A Little History
Born in Cleveland, and now living just outside Philadelphia, Dawn has had the privilege of both a midwest upbringing and a high school & college education on the east coast. Also a late borderline Gen-X-er, she also has seen life before cell phones and the Internet, but has also fully immersed herself in today’s technology. Dawn truly is an “in-betweener” who has seen both sides! Growing up, she was very much a tomboy, playing basketball and softball, and climbing (and falling out of) a tree every now and again. Her love for competition and games knows no bounds. While busy east coast life sits well with her, her devotion to her hometown Cleveland sports teams and the simple joys of life speaks volumes about her dedication and ties to her past. Dawn and her husband Rick live in Havertown, PA, with their “furbaby” adopted dog, and lots of tech-y gadgets.
Education/Experience
After acquiring a BFA in Graphic Design & Illustration from Tyler School of Art / Temple University in 2001, Dawn took to the design field as a Jr. Designer for Insign Inc., a signage & manufacturing company in NJ, with big clients such as Sunoco and Giant Food Stores. After a stint working as a large-format printer operator for a historic Photo Studio in Philadelphia, she then landed a Graphic Designer position at J&J Snack Foods Corp. in Pennsauken, NJ. Going on 7 years, Dawn has cemented herself in the J&J Art Department and is quite happy creating logos, packaging, and literature for brand such as Superpretzel, LUIGI’S Water Ice, and Whole Fruit. Plus, there’s free pretzels.
Achievements
While design is a field Dawn has flourished in, her main passion is drawing. Thus, her nights and weekends are spent finding new avenues for success in illustration and cartooning. Her online (and published) comic strip “Zorphbert and Fred” is going on it’s 8th year and boasts many accomplishments such as a nomination for “Best Anthro Comic”, and being included in numerous comic Anthologies. Dawn’s other associated brand is “Abby’s Adventures”, written by Suzanne Ridolfi, which she illustrates. The children’s book series, going on 5 books, is published under Eifrig Publishing and has gotten many sponsors, one being Dove’s self esteem movement. Lastly, Dawn’s own illustration work has been seen in publications like Philadelphia Style Magazine, National Safety Council pamphlets, and in the Team Cul de Sac Cartoonists Anthology for Parkinson’s Research (which has recently be nominated for an Eisner Award and multiple Harvey Awards).
