Brian was born on Nov. 30, 1957, into an artistic family. His father, Gene Basset, spent more than 40 years behind the drawing board, first as a sports and theatrical cartoonist in the 1950s, and then as an award-winning political cartoonist. As a child, Brian was always drawing. He further honed his humor skills by watching TVs "My Three Sons," "The Monkees," and, of course, "The Brady Bunch" while he was growing up in the Washington D.C. suburb of McLean, Va.
Following high school, Brian enrolled at Ohio State University, majoring in fine arts. It was on the student newspaper, The Lantern, home to such past giants as James Thurber and Milton Caniff, that Brian would really sharpen his pencils as he took up residence as the editorial cartoonist for the next three years.
In the autumn of 1978, Brian left Ohio State University and was hired on at The Seattle Times, becoming one of the youngest political cartoonists in the country -- a position he held until 1994. Ten years earlier, however, Brian dipped his pen into the world of comic strips with the creation of "Adam," a feature revolving around a stay-at-home father of three. Syndicated by Andrews McMeel Syndication, Brian would write and draw "Adam," (changed to
Adam@Home in 1995 to tap into his own experiences after leaving editorial cartooning) for the next 25 years. In 2000, Brian launched his second comic strip feature
Red and Rover, a retro-feel strip that revolves around the unconditional love between a boy and his dog. Brian is active around the country in animal related charities, especially with the Seattle/King County Humane Society.
The father of two grown sons, Brian lives, draws and paints from his home among the misty fir trees in the Emerald City, Seattle.