In 1994, Mark Pett put his artistic career on hold to work in Mississippi's public schools. Teaching sixth grade confirmed Mark's beliefs that (1) a good education is imperative for America's burgeoning poor, and (2) 12-year-olds are spawns of the devil.

It's not that Mark didn't love the children he worked with. They were smart and funny, and could melt your heart with a smile. He just realized that novice, idealistic teachers are to 12-year-olds what friendly little bunnies are to wolves. After two years in the classroom, Mark had a newfound respect for teachers -- he now ranks them right up there with world peace negotiators and people who repair VCRs.

"Mr. Lowe" is a comic strip loosely based on Mark's own experiences as a teacher. It is a tribute to all the unsung heroes who manage our nation's classrooms. It's also a tribute to the kids who aggravate those unsung heroes.

Mark Pett grew up in Utah, where he dreamt of becoming a cartoonist. After thankfully graduating from the University of Pennsylvania (he turned in a cartoon of his professor for his linear algebra final), he left the country to work as an editorial cartoonist in Prague. He soon learned that Czechs don't have the same appreciation Americans do for having their political leaders depicted without pants.

Back in the states, Mark's cartooning was well-received, and appeared in all the major Utah publications, including The Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Salt Lake City Weekly, and The Enterprise. The Society of Professional Journalists named him Utah's most outstanding editorial cartoonist in 1998.

Mark Pett recently moved back to the Mississippi Delta with his wife Tiffany and their two dogs, where they are getting further involved in Mississippi's public schools.