Hal Mayforth III was born in Burlington, VT on March 18, 1952. After a fairly uneventful childhood, Hal’s family moved to Hudson Falls, NY in 1969 because his Dad got a job offer in Glens Falls. Upon first attending Hudson Falls Central School in the Fall of 1969, he was primarily known as the “new kid” with the long hair. Hal spent two years at HFCS and was encouraged greatly in music and art by the choir teacher Joyce Irwin and the art teacher, Alan Chien. Having picked up the guitar during this period, Hal played in many bands and formed close friendships with a number of talented musicians, some of whom he considers his best friends to this day.
Upon graduating from High School, Hal moved back to Burlington to attend the University of Vermont for two years then returned to the Hudson Falls area to major in art Skidmore College.
After graduating from Skidmore he moved to Boston with his musician buddies and after several years pursuing music and a diet consisting primarily of lentils and rice, Hal went out on his own with an eye on making a living doing art. He developed a portfolio of humorous illustrations and started pounding the pavement, showing his work to design studios and magazines. Eventually he started illustrating for a variety magazines that covered the computer boom of the mid 80’s. By the time the computer industry shifted from the outlying Boston area to Silicon Valley, Hal was already established nationally as a humorous illustrator.
Over a career that spans more than 25 years Hal’s work has appeared in thousands of magazines and ad campaigns. You’ve no doubt seen his work while waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Hal has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including Cartoonist of the Year in 1993 from the National Cartoonists Society.
When not busy with work, Hal has pursued his fine art and has exhibited his paintings all over the country.
He currently lives and works in East Montpelier, VT with his wife and three children. Oh, and he still plays guitar every day.