Mike Stolz grew up in New Jersey. The cast of characters in his neighborhood – and the natural inclination of his eye – lead him to the skill of drawing. After high school Mike attended Parson’s School of Design. He received his BFA and moved forward with his abilities in both graphic design and illustration. Mike helped start the graphics department at Bloomberg Television shortly after graduating. He accumulated experience as a 3D animator and illustrator within his capacity at Bloomberg and beyond. He was invited back to Parsons to teach Maya (a 3D animation software) and later became a founding partner of the design house Manic. With over 20 years of compositing and retouching experience: Stolz has developed a great knowledge of Flame, Smoke, After Effects, and Maya among others. Mike now lives in Brooklyn and continues to use his eye to the benefit of the greater aesthetic.