Kirk Benshoff

About Kirk Benshoff

KIRK BENSHOFF [he/him/his] is a Creative Director for First Second, where he oversees the design team and manages the format for Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Roaring Brook Press, Holt, and Feiwel & Friends. He leads a dream team of designers and collaborates with the most talented sequential art creators worldwide. Additionally, Kirk is actively engaged in designing and art directing his own projects.With a self-directed and organized approach, Kirk consistently meets tight deadlines without compromising on quality. His overarching objective is to perfect the graphic novel workflow in the trade market. This involves fostering education, responsible practices/expectations for creators, and developing a streamlined comic-specific process. This process aims to reduce overhead costs and increase predictability for publishers, allowing creators to enjoy innovative freedom while working in a sustainable structure that minimizes expenses and maintains high morale, all while upholding a strong commitment to craftsmanship. Central to his strategy is prioritizing author care, determining project factors and objectives early, “Proof of Concept” pages to flesh out details, and fostering an enjoyable creative experience.Kirk\'s extensive experience spans more than two decades, encompassing the design of trade books, magazines, logos, illustrations, websites, comics, and more. He resides in Brooklyn with his wife and two children, who have a tendency to \"borrow\" his comic collection.

Experience

1. Creative Director at First Second - Macmillan Children s Publishing Group

   Macmillan

   Apr 2023 — Present · NY, US

   Managing the graphic novel workflow and design team for First Second and handling the graphic novels for Roaring Brook Press, FSG, Holt, and Feiwel and Friends.

Education

• Rochester Institute of Technology

  AD, Illustration

  1993 — 1994

• Rochester Institute of Technology

  BFA, Graphic Design, Communications

  1993 — 1996

Skills

• Art Direction
• Graphic Design
• Illustration
• Logo Design
• Art
• Digital Illustration
• Comic Books
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Children's Books
• Commerical Fiction
• Young Readers
• Young Adults
• Ya
• Creative Direction
• Pre-Press
• Concept Development
• Advertising
• Mac
• Typography
• Layout
• Graphics
• Brochures
• Publishing
• Books
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Multimedia
• Photography
• Editorial
• Book Design
• Multimedia Project Management
• Indesign
• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• Magazines
• New Media
• User Experience
• Information Architecture
• Web Design