Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware is an American cartoonist known for his Acme Novelty Library series, which began in 1994, and his graphic novels Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth (2000), Building Stories (2012), and Rusty Brown (2019). His works explore themes of social isolation, emotional torment, and depression. Ware uses a vivid color palette and realistic, meticulous detail in his art. His lettering and images often evoke the ragtime era or early 20th-century American design styles.
Ware often refers to himself in a self-effacing, even withering manner in promotional materials. Critics and fellow notable illustrators such as Dave Eggers consider him among the best in the medium. Canadian graphic novelist Seth remarked, "Chris really changed the playing field. After him, a lot of cartoonists started to scramble and think, 'Holy [expletive], I think I have to try harder.'"