Short Version: Put Mark Kaufman in a time machine. Set the controls for 1978 when he entered the School of Visual Arts. Ply him with Quaaludes and White Russians, ask him what he wants to do in 35 years. He’ll say he wants to be a graphic designer. He wants to win awards from The Society of Illustrators, American Corporate Identity, Society of Publication Designers and Print Magazine. He wants to illustrate for The New York Times, The Progressive and The Stranger. He wants to serve on the boards of AIGA Seattle and ICON The Illustration Conference. Set the controls for now. He’ll tell you he’s done these things and wants to do more.

Long Version: Mr. Kaufman is a partner at Vivitiv, an issue oriented design firm providing creative services for organizations involved in housing, technology issues, education, the environment, the arts, and more. Mark attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and has over 35 years experience as a designer, illustrator and comics artist.

The illustrations of Mark Kaufman have appeared in publications and websites worldwide including The New York Times, The Progressive, The Stranger, National Lampoon, Willamette Week, The Nib, Fine Cooking Magazine, The Oxford American, Newsbound.com, and Uppercase Magazine. Mark is the creator of the comic strips American Affairs Desk and I Drew This Thing. His work has also been featured in the books Thinking Creatively, The Best of LCD: The Art and Writing of WFMU, Magnificent Marvelous Me, and The Big Book of Green Design.

Mark has also been interviewed on the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast and DesignTaxi.com. Mr. Kaufman and partner Jacqueline McCarthy have been profiled in Step Inside Design Magazine and Rock, Paper, Ink.

Mr. Kaufman currently serves as Vice President of Communications, ICON The Illustration Conference. He has previously served on the boards of AIGA Seattle, The Seattle Show, Into the Woods Conference, Currents9 conference, was co-chair of AIGA Seattle Design Camp, was a jurist for the Creativity 38 awards and is an editor at Illustration Age.

His work has garnered awards from the Society of Illustrators, Society of Publication Designers, Print Magazine, Graphic Design USA, American Corporate Identity, Creativity, the Seattle Show and the Art Directors Club of New Jersey among others.

Mark’s drawings and collages have been exhibited in galleries in Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, St. Louis, Denver and London.