A native of Iowa, I attended the University of Northern Iowa. During my college years, I studied photography and art history.
I moved to California after college with my now ex-wife. She was originally from Mexico and got a bilingual teaching job in a mostly Hispanic area. While there I did various photography jobs and was a substitute grade school teacher. I learned more Spanish at that time than I did in two years of college Spanish. That was also when I met the woman who would be one of the physical models for Monica.
Following my stint in California, I moved back to Iowa to open a photography studio with a good friend from High School (it is now being run exclusively by him). It was then that I started dating my current wife. We originally met in college and she had dated two of my roommates (although, not at the same time). She has been a big inspiration and was the motivation for me to start doing Wapsi Square in the first place.
Both of us really liked the Minneapolis area, so after five years of running a photo studio (and surviving a long distance relationship), I sold my half of the studio and trekked up North.
Now I spend my time working on my comic "Wapsi Square", and helping my wife raise our son, Eddie.