Martin Perscheid

He is known for his "fearless glimpses into human abysses of sexism, racism, ignorance, corruption and stupidity, captured with black humour."

• Name — Martin Perscheid • Born — 16 February 1966 • Died — 31 July 2021 • Birthplace — Wesseling, Germany • Place of death — Wesseling, Germany • Occupation — Cartoonist • Known for — Perscheids Abgründe • Website — www.martin-perscheid.de • Awards — Max & Moritz Prize

Perscheid was born in Wesseling on 16 February 1966, where he lived and worked until his death. He was trained as a lithograph designer. Perscheid was married and had two children but at the time of his death he was in a relationship with fellow cartoonist Nadia Menze. Perscheid died on 31 July 2021 after a long battle with cancer. Born to a Catholic family, Perscheid soon became an atheist and humanist which influenced his work significantly. From 2020 to his death, he was a member of the board of advisers of the Giordano Bruno Foundation, a German non-profit organization that promotes evolutionary humanism and enlightenment.

Perscheid's drawing style has been compared to that of Gary Larson. His themes are usually satirical, not avoiding taboo subjects, and often including black comedy. His series were in an unchanged upright format framed black, drawn with sparse lines and unerring punch line delivery ("mit zielsicherer Pointenführung"). His works have been published in various German newspapers and magazines. In 1994, he joined the Lappan Verlag, and remained with the house until his death. He then created his main character, a bald, bespectacled man, and a stand-in for Perscheid himself. His series around the character was named Perscheids Abgründe (Perscheid's Abysses) in 1996. He created over 4,300 strips. He published his first book in 1995. In his career, he published over 25 books with cartoons.