Jeff Smith (born 1960 in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, USA) is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone. He has also worked for Character Builders Animation as an Art Director. He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio. Smith was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he displayed an interest in cartoons dating back to as early as kindergarten. Smith made his mind up to become a cartoonist at nine years of age after a classmate brought a copy of some of Walt Kelly's Pogo comics to school.
While attending the Ohio State University, Smith created a daily four-panel strip for the student newspaper, The Lantern. That strip, called Thorn, introduced the characters that would later populate his comic book series Bone.
Smith has won several awards, including the 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2000 National Cartoonists Society Comic Book Awards (for Bone), nine Harvey Awards: Best Cartoonist in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2003, Special Award for Humor in 1994, and Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Works (for The Complete Bone Adventures) in 1994.