Mark was born and raised among the hills of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a paved, urban wonderland where one’s imagination was encouraged to run wild. His favorite past-times were running around wild and drawing. After running wild, Mark usually ended up getting hurt. It was then that he could always count on getting “painted” by Mom with red Mecurichrome. That stuff stung!

Drawing, on the other hand, never hurt (except when he scribbled on the walls). Eventually he turned to paper, had some lessons (the best were in his Grandmother’s basement), and went to art school. After graduating from the Philadelphia College of Art (University of the Arts), Mark spent many years trying to make a living drawing for other people. Mark worked as an editorial cartoonist, a screen printer, a set designer, a graphic designer, and a freelance illustrator, all before attempting to illustrate and write his first children’s picture book. By this point in time Mark was married and had two beautiful daughters (the really great inspirational kind).

Happily, Mark continues to draw pictures and write words and make books. And together with their two cats, he and his family all live in a house among the green hills of Wayne, Pennsylvania, where a rich tradition of wall-scribbling is alive and well!