Greg Peters (September 24, 1962, in Marquette, Michigan[1] – August 2, 2013, in Jefferson, Louisiana)[2] was an American editorial cartoonist best known for his détournement-based comic strips "Suspect Device" and "Snake Oil".[3]
Peters began producing "Suspect Device" in 1996, when he was working at the Times of Acadiana as a graphic designer and his editor asked him to produce a cartoon about gambling.[4] "Suspect Device" appeared in the Times until 1998, when — in the wake of a dispute with his publisher over whether to publish an installment of "Suspect Device" that might offend an advertiser— Peters[2] and his editor[5] both resigned; "Suspect Device" then appeared in Gambit from 1999 until 2010.[2]
In 2003, he launched "Snake Oil", in The Independent.[4]
In addition to cartooning, Peters worked at Louisiana State University Press.[2]
In their 2003 awards, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies gave "Suspect Device" an "Honorable Mention" in the category "Cartoon: 4 or fewer papers", specifically citing "Peters' dry, allusive wit", skill at collage, and "opinions (that) are frequently unexpected".[6]
In 2004, Peters participated in an exhibition at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.[4]
In 2006, the Louisiana Press Association awarded him first place for Editorial Cartoon.[7]
In their 2007 awards, the National Newspaper Association ranked Peters second in the category "Best Original Editorial Cartoon (non-daily)".[8]
Peters moved to Louisiana in 1990, after he discovered that graduate school applications fees were cheaper there.[4]
He was a frequent contributor to the Dysfunctional Family Circus,[9] whose reuse of copyrighted graphics has been described as "the foundation for Suspect Devices format".[4]
Peters had aortic stenosis[10] and throughout his life[11] underwent multiple surgeries to correct this.[2]