Stephen Collins was born in 1980 and grew up in south London. He began cartooning in 2003, and has since won several awards, including the Jonathan Cape/Observer Graphic Short Story Prize and the inaugural 9th Art Award. His work has appeared in many publications worldwide, including Wired, GQ, and the BBC, and he contributes regular comics to the Guardian Weekend and Prospect magazine. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is his debut graphic novel. He lives near Hertford with his wife and a well-charged beard trimmer.