Kory Merritt

Kory Merritt is an American author and illustrator from Western New York who worked as a public school art teacher before turning to children's books full time. He first built a following as an illustrator for the online game franchise Poptropica, later adapting its stories into a graphic novel series for Abrams Books. His illustrated novel The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York (2015) established his interest in creepy, kid-friendly horror. Merritt writes and illustrates the No Place for Monsters trilogy, a middle-grade horror-comedy series continued in School of Phantoms and Little Nobody, blending cartoonish black-and-white art with a genuine sense of unease. He has described his creative work as growing out of a lifelong fascination with strange wildlife, weird stories, and drawing monsters.