The Totally True and Not At All Made Up Biography of John Hinderliter: John was born amidst Carny Folk on the island of Atlantic City, NJ, so he was predestined for a career in advertising. His earliest years were spent being adorable and winning baby parade trophies across southern New Jersey. At the age of 10 his father gave him his own wooden rowboat, which led to many adventures and started his love of exploring and seat cushions. His plan to declare one of the small islands in the bay as his own sovereign country was cut short by his family’s move to a small farm in the Middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania. Taking full advantage of his parents’ Benign Neglect School of Child Rearing, John and his younger brother amused themselves on the farm with prodigious reading, leading to science experiments and near-near death experiences involving rockets, robots, underwater habitats, hang gliders, and the unforgettable methane generator. In high school, John’s dual loves of science and art led to him being voted Tallest in the yearbook. He continued to be tall as he moved to Pittsburgh to attend art school, which closed immediately after he graduated with a degree in Now What? John stayed in Pittsburgh, earning a living as an illustrator and racking up awards for painting, advertising and tallness, eventually being inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement. All of which won’t even get him a free cup of coffee.

Awards: Green Prize for Sustainable Literature, Pittsburgh Advertising Hall of Fame, several Addy Awards, more painting awards than I can list.

Clients: Penguin Random House, The Wall Street Journal, Cobblestone Publishing, Eat N Park Hospitality Group, too many ad agencies to name.