James Kochalka James Kochalka is one of the most unique and prolific cartoonists working in America today. His comics have been published internationally, and he's developed animated cartoons for Nickelodeon. Among his best-known work is the Johnny Boo series, for which he won an Eisner Award in 2019. In 2011, James became the first official Vermont Cartoonist Laureate. He and his wife, Amy, continue to live in Vermont, where they raised their family of two boys and too many cats.