M. K. Brown

American cartoonist and painter

M. K. Brown is an American cartoonist and painter whose work has appeared in many publications, including National Lampoon (1972–1981), Mother Jones, Wimmen's Comix, The New Yorker, Playboy, among others. She has written several books, created animations for The Tracey Ullman Show, and was a contributing artist to the "comic jam" graphic novel The Narrative Corpse. She is also an accomplished painter with work in galleries and many private collections. Lynda Barry, cartoonist of the comic strip Ernie Pook's Comeek, lists Brown one of her early influences.

M. K. Brown was born in Connecticut and she grew up in Darien, Connecticut and New Brunswick, Canada. She attended school at Silvermine Guild School of Art (now named Silvermine Guild Arts Center) in New Canaan, Connecticut with cartoonist, Manuel "Spain" Rodriguez. Brown was married to fellow cartoonist B. Kliban; together they had a daughter, Kalia who is a dancer and artist. Since 1967, she has lived in Fairfax, California in Marin County.

Her animated series Dr. N!Godatu (with Julie Payne as Dr. Janice N!Godatu) debuted on April 5, 1987 on The Tracey Ullman Show, airing as the sole animated short for the first two weeks then alternating with Simpsons shorts for the rest of the first season (animated by the same Klasky Csupo team of Wesley Archer, David Silverman, & Bill Kopp). Ullman show cast members Julie Kavner and Dan Castellaneta along with then freelance voice actress Nancy Cartwright provided voices: Kavner as her receptionist Elaine, Cartwright in "Freeway" (as Pat, Dr. N!Godatu's friend who refuses to drive on freeways, through tunnels, or over bridges), and Castellaneta in "Blind Date" (as Dr. N!Godatu's date, Bill Wallhead) and "Fishtank" (as the fish tank repairmen). There were six shorts in all, each divided into four Acts. There were also two unreleased episodes (The Party and The Proposal). Dr. N!Godatu (a character of Brown herself) is pronounced without a vowel sound preceding the N and a clicked G.

1 (4W02) The Office: Dr. N!godatu wore her pink slippers to work; not to worry, since she keeps a pair of pumps in a drawer for just such an emergency but the drawer is filled with giggling pink slippers. 2 (4W03) Blind Date: Dr. N!godatu has a dream date with Bill Wallhead, a lawyer who's also a surgeon that previously played linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams, and in college, was voted cutest couple; unfortunately, Bill's also someone who likes to talk about himself too much. 4 (4W01) Freeway: Dr. N!godatu is going shopping with her friend Pat (voice of Nancy Cartwright), who never drives over bridges, through tunnels, or until Act III on the freeway. 7 (4W26) Fishtank: Dr. N!godatu's fish are doing strange things, which is nothing compared to what the two balloon like repairmen (voice of Dan Castellaneta) are doing trying to fix it. 9 (4W09) The Dream: Dr. N!Godatu has a strange dream and that guy in it looks like her blind date Bill
13 (4W12) Scanner: Dr. N!Godatu breaks out a scanner that converts brain activity into a TV picture. Ah, computer programming
The Party: (unreleased) Pat's throwing a party. The Proposal: (unreleased) You remember him. Bill Wallhead. He's back and he means business.

M. K. Brown contributed various strips to National Lampoon magazine between 1972 until 1981;