About the Author

Fred Showker has been owner and CEO of Showker Graphic Arts & Design (Showker, Inc.) since 1972, where his advertising graphic arts production facility in Harrisonburg, Virgina has produced nearly 7,000 successful projects for more than 500 clients. To his credit are three National Dynamic Graphics Awards, numerous PIVA and Printing Industries of America awards, and the 1987 Package of the Year award for consumer packaged goods. He won the coveted Desktop Publisher of the Year Award for Aldus (Pagemaker), and was cited as among the top four desktop publishers by Mac Guide Magazine.
 

He began publishing DT&G electronic magazine (ezine) in 1990, and established The Design & Publishing Center on eWorld in 1994, which continues today on the world wide web. His DT&G ezine and The Design & Publishing Center have received more awards than should be published here, including C|Net's "Site of the Day", USA Today's "Hot Site", Publish Magazine's "Site to See", and the coveted APEX award for best electronic publication in 1998. David Pogue, in Macworld Magazine said "DT&G is a one man tour de force of advice, instruction and how-to's pertaining to all things graphic!" and "There are other ezines about design and art. But none approach the usefulness of this one."
 

Fred's been a speaker, and seminar presenter for Multicom Expos, In-House Graphics Magazine and Dynamic Graphics DGEF, teaching such topics as creative layout techniques, web design, presentations, multi-media design, brochure design, and typography "WOW" to employees of more than 500 organizations including Apple Computer, Microsoft, Phillips, Merck, Ford Motor Company, the State of Maryland, Chicago Newspapers, Wired Magazine, and numerous nonprofit organizations such as The United Way, National Library Association and the U.S. Armed Forces. His 1993-96 tour of "Newsletter Make-over Clinics" brought crituques and hands-on make-overs to hundreds of businesses such as Caterpillar, 3M, NRA, National Underwriters Labs, University of California, Maryland State, The United States Air Force and a myriad of ad agencies and DTP studios. As an adjunct faculty member of James Madison University (JMU, Harrisonburg, VA) he's taught Publication Design and currently Introduction to Digital Graphics & Design, and Introduction to Typography.
 

As community service, he became active in computer clubs in 1984, involved in many activities for Apple and the User Group Community. He was a presenter and participant in Apple's first User Group University in 1987, with the Apple User Group Connection (UGC), as well as Appleworld, eWorld, National Apple User Groups (NAUG), National Apple User Group Symposium & Workshops (NAUGSAW), and most recently in the rebirth of The User Group University (UGU). Showker's seminars were familiar fare, and well attended at every Macworld Expo until IDG purchased Macworld in 2000.
 

As a user group community leader, Showker founded the User Group Network News service, and acted as a founding board member of the Apple User Group Advisory Board (UGAB). User group members over the years have known him for his 60-Second Window, originally syndicated in many UG newsletters, since 1990.
 

As consultant and developer, he had a hand in the birth and growth of AppleLink PE (ALPE) and Quantum Computers, who eventually changed their name to America Online (AOL) where he was cofounder and Forum Leader for the first online User Group Forum (UGF). He served as editorial columnist for the Mac User Group News Service (MNS, MUG News), and served on the boards of both The Computer Users for Social Responsibility (CUSR) and The National Home & School Mac User Group (NHSMac). Today he is a Board member of The User Group Academy and The Association Of Apple Computer Users & Groups (AACUG).
 

Showker was a graduate of the Communication Arts & Design School of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU, Richmond, VA) and is active in local civic organizations and K-12 education including the Parent Teachers' Organization. His firm is a member of the Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, and the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association.
 

He was born on August 18th, 1950, and today resides in the backwoods of Virginia with wife Carol, and three dogs.

Contact Fred Showker