Dave Coverly (born 1964) is the creator of the single-panel comic ''

Speed Bump Speed bumps (also called traffic thresholds, speed breakers or sleeping policemen) are a class of traffic calming devices that use vertical deflection to slow motor-vehicle traffic in order to improve safety conditions. Variations include the s ...

''. He grew up in

Plainwell, Michigan Plainwell is a city in Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,788 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Plainwell is located on M-89 (Michigan highway), M-89 just east of its junctio ...

, USA, and graduated from

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public university, public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal ...

(EMU) in

Ypsilanti Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north ...

with a degree in philosophy. At EMU, he worked for the student newspaper, the ''

Eastern Echo ''The Eastern Echo'' is the independent student newspaper of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The paper is funded through advertising revenue. The paper is published on Mondays during the fall and winter semesters. Although ...

''. He went on to get a master's degree in English from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

. Coverly took a year off from graduate school, and during that time he was an art director for a public relations firm and an editorial cartoonist for the ''Battle Creek Enquirer''. He returned to Indiana in 1990 and became the editorial cartoonist for ''

The Herald-Times ''The Herald-Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Bloomington, Indiana and surrounding areas. The newspaper won the Blue Ribbon Daily award in 1975, 1984 2007, and 2014, naming it the best daily newspaper in the state of Indiana in those years. ...

'' in

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

. His work appeared in ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'', ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''. After

Creators Syndicate Creators Syndicate (also known as Creators) is an American independent distributor of comic strips and syndicated columns to daily newspapers, websites, and other digital outlets. When founded in 1987, Creators Syndicate became one of the few suc ...

picked up his untitled cartoon panel in 1994, it was given the title ''Speed Bump'' and, a year later, it was running in more than 90 papers. In 1995, Coverly left ''The Herald-Times'' to concentrate on ''Speed Bump''. Dave and Chris Coverly live in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

, with their children, Alayna and Simone.

Awards

He has been recognized for his work with the

National Cartoonists Society The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

Greeting Card Award for 1997 and another nomination for the same award for 1998, plus their Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award for 1994 and 2002, with additional nominations for 2000 and 2001. Coverly received their Reuben Award in 2008.Jones, Al. "Speed Bump" creator and Plainwell High School grad Dave Coverly named cartoonist of the year", ''Kalamazoo Gazette'', May 27, 2010.
/ref>

Bibliography

Speed Bump Cartoon Collections

* ''Caution Speed Bump: Collection of Cartoon Skidmarks'' (June 2000) * ''Speed Bump: Cartoons for Idea People'' (September 2004) * ''Just One %$#@ Speed Bump After Another... More cartoons'' (December 2005) * ''Dogs are People, Too: A Collection of Cartoons to Make Your Tail Wag'' (February 2014) *''Laughter is the Best Medicine'' (March 2014) *''Cats Are People, Too: A Collection of Cat Cartoons to Curl up With'' (April 2020) *''Speed Bump: A 25th Anniversary Collection (May 2020)''

Speed Bump and Slingshot Misadventures (children's book series)

*''Night of the Living Worms'' (June 2015) *''Night of the Living Shadows'' (October 2016) *''Night of the Living Zombie Bugs'' (October 2017)

Illustrator

*''Sue MacDonald Had a Book'' by Jim Tobin (July 2009) *''The Very Inappropriate Word'' by Jim Tobin (August 2013) *''How to Care for Your T-Rex'' by Ken Baker (April 2019)

References

External links

National Cartoonists Society

''Speed Bump'' official web site

NCS Awards
1964 births Living people American comic strip cartoonists Eastern Michigan University alumni Artists from Ann Arbor, Michigan People from Ypsilanti, Michigan Reuben Award winners Indiana University Bloomington alumni People from Plainwell, Michigan {{US-cartoonist-stub