Masthead
Mike Shapiro
Creator of Joe
Mike Shapiro began drawing Joe the Circle in 8th grade on the back of notebook dividers in lieu of paying attention in Social Studies class, establishing both a set of artistic standards and work ethic that remain consistent to this day. The premiere issue, “Joe the Circle Versus Godzilla”, introduced the strip’s recurring dramatic themes of rampant violence, ad-hoc storylines, and monsters. The comic quickly amassed an underground following consisting of three or four of Mike’s friends, who made up in intensity of fandom what they lacked in artistic discrimination.

Mike continued Joe’s adventures on an occasionally weekly basis in the pages of campus newspaper at Carnegie Mellon University, then in 1995 began writing new issues for the web. In spite of huge popular demand, Mike continues to produce Joe to this day, pausing only for occasional three-to-four year stretches of indolence and ennui. Mike lives in Los Angeles, where it is rumored that he has some sort of music-related career.

Amanda Schroeder
Thankless assistant
Amanda Schroeder became a reader in the late 90s and did a couple fan-art type media for Joe the Circle before being assimilated into the production process. It is still uncertain exactly what she does for the site now, but seeing as she went to school for Graphic Design, she’s probably here to make JtC “pretty.”
Jeff Yoak
Chief mistrustee
Jeff was involved as coproducer during the comic’s halycon years on the web, and is responsible for such milestones as the site’s first venture into paid online advertising, the site’s first use of clickthrough fraud as a revenue-generation tool, and the site’s first fabrication of contest winners in order to imply that more than zero parties had actually entered. Jeff also organized the first JoeFest event, whose success may be measured by the fact that there has subsequently been no second. He’s listed here primarily to bolster our apparent numbers, and because we think this is an amusing photo.

19.07.2006.