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

Spider Bytes

A new breed of arachnids feels the vibe on Mount St. Helens

04/20/2010 With Brian Barker

Editor’s Note

Rearview Mirror

Save the Oregon Historical Society

04/15/2010 By Randy Gragg

The Mudroom

Perfect Pairings

Favorite restaurant full? No sweat. These four bars let you slake while you wait.

03/15/2010 By Kasey Cordell, Rachel Ritchie, Amber Villa-Zang, and Avz

Mudroom

Cash Crop

As the city’s economic development efforts rise and fall, the Portland Farmers Market continues to grow.

02/16/2010 By Mike Thelin

Mudroom

Eco-Erotica

Love yourself and your planet with sustainable sex toys.

01/19/2010 By Meghan Hilliard

Mudroom

Chasing the Wind

Two local turbine manufacturers face off to harness the breeze.

01/19/2010 By Rachel Ritchie

Feature

Mt. Hood

From Peak to Valley: An Insider’s Guide

11/09/2009 By Kasey Cordell, Christopher Van Tilburg, Rachel Ritchie, and Kelly O'Connor Edited by Brian Barker

RIP CITY

Game On!

We look at five members of the reinvented and reimagined Portland Trail Blazers who are ready to answer the call of "Rip City" and lead the team to their ultimate mission: a world title.

10/09/2009 By Benjamin Golliver