Cartoonist Berkeley Breathed lists his home in Santa Barbara at $4.95 million

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed has listed his mountainside retreat in Santa Barbara for $4.95 million.

The 25-acre ocean-view estate, which includes a swimming pool, fruit trees and a guesthouse, was designed as a creative environment.

The custom house features an art studio and a screening room where Breathed worked for the last 12 years on Hollywood projects including “Mars Needs Moms” (2011) and “Secondhand Lions” (2003). There are five bedrooms, five bathrooms and 5,241 square feet of living space.

He is selling to be closer to his children’s school.

“I’d gotten quite used to working high above the Santa Barbara clouds in a Xanadu-like studio that appears designed for Captain Nemo,” Breathed said. “Their particular school forced a painful decision to come back to downtown Earth.”

Breathed, 55, won the Pulitzer for editorial cartooning in 1987 for “Bloom County.” Among the author-novelist-screenwriter’s other comic strips were “Outland” and “Opus.” His most recent film project, involving his novel “Flawed Dogs,” is in development at DreamWorks Studios.

Chris Palme of Coldwell Banker is the listing agent.

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