About SUPERCRAT®

SUPERCRAT® was created in 1976, when Beck was working at CIA Headquarters as the administration of Jimmy Carter was coming into office with his transition team. Carter, like most presidents, vowed to 'cut the bureaucracy. Like most of his predecessors, he increased it. The term super bureaucrat occurred to Beck, who then thought of "Supercrat," and began creating a character to go with the image he began conjuring in his mind.

In 1979, State Magazine accepted Supercrat as a main feature of the State Department's monthly publication that goes out worldwide to all American Embassies and Department facilities in the U.S. For 16 years, Supercrat lampooned diplomacy and bureaucracy from within, but with a light-hearted touch as opposed to viciousness. During that time, Beck and Supercrat won three awards and became a staple of the diplomatic landscape.

When Beck retired from the CIA in 1993, State Magazine changed format and Editors, and Beck withdrew the feature due to financial considerations. Supercrat is Available for syndication. Original Supercrat artwork and prints are available for Foreign Service and Department fans (or collectors) by contacting the artist.