Brad on the Bus

The cartoon world of CATA's CEO

Hi, I'm Brad, the cartoon version of CATA's Chief Executive Officer, Bradley T. Funkhouser. Like many CEOs, I owe my life to a particular passion. For some, it's sports. For others, it's arts and culture. But me? I was drawn to public transportation. Literally.

Now I pop in and out of cartoon adventures, usually with a bus pass in one hand and a big idea in the other. Things don’t always go according to plan — but that’s half the fun.

Stick around, and you’ll see where the road takes us. Who knows? You might just fall in love with transit too.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and X to keep up to date with my adventures!

Brad on the Bus Issue 2 - Fall/Winter 2025

Download Brad on the Bus Issue 2 as an accessible PDF.

Brad on the Bus Issue 1 - Spring 2025

This inaugural special issue features a handful of Brad on the Bus comic strips, bringing to life CATA'S leading man’s cartoon world — complete with kabooms, ker-plops and thwacks. Brad on the Bus helps everyone prioritize humor, take life a little less seriously and appreciate more deeply the people we interact with every day.

Download Brad on the Bus Issue 1 an accessible PDF.

Brad on the Bus origins

In 2018, Brad on the Bus was borne of vision, strategy and tactics — the nuts and bolts of any well-run transit system or social media campaign. The objective was threefold: to humanize CATA’s brand beyond big machines on wheels rolling down the corridors of the capital city; to artistically represent the diverse personalities and passions of CATA’s workforce; and to introduce CATA’s newly minted chief executive officer, Bradley T. Funkhouser, as the bus-loving transit nerd that he genuinely is.

“Viewing the world as a comic strip can soften the harsh realities that we and those we serve face every day,” Funkhouser often says, sparking a whole series of hilarious Brad on the Bus episodes. Running a public transportation service and removing transportation barriers is serious business, after all. “It takes dedicated people with heart to meet the needs of the populations we serve, and it helps to find humor and silver linings in our daily lives.”

About the artist

LORA ROOT is a midwestern comics person, graduate of Michigan State University and former student of the university's Comic Book and Graphic Novel Studies program. They have been writing and illustrating the Brad on the Bus comic series since their time as a student, and are responsible for many other published indie comic crimes such as Hamlet is Okay and their ongoing fantasy series, Mercy Justice Peaches. You can find them online everywhere under the Lemonbrows username, but for art and updates, your best bets are Bluesky, Tumblr and their website.