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.

Mudroom

DIY Five

Joel Henriques’s fantastic finger puppets are coming for YOU!

10/14/2011 By Zach Dundas

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So Happy Together

Portland businesses make ends meet through cooperation and cohabitation.

10/14/2011 By Eleanor R. Brown

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Jump Start

D. B. Cooper: the last great western outlaw—and counter-culture icon.

10/14/2011 By Julian Smith

Trail of the Month

Ghost Lake

Ghost Lake: Where else would you hike in October?

09/21/2011 By Brian Barker

Mudroom

PDX Index: Halloween

How many zombies does it take … Oh, never mind! Halloween in Portland by the numbers.

09/21/2011 By Rebekah Roberson

Cover Story

Fall Getaways: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Fall was made for long weekends. As the sun settles lower and lower in our sky and thanksgiving comes into view on the horizon, there’s no better time to escape the city and savor the few quiet, crisp weekends of autumn.

09/19/2011 Edited by Kasey Cordell By Brian Barker, Zach Dundas, Rachel Ritchie, Martin Patail, and Eleanor R. Brown

COVER STORY

Go By: Automobile

Road trips with drives as dazzling as the destinations

09/19/2011 By Kelly Clarke and Rachel Ritchie

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PDX Index: First Thursday

First Thursday by the numbers.

08/19/2011 By Eleanor R. Brown

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Plantwise: Blue Bonanza

Growing fruit in your backyard is a berry, berry good idea.

07/22/2011 By Kate Bryant

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PDX Index: Rivers

PDX Index takes us to the rivers.

07/22/2011 By Ryan Donaldson

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The Perfect Party: August 2011

The guests will be arriving soon. Do we need more chairs?

07/22/2011

Editor’s Note

State of Refuge

07/22/2011 By Randy Gragg

FEATURE

The Hidden War

Bullets, bombs, IEDs. For today's armed forces, the risks are myriad. But for the women serving their country, some of the greatest threats come from an enemy within: their fellow soldiers. The stories of three Oregon women demonstrate the many ways sexua

07/20/2011 By Kasey Cordell

Get Out

Forest Park Guide: The Best Hikes

There's no shortage of hiking trails in Forest Park. The trick is picking a favorite.

06/29/2011 Edited by Brian Barker

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Plantwise: Plan for Winter (Yes)

Summer is the time to plant seeds and make plans.

06/29/2011 By Kate Bryant

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The Perfect Party: July 2011

The Dude abides at this month's Perfect Party.

06/29/2011

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Press Play

Local writers get the last word with e-books.

06/29/2011 By Martin Patail

PAIRINGS

Beer Meets Grill

Because fine food and craft beer constitute the latest culinary dream team, we asked three local brewers to share their favorite BBQ recipes—and explain which summer brew will best accompany their dish of choice.

06/24/2011 By John Chandler

Mudroom

PDX INDEX: Fireworks

There's always something blowing up at PDX Index.

06/24/2011 By Emily Burton

Article

Oregon Coast Guide: Coast Quest

If you can't commit to a coastal jaunt, you can at least play the game.

05/20/2011