Sam Ricks grew up creating stories about toxic fruitcakes and peanut butter–snatching aliens. He is the illustrator of several books for young readers, including The DATA Set series. Sam earned his BA from Brigham Young University and his MA from the University of Baltimore. He is a founding member of Cotopaxi: Gear For Good. He, his wife, and their five children live in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit Sam at SamRicks.com.