Kate Beaton
She transformed historical and literary figures into hilarious, relatable comics, then delivered a raw graphic memoir about labor in Canada's oil sands.
Born 1983 (age 43)·Canadian comics artist·Birthday: September 8·Millennials
Biography
Kate Beaton began drawing comics online while working a museum job in Cape Breton, channeling her history degree into the wildly popular webcomic 'Hark! A Vagrant.' With a sharp, witty line and an anarchic sense of humor, she skewered classic literature and historical tropes, building a massive following. Her pivot to children's books, like 'The Princess and the Pony,' showcased a gentler but equally insightful humor, leading to an Apple TV+ adaptation. In a profound shift, she channeled her experience working in Alberta's oil sands into the graphic novel 'Ducks,' a critically hailed, unflinching portrait of isolation, environmental cost, and the economics of desperation that marked her as a major literary voice.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Kate was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kate Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Kate's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created the influential and beloved webcomic 'Hark! A Vagrant,' which ran from 2007 to 2018.
- Published the graphic memoir 'Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands,' named a top ten book of 2022 by Publishers Weekly.
- Authored the bestselling children's books 'The Princess and the Pony' and 'King Baby.'
- Served as an executive producer for the Apple TV+ series 'Pinecone & Pony,' based on her book.
Did You Know?
She worked in the oil sands of Alberta to pay off her student loans, an experience central to 'Ducks.'
Her sister is the cartoonist and writer Katherine Battersby.
She won several Doug Wright Awards and Harvey Awards for her comics work.
“The past is full of people who didn't know they were in the past.”
