So, just who is Vernon Thornblad?

I’m writing this in the first person, frankly because I find professional bios, often written in third person by the actual person the bio is about, often feel awkward. That, in itself, may say something about me, but I’ll let you decide just what that is.

Early on in my life, I was recognized by others for three things:  artistic abilities, sensitivity, and leadership. As with everyone else, there were other “qualities”, to be sure, but I’ll stick to the positive ones for now.

On the leadership side of things, I got involved in Boy Scouts and became an Eagle Scout. (Note: One should not assume my adult political view based on what my early pastime and allegiances may infer.) I was also selected by my high school as a Boys State delegate. And I was the co-president of my ecumenical youth group.

But I was probably most known for my interest in and knack for visual arts. That led to my enrollment in Rhode Island School of Design, where I graduated after studying under, among others, Chris Van Allsberg and David Macaulay.

During my senior year in college, two of my illustrations were accepted into an exhibition of up-and-coming illustrators by the Society of Illustrators, in New York City. One of the two were among those awarded with a prize.

After college, my focus changed and my career evolved in the advertising industry, beginning as a graphic designer, and working my way up through the ranks from art director to creative director. 

Early on in my career, I worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for Brookstone.

Over the years, I’ve taken on a wide range of opportunities and challenges. The first television commercials I ever wrote and directed won Telly Awards.

For a while, I served as art director for a toy company. Hired to handle the print advertising, catalog and packaging, I also found myself designing and art directing the actual toys. Bendos™ was a line of retro, quirky of non-violent action figures which achieved an almost cult-like following by  adults, and were beloved by children. For a time, the line ran neck and neck with Beany Babies® when they were at the height of their popularity and sales at specialty retail toy stores.They even appeared on the Rosie O’Donnel Show. Today, they can be found by collectors on eBay. I was also the art director for the popular Stardust Classics doll-and-book line that featured Laurel the Wood Fairy, Alyssa the Princess, and Kat the Time Explorer. 

Both lines received accolades from the toy industry and awards such as: Dr. Toy, Openheim Toy Award and Parents Magazine Best Toys Awards.

It was at Kid Galaxy in 1999, when I designed and developed my first website. But then, in 2000, the dot-com bubble burst. That single event sent millions of creatives like myself out onto the streets, jobless. Since then, my career has ridden the ebb and flow of the American economy, with its successive downturns and recoveries all while living in the economic backwaters of southwestern New Hampshire. Along the way, there were successes. The earlier-mentioned Telly Awards came during that period. I won several Lamplighter Awards from the New England Society for Healthcare Communications. Having directed many high end on-location photo shoots in the past, I became a professional photographer. I also worked for a time as an online Marketing Director.

These days, I’m focused mostly on website design and development. But it should be noted that from working all these years in marketing communications, I have become in my own right, a solid strategic marketing expert, especially with online marketing tactics. When SEO became integral to web development, I earned my chops in that. Now that AEO and GEO are with us, I’ve come to integrate those strategies in my work, as well.

But behind it all is a commitment to integrity. That’s something I hinted at in the opening of this bio. The world of communication is replete with dishonesty and propaganda. I made a promise to myself early in my career, that if I was going to work in this field, I would hold true to my own authenticity and guiding values. Of all my accomplishments, it is this that satisfies me the most.