Miles fueled his fertile imagination with books, cartoons, and comics while traveling as a child of a military family. Drawing became an escape and a way to pass the time on long layovers and soon blossomed into a lifelong passion for art and storytelling. Merissa grew up captivated by the creative arts. From a young age, she enjoyed crafting, music and technology. Her passion for the graphic arts drove her to earn a bachelors degree in fine arts, and she now serves as co-founder of three creative endeavors. Miles and Merissa joined creative forces in early 2005 after graduating from college. Amid running the fine art studio Massive Burn Studios, the pair created Butterpup and the Backyard Buddies as a way to recapture the magic of childhood and introduce young audiences to imagination and creative play. Miles and Merissa continue to learn, explore, create, and play just outside of Atlanta, Georgia with their vivacious puppy Pica.