Michael Paraskevas | |
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Born | 1961 (age 62–63) New Jersey, U.S. |
Alma mater | School of Visual Arts |
Occupation(s) | Illustrator, cartoonist, animator |
Years active | c. 1985–present |
Notable work | Maggie and the Ferocious Beast Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse The Kids from Room 402 The Tangerine Bear |
Spouse | Maria Bruno[1] |
Parent |
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Website | www |
Michael Paraskevas (born 1961)[1] is an American illustrator, cartoonist, and animation producer best known for co-creating along with his mother Betty in the Canadian animated children's television series Maggie and the Ferocious Beast.[2] The show was based on the 1996 book The Ferocious Beast with the Polka-Dot Hide and its sequels, all of which were also created by the Paraskevases.[3] Together, they authored 20 children's books.[4] and created three animated series: Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse, and The Kids from Room 402. They also produced and created The Tangerine Bear as a direct-to-video Christmas special.
Michael Paraskevas's illustration work has appeared in magazines all over the world, including Time, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Town & Country, Esquire, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
Paraskevas graduated from the School of Visual Arts[1] (SVA) in 1984. Studying illustration and journalism, he received his MFA from SVA in 1986.[5]
The Paraskevas strip Junior Kroll ran weekly for ten years in Dan's Papers in Bridgehampton and New York. Junior Kroll also ran as a monthly feature for five years in United Airlines' Hemispheres magazine. Paraskevas's Green Monkeys is currently running in Dan's Papers as a weekly comic strip and is soon to be syndicated.[citation needed]
Until her death in 2010, Betty and Michael owned and operate The Paraskevas Gallery in Westhampton Beach.[1]