Howard Tayler

Howard Tayler (born 1968) is an American cartoonist, writer, and podcaster best known as the creator of the long-running webcomic *Schlock Mercenary*, which ran daily from June 2000 to July 2020. The science fiction comic follows a band of mercenaries in space and gained a devoted readership for its humor, worldbuilding, and consistent updates. Tayler has also co-authored role-playing game materials, contributed to anthologies, and is a co-host of the award-winning writing podcast *Writing Excuses* alongside Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, and Mary Robinette Kowal. Before becoming a full-time cartoonist, Tayler worked in the software industry, including a position at Novell. He has received multiple Hugo Award nominations for *Schlock Mercenary*. He continues to write, create, and teach about storytelling and comics.