Welcome to the about section of Plossville.com.

Skip is a an author/illustrator, graphic designer, columnist, web developer, teacher, director and actor who, disguised as a mild-mannered educational aide in the Wilton School System, fights a never ending battle for fun, reading and a view of things slightly askew.

Click for Skip's Bio.

Then and Now

Skip in a school picture taken at Weaver Elementary, Los Alamitos Ca. c.1968

Skip now, trying to look like an author (note the sweater).

Skip is a an author/illustrator, graphic designer, columnist, web developer, teacher, director and actor.

His graphic design history goes back to 1969 when his teacher, Mrs Downing, pointed out to him that his drawing of two unnamed dinosaurs in a primordial swamp was "a good one".

During school Skip would "take notes" by drawing. This lead to the famous "Bannerman Incident" of 1975 when he was asked to stay after school for his reckless doodling by his Ancient History teacher, Ms. Bannerman. When he was able to show the teacher how the pictures related directly to the subjects discussed in that day's class he was allowed to continue. Upon graduation he presented her with a 25' x 8.5" panorama of the American Civil War done with turtles.

It is true that he purchased his first computer, a Commodore Amiga 1000, because it had more colors (4096) than anything else he could afford at the time. The printer, a Xerox Diablo C150, cost as much as the computer.

In 1995 Skip was hired to draw "cartoonish" elements for a new website. He was then "given the opportunity" to learn the coding behind the webpage (ok, he was thrown an HTML book and a brochure and asked to translate the brochure to this web page). He was unique in that he was not a programmer but an artist who learned programming. Soon he had a department of 10 artist/programmers. The company folded but he has kept designing ever since.

Skip's love of writing, fostered by the late Symour "Sigh" Schneid a former editor for Argossy and Science Fiction Magazines has been partially satisfied by The Hersam Acorn Press giving him a column in their "The Home Monthly" which is delivered to households in eight Fairfield County Connecticut and Westchester County New York towns. The column, called "And Another Thing..." is where he is allowed to "play". He also has started writing a column for this website called "The Troubled Bruin".

His teaching life began when a former instructor of his asked him to return to the Fairfield University School of Continuing Education to help in the development of a web technology curriculum for their Computer Design Institute. He did and became an instructor there, teaching until 2002.

Skip began working as a substitute in the local school system in the spring of 1995. He joined the staff of a local k-2 school as an instructional aide in the fall of 2005. He enjoys working with kids and it is this work that inspired him to write his first two children's books in 2006. "If Picasso Were a Fish" was released in March and "If I Had a Gift" was released in June. Skip is currently working on four new books.

His community theatre involvement includes acting, directing, producing, writing, set design and management. He has acted in three productions, See How They Run, Witness For The Prosecutionand The Hasty Heart. His directing credentials include; Arsenic and Old Lace, Guys and Dolls, 1776, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, My Big Fat Italian Feast (which he wrote as well), Wasp on this Island (which he also wrote) and Wenceslas Square (which he directed at Wilton High School). Set designs include Arsenic and Old Lace, 1776, The Perfect Party, Deathtrap, The Secret Garden, The Sweet Bye N Bye and Wenceslas Square.

"I enjoy variety in the projects I do from website design to script writing and directing. Cross pollination between disciplines feeds creativity and keeps you thinking outside the box." He says. By having a wide range of creating interests he is able to create using many different styles and techniques.

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