Raised in the unforgiving cornfields of Illinois, Joel survived on a steady diet of cartoons, comedies, and movies, which permanently shaped his sense of humor for better or worse. He studied film and video production and spent six years working in broadcast television before transitioning into remote video editing. He now works as a freelance scriptwriter, with episodes he’s written for an animated kids’ YouTube channel surpassing one million views. His independent projects have earned festival and contest nominations, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. When he’s not writing, he’s catering to the needs of his demanding pets, Zuko the dog and Sonia the cat, while focusing on finding representation and building a future in comedy-driven, story-forward work.