Bucklan, Matthew: - As a boy in the 1990s, Matthew Bucklan eagerly awaited each new issue of National Geographic. There were just so many places, and they were all uniquely captivating. His favorite part was the centerfold map, which he would explore for hours. As he grew older, the nascent internet opened up a whole new world of geography, letting him see people and news from all of the places that had previously been mere points on a map. This love of human geography eventually propelled him to the state geography bee; today, he still can't look away from a great map. He lives in the Milwaukee area.

Cizek, Victor: - Victor Cizek still owns a picture atlas he got as a kid on a trip to Washington, DC, and sees it as a source of inspiration for him to make this book, along with his visual arts background and geographically minded coauthor Matt. He grew up in and lives in northeast Ohio, represented by a steel mill on that old atlas.

Wright, Ian: - Ian Wright runs Brilliant Maps, one of the most popular cartographic sites on the internet. In addition to being a cartophile, he's also a keen walker. In 2015, he combined these two passions to become the first person to walk all of the newly expanded London Tube map. Originally from Canada, he now lives in the UK.