The Last Straw

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a series of diary-style children’s novels written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. The series originated online as a daily comic on Funbrain, an educational game platform. Kinney, a cartoonist and game developer, began publishing diary entries written and illustrated by Greg Heffley, a fictional middle schooler. The entries chronicle Greg’s daily activities as he tries to become popular, talk to girls, escape bullies, and generally deal with coming-of-age themes like friendship, family, and identity. Kinney illustrates the entries with stylized, humorous cartoon drawings that complement Greg’s irreverent voice.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid has grown into a global media franchise with more than 20 published books, selling over 250 million copies. The series has been a permanent fixture on the New York Times Bestseller list since it began in 2007. The books have been adapted into a live-action film series and an on-gong animated film franchise. Kinney has written activity books to accompany the movies and a spin-off diary from Greg’s best friend Rowley’s point of view.

Much has been written about the cultural impact of the Wimpy Kid series.