MICHAEL HEARST is a musician and a writer. He is the author of the book Unusual Creatures, and of course the one being plugged on this page. As a musician, he has recorded and released over a dozen albums, some with his band, One Ring Zero, others under his own name, such as Songs for Ice Cream Trucks, Songs for Unusual Creatures, and Songs for Fearful Flyers. He has also composed music for several films, most recently To Be Takei and Magic Camp. Hearst lives in Brooklyn, New York, in a smallish third-floor apartment. Thankfully, there are grapevines outside his window.

AARON SCAMIHORN is a designer, illustrator and screen printer from Indianapolis. Operating under the business name Ronlewhorn Industries, Aaron has designed and hand screen printed artwork for a variety of bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Cake, Arctic Monkeys, Bayside, Taking Back Sunday and Dropkick Murphys. His illustrations have been featured in publications such as Communication arts, ESPN Magazine & Uzbek et Rica.