Katy Cowan

Katy Cowan is the face behind Creative Boom. She also has her own creative PR and digital agency, Boomerang PR, based in Cheshire and London which specialises in social media marketing, SEO and web design and development. A graduate of the University of Central Lancashire, Katy is a former broadcast journalist who worked for a number of regional radio stations before moving into the world of public relations. When she isn't sat at her computer, Katy is either out on her bike, at the top of a mountain snowboarding or camping with friends. To find out more about Boomerang PR visit here.

Charlee Sully

Charlee Sully is a graphic designer with a passion for hand-drawn illustration, old typography, new technology, quirky music and vintage fashion. She works across a variety of mediums designing magazines, logos, creating illustrations and building websites, every day is different. As well as running The Usual Studio from her Midlands base, Charlee writes for several blogs. When she’s not creating designs, Charlee loves to discover new creative talent to share with Creative Boom readers. Find out more about Charlee on her newly re-launched The Usual Studio website.

Krista Harrison

Krista Harrisonis an animation/games designer and illustrator. She graduated from the University for the Creative Arts, Epsom in 2008 and is currently based in Newcastle-under-Lyme where she works on a freelance basis. Her passion has always been designing and coming up with ideas, and this has led her to work in many creative areas. She specialises in animation and computer games but also has experience in graphic design, from corporate marketing to promotional work for musicians. She has worked with many different clients from Gulf Air and Creative Review to Koko Digital and the GSH Group.

Mike Messina

Mike Messina is a graphic designer and illustrator, working across a variety of media. He graduated from the University for the Creative Arts, Epsom in 2008 and is now based in Stoke-on-Trent where he works as a full-time designer, as well as working for his own clients on a freelance basis, including creative PR agency Boomerang PR. He has had his work featured in Computer Arts as part of the graduate showcase, as well as having work featured on dot-design.co.uk. When he's not drawing or designing, Mike likes to spend his time reading, going to see a film or taking his border collie Meg out for a walk. To find out more about Mike, visit Mike Messina's website here.

James Whitworth

James Whitworth is a writer and cartoonist. Following a post graduate English degree, James took the plunge into freelancing and has since written for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines. James has also contributed to many blogs including his own, Some Music Matters. In 2008 he became the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook’s official blogger. James draws a topical news cartoon every week day and has published a number of gag cartoons, many of which can be seen at his dedicated James Whitworth cartoon website.When not writing or drawing, James buys far too many CDs.

Tigz Rice

Tigz is a freelance illustrator from London, who works mainly with digital photography and textures. Having recently graduated from Westminster University, she has recently self-published an adult picture book version of Alice in Wonderland and designed a range of heavy metal T-shirts for Diabolus Amor. Describing herself as a ’London based munchkin with red hair and small feet’, Tigz loves everything dark, creepy or unusual. Her biggest inspirations are Dave McKean, the Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmejer, who she describes as ’beautiful weirdos in their own right’. To see more of her work visit Tigz Rice's portfolio.

Stina Jones

Stina Jones is the face behind Creative Elements, a graphic design and illustration agency that serves young entrepreneurs and the creative industries. Stina is passionate about design, working on her own art projects in her spare time. She sells prints through Art for Urban Spaces and has also just launched a Daily Doodleto raise money for charity Shelter, something that Creative Boom is supporting throughout 2010. When Stina isn't drawing, she loves Kundalini Yoga, seeing gigs and going to art galleries.

John Jacobs

John Jacobs is a musician who has been living the life of the proverbial night-owl for the past couple of years, prowling the acoustic haunts of Manchester and east Lancashire in the evenings and often working on his material until daybreak. His acquired skill at penning a song has now been laid bare in his debut EP Sweetness Fades, a four-leaf songbook of great intent and intriguing observations. He is at great ease intertwining tender, melancholic emotion with affecting parody in his songs. John writes regular reviews for Creative Boom. Read more about John Jacob's musical offerings here.

James Johnson-Street

James Johnson-Street is a part-time film student at the University of the West of England, Bristol. He aspires to a future in writing, either in film or music journalism and script writing and looks forward to wherever his career will take him. Though Bristol based, James is not a Banksy fan and lists Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson and Francis Ford Coppola as his personal favourite directors. His interests include spending more money than he should on DVDs, cinema trips, comic books, gigs and what Bristol's alternative and rock night life has to offer.

Somhairle MacDonald

Somhairle MacDonald has been running schmO graphic design since 2001. Between bouts as a musician and bike messenger the schmO has developed a unique style and reputation. Completely self taught Somhairles experience has been garnered from one to one client relationships that continue to flourish, developing fresh and distinctive results. A keen artist Somhairles illustrations adorn books, t-shirts, banners and posters. Hailing from the Highlands of Scotland Somhairle maintains a strong and profound connection to his roots and also contributes to outdoor adventure blog High-8.

Moustafa Hassan

Moustafa Hassan is a designer with a passion for art, and an artist with a passion for design. He currently attends the Corcoran School of Arts in Washington D.C where he pursues a degree in Graphic Design. He is the co-founder of design studio, Nosuchthing and loves comic books, art magazines, TV, photography, ffffound, the internet, design, Creative Boom, bikes, tea, and everything! He enjoys designing T-shirts, posters and covers, using Photoshop and other means, and is a big fan of pop and street art.

Ben Grubb

Ben Grubb is a freelance illustrator, photographer and graphic designer living and working in London. Since graduating from Herefordshire College of Art and Design with a BA (Hons) in Illustration, Ben has worked with a variety of clients creating high-end, corporate literature and brochures for architects, banners, graphics and layouts for various websites and cover artwork for bands and musicians. His art and photography share a love for texture, contrast, layers and type. Aside from this Ben runs an open discussion forum for illustrators and writes blogs and reviews for several websites. When not working, he can often be found covered in chalk and indulging in his other passion of climbing.