Dan Santat, author and illustrator of The Guild of Geniuses, was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in California. Santat attended the University of California, San Diego, where he graduated with a B.S in Biology. He went on to receive an illustration degree from the Art Center College for Design, where he graduated with honors. Dan was the first runner-up in the SCBWI Don Freeman Memorial Grant-In-Aid competition. That same year, he won first prize in the Quirky Modern Category of the juried art portfolio display at the 2002 SCBWI Los Angeles Conference. Between 2001 and 2004, Santat worked as a texture artist and 3D modeler, designing concept art for video games. He now works as a freelance illustrator. Sanat’s first book, The Guild of Geniuses, was published by Arthur A. Levine Books. The book centers on the illustrious Guild of Genius, who's brilliant members invent machines that solve any problem. Naturally, when Frederick Lipton the movie star notices that his best friend, Mr. Pip the monkey, is feeling blue, he turns to the Guild of Geniuses for help. Will a rocket trip to the moon make Mr. Pip happy? What about a banana cake baked specially by the Robochef? The Guild of Geniuses is stumped. But maybe, just maybe, all Mr. Pip needs is more attention from his best friend. There's one thing it doesn't take a genius to figure out Dan Santat's tender story and hip, quirky illustrations are sure to put a smile on anyone's face. Santat plans to continue writing and illustrating and has already began work on his second title, The Domesticated Six, a full-length graphic novel for Arthur A. Levine Books. In addition, Santat is currently developing a cartoon called The Replacements for Disney. Other than illustrating, he enjoys ice hockey, watching movies and listening to music. Santat lives with his wife, Leah, in Pasadena, California.Â
