Art Spiegelman, born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev, is an acclaimed American cartoonist, editor, and advocate for comics. He gained international fame with his groundbreaking graphic novel Maus, a poignant exploration of his father's experiences during the Holocaust, depicted through the novel use of animals to represent different races and nationalities. Spiegelman's work has had a significant impact on the medium, earning him the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, among other accolades.

Spiegelman's career began in the mid-1960s at Topps, a bubblegum and trading card company, which was his main financial support for two decades. There, he co-created parodic series such as Wacky Packages in the 1960s and Garbage Pail Kids in the 1980s. He became prominent in the underground comix scene of the 1970s with his experimental and often autobiographical work. His early work was compiled in the collection Breakdowns in 1977.

Together with his wife, Françoise Mouly, Spiegelman edited eleven issues of Raw from 1980 to 1991, an oversized comics and graphics magazine that introduced talents who became prominent in alternative comics, such as Charles Burns, Chris Ware, and Ben Katchor. In the 1990s, the couple worked for The New Yorker. Spiegelman left the magazine to work on In the Shadow of No Towers (2004), his reaction to the September 11 attacks in New York in 2001.

Spiegelman is also known for his advocacy for greater comics literacy. As an editor, teacher, and lecturer, he has promoted a better understanding of comics and mentored younger cartoonists. In September 2022, the National Book Foundation announced that he would receive the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, cementing his status as a pillar of American literature.