Merchants of Wow
Founders (cont'd)
Steven Marten's professional experience began in the mid 90's with his post--university experiment, "The Mediaplex," where his team designed interactive press kits for record labels; sometimes for actual money. When the company finally broke down and begged to be shot, Marten left his office for the serenity of a lakeside workshop where he'd read, write, talk to God, and build toys that would eventually get licensed by Hasbro. (True story!)
Emerging from the wild, Marten began developing IP and doing interactive story design for game companies in Los Angeles and abroad, working on a number of major TV and studio brands alongside veteran producers including Jim Ballantine, Mark Ordesky, Oscar-winner Maureen Ryan, Emmy-nominated Sidney Clifton, and more.
It was during this time that Marten met his wife, Wendy Martin, whose bio is typed neatly below. With the launch of Merchants of Wow, Marten and Martin have combined their love of story, wonder, and humanity, and whipped it into a peaky meringue.
When Wendy Martin graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1996, she had no idea her love of character, story and dialogue would take her into classrooms teaching Junior High English--- let alone writing for Google and working for not-for-profits like Write Girl, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and A Novel Idea. Committed to finding the "soul" of each project before a single dollar is spent, and always ready to lend a voice to those who need to be heard, Wendy's greatest driver is making stories work for our joy and betterment as God's kids.
Wendy is currently wrapping a picture book project for Make-a-Wish Foundation and, as of this morning, was still coming to grips with being a wife, a mother, and the sole feminine force behind a creative duo whose greatest accomplishments are yet to come.
