August 1980: Aunt Mary had the strangest dream last night!
• Aunt Mary's - September 1980: Aunt Mary decides to have a slide show.
• Aunt Mary's - October 1980: Aunt Mary looks for pictures for the slide show.
• Aunt Mary's - November 1980: Leo tries to fix the Popcorn machine.
• Aunt Mary's - December 1980: Leo goes to the emergency room.
• Aunt Mary's - May 1981: You know what they say about Fig Bars!
• Aunt Mary's - June 1981: Leo has escaped from the hospital!
• Aunt Mary's - August 1981: Can I have just ONE bite of your hamburger?
• Aunt Mary's Slide Show - 11 panel Full COLOR spread. - August 1981

• Selby Speaks - Harper/Collins, 1996
• Selby : The Secret Adventures of a Talking Dog
• Let's Go Camping with Mr. Sillypants - Crown, 1995
• Sally's Room - Scholastic, 1992
• The Enneagram Relationship Workbook - (Illustrations) Molysdatur Press, 1991
• Big Goof and Little Goof : A Pet for the Goofs, a Change of Seasons, Bigger and Smaller - (Illustrations)
• Big Goof and Little Goof/Three Short Stories
• Let's Go Swimming with Mr. Sillypants - Crown, 1986
• Aunt Mary's Kitchen Cookbook (1983 by Collier Books)

• Twisted Sisters A Collection of Bad Girl Art (Viking Penguin, 1991)
• Twisted Sisters, Volume 2: Drawing the Line (Kitchen Sink Press, 1995)
• Narrative Corpse (Raw Books/Gates of Heck, 1995)
• Titters - Collection of Women's Humor - Collier
• National Lampoon's Truly Tasteless Cartoons - Contemporary Books Paperback
• Are Your Papers in Order? - Recycled Paper
• Animals, Animals, Animals - Cartoonist's Guild
• Drawn Together - Cartoonist's Guild
• Dogs, Dogs, Dogs - Harper and Row
• Strip Aids USA - Last Gasp
• The Big Book of New American Humor - Harper/Collins
• Graphic Classics

• Script co-writer - Comedy News - NBC
• Script and Animation - Dr. N!Godatu - The Tracey Ullman Show - Fox
• Script - Doug - Nickelodeon (ACE Award nomination)
• Script - Things That Go Bump in The Night - Danger Prod.
• Animation featured in The Third Animation Celebration - Expanded Entertainment

On page 13 of American cartoonist Lynda Barry's 2011 book, Blabber, Blabber, Blabber: Volume 1 of Everything, Barry lists M.K. Brown as one of her early influences:

"By the time I graduated from high school I knew about bitter and sweet, but thanks to cartoonists like M.K. Brown, Gahan Wilson, and Ed Subitzky I also knew about weird and rare and hilarious ways of changing one into the other. These three cartoonists taught me to watch the people around me and listen to how they talk and to write down what they say. But I learned the most by copying their drawings, and these three were especially good teachers."