Mark Crilley

Manga Creator, Artist

Mark Crilley was raised in Detroit, where he started drawing almost as soon as he could hold a pencil in his hand. After graduating from Kalamazoo College in 1988, where he was befriended by children’s author David Small, he taught English in Taiwan and Japan for nearly five years.

His first comic series, Akiko, was published in 1995, leading Random House to invite him to adapt it as a series of chapter books. His graphic novel series, Miki Falls, was chosen by the American Library Association as one of the “Great Graphic Novels for Teens” for 2007, and has been optioned by Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Production Studio for development as a feature film.

Crilley’s work has been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and on CNN Headline News and Comcast On Demand, and his popular YouTube videos have been viewed 290 million times and counting.

He lives in Michigan with his wife, Miki, and children, Matthew and Mio.

Mr. Crilley is also the author of several popular books on drawing manga and drawing in the hyperrealism style.

Mr. Crilley will be participating in various panels and autograph sessions throughout AnimeFest 2016. Please check our schedule of events for details.

Read more about Mark Crilley and his creations via his page on Youtube or Facebook.

We are excited to welcome back Mark Crilley for his second appearance at AnimeFest!