Mike's Story ...

KARPOVAGE CREATIVE, INC.:

Started 1999 as a freelancing side hustle, this is the design and publishing firm of founder Michael Karpovage. Michael also currently partners with the elite cartographic firm Mapformation for commissioned cartographic designs in the college and university marketplaces.

HISTORIC ILLUSTRATED MAP GUIDES: 

Michael published his first retail map, titled Savannah Historic District Illustrated Map, in August, 2012. It was instantly awarded the Best Recreational/Travel Map in the 40th Annual CaGIS Map competition for that year. Since then, over 40,000 have sold! Haunted Savannah followed in 2015 to rave reviews. Bonaventure Cemetery came next in 2016. Another instant Amazon bestseller was released in 2018 with his Charleston Historic District Illustrated Map. 2020 brought the New Orleans French Quarter Illustrated Map. And 2024 will bring his new Boston Historic Illustrated Map.

MAP CAREER:

Here's a 2012 in-depth interview by Philip Riggs of Decorative Maps about Michael's map illustration career.

Here's an article by Michael on Crafting a Fantasy Map.

BOOKS:

Michael's debut military thriller, Flashpoint Quebec, was published in 2003. Michael's debut mystery thriller, Crown of Serpents, was published in 2009. His second book in The Tununda Mysteries, Map of Thieves, was published in 2014. The third book in the series, Skull of Disguises, was published September 2018.

PERSONAL:

Michael is a native of western New York, a 1986 graduate of Fairport High School, and a 1990 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. He worked some thirty years in the design and marketing field. And he's a bit of a treasure hunter. He is also a Traveling Man of the Craft affiliated with Fidelity-Hobasco Lodge #51 in Ithaca, NY. He lives in Roswell, Georgia with his wife Laura, their staffy Zoey, and cats Tybee, Mojo, and Mini.

HONORS & AWARDS:

2023 Best Rec./Travel Map – Moore Farm Botanical Garden – 51st CaGIS Map Competition

2023 Thomas L. Jackson Award for Masonic Education, Scottish Rite Valley of Rochester, NY

2016 Published in the Atlas of Design, Vol. III - Bonaventure Cemetery Illustrated Map

2011-2015 Published in Tourism Leadership Council's Southern Journey Book – Savannah Map

2012 Best Rec./ Travel Map – Savannah Map – 40th CaGIS Map Competition

2012 Bronze Award – Life University – Cover Design – NAIA

2008 Gold Medallion Award – Ellsworth CC Panthers Logo – NCMPR District V Awards

2008 Judges Citation – TC3 Planned Giving Package – SUNY CUAD Awards

2008 Judges Citation – TC3 Souvenir Cartoon Map – SUNY CUAD Awards

2008 Merit Award – TC3 Web Site – Admissions Marketing Awards

2007 Gold Medallion of Excellence – TC3 Admissions Folder – NCMPR

2005 Silver Award – TC3 Athletics Logo – Admissions Marketing Awards

2005 Merit Award – TC3 President Annual Report – SUNY CUAD Awards

2004 Gold Award – TC3 Recruitment Package – Admissions Marketing Awards

2002 Citation of Excellence – St. John Fisher College Athletics Logo – Rochester Ad Federation

1998 Harvey Readership Study Award – Chemical Processing Magazine

1998 Product of the Year Award – Lubricants World Magazine

1995 Best Ad Award – Industrial Distribution Magazine

1994 PIAG Awards – Award of Excellence

1994 Gold Ink Awards – Pewter Award