Hi! I'm Mark Stern. I've always been a "creative type". From my earliest memories as a child I was amusing my friends with my cartoons. I was the comics-obsessed kid drawing Spider-Man or Calvin & Hobbes in the margins of my notebook while receiving countless detentions and reprimands from my exasperated school teachers trying to get me to focus on their daily lessons. I decided to channel that creative energy and graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2001 with a B.S. in graphic design, and since then I've amassed over 17 years of experience working with ad agencies, corporations, universities and everything in between.
I specialize primarily in corporate branding, print and marketing materials, and I love the variety and scope of projects I get from my clients. Any given day can involve a mix of logo designs, brochures, direct mail, sell sheets, character designs, invitations, website marketing, etc. Which is why I’ve had some difficulty positioning myself with prospective clients. On one hand, I can help a multimillion dollar corporation rebrand themselves to appear more sophisticated, contemporary and professional. And, on the other hand, I can draw a sweet duck.
At the end of the day, my goal is to make my clients happy. Regardless of what their project entailed, whether it’s a commissioned drawing of a water buffalo or a 36-page brochure, I want them to be pleased with the process and the outcome.
When I’m not at my computer, I enjoy hiking with my dog Ripley, reading, movies, road trips, music, and playing hockey. You can find my drawings and comics over at the cuckoostudio.com.
