Prominent Comics Historian Andrew Farago Arrested for Allegedly Recording Party Guests

Andrew Farago, a respected figure in the comics and animation world, has been arrested for allegedly secretly recording party guests in his bathroom. Police reports indicate Farago, former longtime curator of the Cartoon Art Museum and a prolific pop culture historian, was taken into custody on June 3rd.

The allegations state he hid his cellphone in the bathroom of his South Berkeley home during a birthday party on May 23rd, deliberately positioning it to record guests using the toilet. Disturbingly, the alleged recordings reportedly included both adult guests and children. Court documents cite an email Farago sent to guests, confessing, "I hid my phone in our bathroom for the purpose of spying on our guests, my closest friends in the world." He added, "This was an inexcusable violation of your privacy and our friendship." Police investigation revealed video on the phone reportedly showing Farago himself setting up the hidden camera.

Farago, known for authoring numerous books on comics and animation and an Inkpot Award recipient, faces twenty counts of invasion of privacy. He had served as curator of the Cartoon Art Museum for over two decades before stepping down last month. Authorities seized about a dozen electronic devices, and the investigation by the Alameda County District Attorney's office is ongoing. No formal charges have been filed yet.