Bud Grace

Bud Grace (born c. 1944) is an American cartoonist best known for creating the syndicated comic strip *Ernie*, later retitled *Piranha Club* in the United States. Born around 1944, Grace originally pursued a career in nuclear physics before turning to cartooning. He broke into the industry in the mid-1980s, and his most famous work, *Ernie*, debuted in 1985, running through 2008. The strip centered on the misadventures of a hapless everyman and his eccentric family, including the scheming Auntie Arlene and the dim-witted nephew, Ernie. Grace also drew the *Babs and Aldo* strip under the pseudonym Buddy Valentine. His style is characterized by loose, expressive linework and a fondness for absurd, gag-driven humor. Over his career, Grace was credited as artist, inker, letterer, and writer on 122 issues, with his work collected in albums and specials, particularly in Norway under the title *Pyton*. His later years saw the strip rebranded for American audiences as *Piranha Club*, though it retained its original title internationally. Grace’s contributions to newspaper comics earned him a lasting place among syndicated cartoonists of the late 20th century, though major industry awards are not recorded in his biography. He remains a notable figure for bridging scientific discipline with cartooning craft.