About

James Firnhaber (he/they) is a freelance illustrator based in Philadelphia. His work draws on his love of mythology, magical realism, graphic novels, and traditional animation. He graduated with a BFA in illustration from the University of the Arts in 2016, and returned to teach in 2023.

When they’re not illustrating, James designs board games and helps run the Game Makers Guild of Philadelphia. Their first published design is Tesseract, now widely available in Barnes and Nobles.

Besides drawing and designing games, James loves discovering new music, baking bread, and spending time with their partner watching monster of the week shows, cooking, and exploring the city.

Clients

• Disney-Hyperion Publishing

• Macmillan Children’s Books

• Penguin Random House

• Algonquin Young Readers

• Albert Whitman and Co.

• HarperCollins

• The New York Times

• The Washington Post

• Viking Books

• Little Bee Books

• Candlewick Press

• Greenwillow Books

• Dutton Books for Young Readers

• Quirk Books

• Philly Magazine

• Catan Studio

• OpenIDEO

• Toolbox for Education

• American Reading Company

• TESA Collective

• The Wells Fargo Center

Exhibitions and recognition

• The Society of Illustrators 2020 Annual

• Light Grey Art Lab, Fortune Show

Contact

jfirnhaberillustration@gmail.com

(609) 412 - 1562.