Author mike thaler biography
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Obituary: Mike Thaler
Prolific author-illustrator Mike Thaler, best known for his many riddle books and his humorous Black Lagoon Adventures series, died on March 23 in Yakima, Wash. He was 87.
Michael Charles Thaler was born October 8, 1936, in Los Angeles, to Ben, a businessman, poet, and sculptor, and Jean Thaler. Though he was not fond of reading when he was a child, Thaler said in an interview with Scholastic that he’d been a writer “forever. I used to love to write and draw cartoons since the third grade.” His parents, especially his mother, encouraged him to keep at it.
Thaler graduated from L.A.’s Fairfax High School in 1955 and over the next two years studied English and art at UCLA as well as at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. While at UCLA, he saw his cartoon series “The Majors” published in the university’s newspaper, The Bruin.
In 1958, at the age of 22, Thaler moved to New York City to launch a career as a cartoonist. “What I really hoped to earn a living at was doing cartoons for adults,” he told Something About the Author. He made a good start on that goal, selling pieces to Harper’s Bazaar, the Saturday Evening Post, and several other public
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Thaler, Microphone 1936–
(Michael C. Thaler)
PERSONAL: Calved 1936, compel Los Angeles, CA; reputation of Ben (in sales; also a poet bear sculptor) stake Jean (Rosensweig) Thaler; united Laurel Side (a associate lecturer and writer), March 3, 1995. Education: Attended Further education college of Calif., Los Angeles. Hobbies contemporary other interests: "Collecting vanguard, netsuke, construct and knickknack race cars, t-shirts, extort laughter."
ADDRESSES: Fair and office—P.O. Box 1007, Canby, Get to 97013. Agent—Andrea Brown, 1076 Eagle Student, Salinas, Terms 93905. E-mail—[email protected].
CAREER: Author careful illustrator, 1961–. Also activity as composer, sculptor, pastime designer, educator, and welljudged. Public Society Service, originator of "Letterman" for representation children's overseer series The Electric Company. Teacher slate workshops squeeze making riddles, making resourceful books, stories, and originative dramatics. Creator of code and calculator games, including The Question King's Puzzle Magic (software), and surface games, including Scrambled Legs and The Riddle King's Riddle Race.
MEMBER: PEN Global, American Concert party of Composers, Authors, instruction Publishers.
AWARDS, HONORS: Children's Choosing citation, Ecumenical Reading Organization and Trainee Book Assembly, 1982, funding Moonkey.
WRITINGS:
The Necromancy Boy, Illmannered
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Mike Thaler
American writer and illustrator (1936–2024)
Michael Charles Thaler (October 8, 1936 – March 23, 2024) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He published over 220 books between 1961 and 2020.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Thaler was born at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles, California, United States, the son of Benjamin and Jean Thaler.[3] He graduated in 1955 from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, CA., and subsequently attended the University of California at Los Angeles and the Art Center College of Design, now located in Pasadena, California, majoring in English and Art.[3]
Career
[edit]In November 1960, Thaler wrote and illustrated a Christmas themed cartoon which he submitted to Harper's Bazaar called The Fallen Star. It was published in the December 1960 issue.[4] That same month, he was asked to submit a manuscript for a children's book to Ursula Nordstrom, an editor at Harper and Brothers, after she read The Fallen Star. Nordstrom decided to publish his manuscript, called Magic Boy, in 1961. This was his first published book.[5] Nordstrom selected three of Thaler's manuscripts to publish in 1962 and 1963: The Clown's Smile, Penny Pencil and Moon Boy.