View source for Brian Bram

{{Short description|American artist}}
'''Brian Bram''' (born May 9, 1955, in [[Chicago]]), raised in [[Deerfield, Illinois]], played a minor role in the [[underground comix]] movement with his contributions to ''[[American Splendor]]'', the comic book series written and published by [[Harvey Pekar]] and, more recently, with his work with author Jonathan Baylis on his autobiographical comic series, So...Buttons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sobuttons.com/|title=So...Buttons #13 artist list|website=So Buttons|language=en|access-date=2023-10-01}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Bram's first paid illustration job was a logo for a local rock band. At 17 he began contributing to ''Triad'', a Chicago-based alternative magazine that published work by [[Skip Williamson]] and others. At 18 Bram served briefly as art director for the magazine.

Bram moved to [[Cleveland]] in 1975 to major in design and illustration at the [[Cleveland Institute of Art#Notable professors and students|Cleveland Institute of Art]]. According to the Comiclopedia,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bram-brian.htm|title=Brian Bram|website=lambiek.net|language=en|access-date=2019-03-21}}</ref> underground cartoonist [[Jay Lynch]] introduced him to Pekar who hired him to illustrate stories in the first issue of ''American Splendor''. [[File:Splash_Panel,_"Remembering_Be-Ins,"_1976.jpg|link=File:Splash_Panel,_%22Remembering_Be-Ins,%22_1976.jpg|thumb|"Remembering Be-Ins" splash panel by Brian Bram, American Splendor #1, 1976]]Bram contributed to the first two issues of ''American Splendor'', along with artists [[Gary Dumm]], [[Greg Budgett]], and [[Robert Crumb]]. He provided the art for "Remembering Be-Ins" in ''American Splendor'' #1 (1976) and "Rollins on Mars," "May 4–5, 1970," and "Zoology" in ''American Splendor'' #2 (1977).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=8529|title=Brian Bram at the Comic Book DB|last=Bram|first=Brian|website=Comic Book DB|language=en|access-date=2019-03-07}}</ref> In 1980 he moved to [[Rochester, New York]], to study film and animation at the [[Rochester Institute of Technology]].

In 1983 Bram produced and hosted<ref>{{Citation|last=jcepillow|title=Degrads "I Saw Bobbie Sobbing in the Lobby"|date=2006-10-24|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORFjU_ojm6M|access-date=2019-03-07}}</ref> an all-night movie program (All Night Live) on [[WUHF]] (Channel 31; then an independent station; now part of the Fox network). In addition to movies, the program was a forum for local bands including Personal Effects, [[The Silly Pillows|The Degrads]], and Cousin Al and the Relatives. [[File:Interior Art &quot;May 4-5 1970,&quot; 1977.jpg|thumb|"May 4–5, 1970" interior art by Brian Bram, American Splendor #2, 1977]]

Since 1987 Bram has been living in [[Boston, Massachusetts]] and working as a creative director in the interactive industry.

In 2023, Bram was invited by Jonathan Baylis, author of the independent comic book series, "So...Buttons," to participate in issue #13<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sobuttons.com/|title=So...Buttons #13 artist list|website=So Buttons|language=en|access-date=2023-10-01}}</ref> of that series along with other ''American Splendor'' alumni [[Gary Dumm]], [[Michael T. Gilbert]], [[Dean Haspiel]], and [[Joe Zabel]].
[[File:So-Wrung Final 15.jpg|thumb|alt="So...Wrung" one-page story, art by Brian Bram, So...Buttons #13, 2023, written and published by Jonathan Baylis|"So...Wrung" one-page story, art by Brian Bram, So...Buttons #13, 2023, written and published by Jonathan Baylis]]

==Further reading==
* ''Comic Books as History'', [[Joseph Witek]], 1989, University Press of Mississippi. {{ISBN|0-8780-5405-7}}
* ''Diners of New England'', [[Randy Garbin]], 2005, Stackpole Books. {{ISBN|0-8117-3141-3}}
* ''R. Crumb Checklist'', [[Don Fiene]], 1981, [[Bookpeople (distributor)|Bookpeople]]. {{ISBN|0-9606-6541-2}}
* ''The Catalog of Cool'', [[Gene Sculatti]]. 1982, [[Warner Books]]. {{ISBN|0-4463-7515-2}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|title=Brian Bram|url=http://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/bram-brian.htm|work=Comiclopedia|publisher=Lambiek}}
* [https://lettheuniverseanswer.com/2016/02/10/traid-radio-on-wxfm-aug-3-1972/ Triad Radio air check, 1972]
* [http://www.joshcomix.com/pekar-artists/ Complete list of Harvey Pekar's artists]
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbram Bram at Linked In]
* {{YouTube|ORFjU_ojm6M|Bram interviewing Rochester band The Degrads on his TV show, WUHF-TV31, Rochester, NY 1983}}

{{Underground comix cartoonists}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bram, Brian}}
[[Category:American comics artists]]
[[Category:Underground artists]]
[[Category:Alternative cartoonists]]
[[Category:Underground cartoonists]]
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Rochester Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:People from Deerfield, Illinois]]
{{US-comics-artist-stub}}