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Bret Hart

Bret Hart’s Hidden Talent as a Cartoonist, Explained

Bret Hart described cartooning as a personal creative outlet linked to humor and imagination that his wrestling persona did not show.

By ThatPainter Team 2 min read
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Bret Hart really did draw cartoons. In a 1997 interview, he described the drawings as a personal creative pursuit, praised some of them, and said he hoped to publish a book of them. The evidence supports a genuine, largely private talent—not a documented career as a syndicated cartoonist.

What did Bret Hart say about drawing cartoons?

Asked in a 1997 SLAM! Wrestling interview whether his drawings were gags, animation, or something else, Hart answered: “I just draw cartoons. Some of them are very good, I think. Someday I’d like to put a book out of just my cartoons. I have a very, very wicked sense of humor which doesn’t come across in the ring and a vivid imagination. I’m sure I’ll release something sometime in the near future.”

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That is the clearest first-person account of the skill. Hart connected the cartoons to humor and imagination that his wrestling persona did not reveal. His comment also shows he took the work seriously enough to imagine publishing a collection, while stopping short of describing an established professional cartooning career.

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What kind of cartoons did he make?

The interview does not identify a recurring strip, animation credit, or particular series of drawings. Hart simply called them cartoons. It is reasonable to understand them as a personal outlet for caricature and humor about the wrestling world, but the available record does not establish specific subjects, a publication history, or the size of his body of work.

There is evidence that cartoon art became part of Hart’s public-facing merchandise: his official website lists a “Cartoon AUTOGRAPHED 8X10.” That confirms an official cartoon-art item, but it does not by itself document a larger catalogue or tell us when the artwork was created.

Why is his memoir called My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling?

The title belongs to Hart’s memoir, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling. The phrase also resonates with two related ideas: Hart’s own interest in drawing cartoons and wrestling’s use of exaggerated characters. In a 2012 WWE interview, he recalled a period when the company featured “cartoon characters,” contrasting that presentation with a later focus on wrestling ability and more realistic performers.

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That contrast makes Hart’s cartooning an interesting counterpoint. He could value drawing and comic exaggeration while also distinguishing wrestling built around cartoon-like characters from a more realistic, wrestling-centered style. The title should not be taken as proof that the memoir is a book of cartoons; it is a memoir about Hart’s life in wrestling.

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What does the memoir offer readers curious about Hart’s creative side?

Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling is the natural place to turn for Hart’s wider perspective, though the available descriptions establish it as a memoir rather than a collection of his cartoons. The official Bret Hart shop lists an autographed softcover edition. Publishers Weekly’s 2008 review identifies the book as a Grand Central memoir and describes its detailed wrestling narrative and family history; its record lists a 569-page hardcover with ISBN 978-0-446-53972-2.

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