Michael Bartalos attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Pratt Institute. he works extensively in the graphic arts in the U.S., Europe and Japan. He is the designer of the Marathon commemorative U.S. postage stamp, and his images have appeared on Swatch watches, seasonal Perrier bottles, and ad campaigns for Guinness Breweries and Japan Air Lines. His work has been animated for Nickelodeon, Target, Virgin Records and Time Warner Cable. His children’s book Shadowville is published by Viking. Michael lives in San Francisco.