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Revision as of 20:58, 25 August 2006 by Some P. Erson (talk | contribs) (Specified type of writer)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant (born December 9, 1933 in London, England) is an author and syndicated cartoonist living in Santa Barbara, California. He is best known for Pot-Shots, a single-panel comic of illustrated one-liners, which began syndication in the United States in 1975.
The Wall Street Journal described him in a 1992 profile as "history's only full time, professional published epigrammatist."
In a copyright infringement suit filed by Brilliant, a U.S. federal judge has ruled that, while short phrases are not eligible for copyright, Brilliant's writings were epigrams and, therefore, copyrightable (Brilliant v. W.B. Productions Inc., 1979).
He employs a self imposed limit of 17 words per epigram.
In 1999 he authored the famed (and often-copied-without-credit) "Y1K Crisis" article which parodies the "Y2K Crisis" (Year 2000 Crisis) of 1999.
Quotations
- I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it.
- Cheer up! The worst effects of what we're doing won't be felt until after we're all dead.
- Be kind to unkind people; they probably need it the most.
- Keep some souvenirs of your past, or how will you ever prove it wasn't all a dream?
- It's human to make mistakes and some of us are more human than others
- The difference between friendship and love is how much you can hurt each other
- I don't have any solution, but I certainly admire the problem
Books
All books published by Woodbridge Press (Santa Barbara, California)
- I May Not Be Totally Perfect, but Parts of Me Are Excellent, and Other Brilliant Thoughts (1979), ISBN 0912800666, ISBN 0912800674
- I Have Abandoned My Search for Truth, and Am Now Looking for a Good Fantasy: More Brilliant Thoughts (1980), ISBN 0912800895, ISBN 0912800909 (paperback)
- Appreciate Me Now, and Avoid the Rush: Yet More Brilliant Thoughts (1981), ISBN 0912800976, ISBN 0912800941 (paperback)
- I Feel Much Better, Now That I've Given Up Hope: And Even More Brilliant Thoughts (1984), ISBN 0880071451, ISBN 0880071478 (paperback)
- All I Want Is a Warm Bed and a Kind Word and Unlimited Power: Even More Brilliant Thoughts (1985), ISBN 0880071559, ISBN 0880071567 (paperback)
- The Great Car Craze: How Southern California Collided with the Automobile in the 1920's (1989), ISBN 0880071729.
- Be a Good Neighbor, and Leave Me Alone: And Other Wry and Riotous Writings (1992), ISBN 0880071915, ISBN 0880071923 (paperback)
- I Try to Take One Day at a Time, but Sometimes Several Days Attack Me at Once: More Brilliant Thoughts Than Ever (1987), ISBN 0880071613, ISBN 0880071621 (paperback)
- We've Been Through So Much Together, and Most of It Was Your Fault: More and More Brilliant Thoughts (1990), ISBN 0880071826, ISBN 0880071834
- I Want to Reach Your Mind... Where Is It Currently Located?: More Incredibly Brilliant Thoughts (1994), ISBN 0880072032, ISBN 0880072040 (paperback)
- I'm Just Moving Clouds Today, Tomorrow I'll Try Mountains: And Other More or Less Blissfully Brilliant Thoughts (1998), ISBN 0880072210
References
- Strickler, Dave. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0970007701.