▁Early ▁life ▁Am end ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Massachusetts ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Northern ▁California . ▁He ▁attended ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁Bur ling ame , ▁California ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁cart oon ist ▁on ▁his ▁school ▁newspaper . ▁Am end ▁is ▁an ▁E agle ▁Sc out ▁in ▁the ▁Boy ▁Sc outs ▁of ▁America . ▁He ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁physics ▁from ▁Am her st ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁ ▁Career ▁After ▁a ▁short ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁animation ▁business , ▁Am end ▁decided ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁cart oon ing ▁career ▁and ▁signed ▁on ▁with ▁Universal ▁Press ▁Sy nd icate . ▁Fox T rot ▁first ▁appeared ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Am her st ▁College ▁awarded ▁him ▁an ▁honor ary ▁degree ▁as ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Hum ane ▁Let ters . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Universal ▁Press ▁Sy nd icate ▁issued ▁a ▁press ▁release ▁stating ▁that ▁his ▁strip , ▁Fox T rot , ▁would ▁turn ▁into ▁a ▁Sunday - only ▁strip . ▁Am end ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁wants ▁to ▁continue ▁doing ▁the ▁strip , ▁but ▁at ▁a ▁less ▁hurried ▁pace . ▁This ▁news ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁several ▁weeks ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁discuss ing ▁a ▁" cart oon ist " ▁semi - ret iring ▁to ▁Sund ays ▁only , ▁and ▁what ▁methods ▁he ▁would ▁use ▁to ▁phase ▁out ▁the ▁daily ▁stri ps . ▁The ▁last ▁daily ▁Fox