Stephen Breen

The San Diego Union-Tribune

Born in 1970 in Los Angeles, Stephen P. Breen grew up in neighboring Orange County as the second oldest of eight children. He graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1988 and attended the University of California at Riverside, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. It was at UCR where he started drawing political cartoons for his school paper, The Highlander.

Breen was about to take a job as a high school history teacher when the Asbury Park Press offered him a job in 1994. In April of 1998, Breen was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning.

In July 2001, Breen returned to his home state to join the staff of The San Diego Union-Tribune. His editorial cartoons are nationally syndicated by Copley News Service and regularly appear in The New York Times, USA Today and Newsweek.

NPF’s judges found that “Breen’s cartoons were timely, well-executed and made excellent use of visual metaphors.”

Breen is the author and illustrator of two childrens’ books published by Dial Books, Stick (2007) and Violet The Pilot (2008).

Steve Breen lives in San Diego with his wife and four children. He enjoys reading, running, playing the guitar and watching old movies on cable.