Joel Anderson was born in Denver, Colorado, in 1965. His family moved every few years to places such as Texas, Curaçao, El Salvador, New York, and South Carolina. Joel studied at Ringling School of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida, where he concentrated on Illustration and Design.
After graduating with honors in 1986, Joel moved to Nashville and worked for seven years at the advertising agency Carden & Cherry. While there, Joel won several ADDYs and an Emmy Award for his work on a Saturday-morning TV show; independently, he exhibited and sold his paintings in local galleries.
Joel co-founded Anderson Thomas Design in 1993 with his business partner David Thomas. The firm worked on numerous award-winning projects for clients such as Universal Studios, DreamWorks, Hasbro, and HarperCollins. After David retired in 2007, Joel retooled the company as Anderson Design Group and narrowed the focus to illustrative design, publishing, and poster art. Since then, Joel has published over 3,000 posters and 16 books.
Learn more about Joel’s love for travel and the critical importance of a daily Dad Joke to make everyone within earshot laugh, cry, or groan.
