Michael Novak was born in Los Angeles, and lived in New York City for ten years before moving to Portland in 2007—officially placing him in the category of “person most despised by native-born Portlanders.” Over a 20-year career, he’s been an editorial Art Director at Time Warner and Portland Monthly, as well as an illustrator, designer, animator, and storyboard artist.

The highlight of Mike’s brief animation career was a year-long stint as a character layout animator on the Fox show King of The Hill, before he decided that drawing Hank Hill all day long was pretty damn boring. After the act of sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring put the kibosh on his freelance illustration career, he discovered design, which he loves.

His duties at Portland Monthly consist of making the magazine look and read awesomely, by designing covers, features, and pretty much anything else. In his free time he likes to sleep.

TROPHY CASE

Trophy Case: January's Best Local Stuff

A guide to Portland's coolest products and ideas

12/12/2012 Edited by Zach Dundas

ONE SENTENCE STORIES

Local Time Traveler…and More!

Micro-stories about space suits, beer, and Justin Bieber's chest baring.

11/21/2012 Edited by Zach Dundas

TRAIL OF THE MONTH

Alameda Ridge Trail

11/20/2012 By Brian Barker

Trail of the Month

Aldrich Butte Trail

10/16/2012 By Brian Barker

Business

How the Ace Hotel Creates Its Products

A look at the Ace Hotel's collaborations with local designers and makers

10/16/2012 By Martin Patail

Food

Portland's Weirdest Pickles

Five bizarre fermented products found right here in the Rose City

10/16/2012 By Laura Lundberg

Article

The Perfect Party: November 2012

The guests we’d most like at our dinner table this month

10/16/2012

Tech Scene

Portland's High-Craft Tech Boom

What our thriving start-up scene owes to Portland's crafty culture and urbanism.

10/16/2012 By Will Lambeth

Article

One Sentence Stories

It's another installment of One Sentence Stories—because there's simply no time for details.

09/21/2012

Trail of the Month

Butte Creek Falls Trail

Activity: Waterfall & Fall-color Viewing | Distance: About 1 mile, round trip | Rating: Moderate

09/21/2012 By Brian Barker

Plantwise

Fall to the Wall

The cycle of harvest and planting marches on so keep an eye on your gardening to-do list.

09/21/2012 By Kate Bryant

Article

Perfect Storm

Fifty years ago, the Big Blow smashed Oregon—and cleared a path for pinot noir.

09/21/2012 By Kit Mauldin

Article

The Perfect Party

The guests we’d most like at our dinner table this month

09/21/2012

A Toast of Two Cities

Wine Country Weekend: Newberg or McMinnville?

McMinnville and Newberg regularly vie for the title of top wine-country town. We turn the spotlight on their hottest new spots to help you decide who deserves the honor.

09/21/2012 By Kasey Cordell