experience in desktop publishing and the internet. He started at Houghton-Mifflin (Boston), initially in publishing design, then moving into art direction, web design, and systems administration. Zale went independent in the early 1990s, establishing a desktop publishing/design business: Peter Zale Paradezign. However, to support his growing family he joined an advertising agency, working in graphic design, art direction, web design, copy writing and electronic production. With a little extra evening time, he created the cartoon Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet, which debuted on the web in 1996. Zale's cartooning credits also include a weekly technology-related strip, "The Bleeding Edge," for www.techrepublic.com, a leading information technology news site. Zale holds a degree in English literature from the University of Chicago, and a degree in illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Charlotte. References External links Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet official site (archived) 1996 webcomic debuts American comic strips 2005 webcomic endings Comics about women Humor comics Gag-a-day comics Female characters in comics American comedy webcomics Computer humor