Rob balances his time between teaching, editing, and spending time outdoors with his family.
Robert David Marthaller
Director, Editor, and Co-Producer
A Jack-of-all-trades called Rob, Robert Marthaller knows a lot about some things—teaching, travelling (having globe-trotted to over eighty countries) and languages—and a little bit about everything else. He is especially passionate about language and literature, and he loves to share great instances of both with any who will listen.
Rob is both an accomplished editor and writer. To date, he has edited VANCOUVER, Living the Moment and all four novels in The Adventures of Buddy Williams series, co-produced the accompanying Buddy Williams Student Study Guides, had his poetry published in literary magazines and a university press, and been interviewed by national travel publications.
Rob and his family operate SummerWild Productions, a boutique publishing company, from Vancouver Island, where he is also Head of English at Glenlyon Norfolk School.
Kenneth William Budd
Project Manager, Co-Producer, and Author
Ken Budd has enjoyed a myriad of experiences. He has skydived (once) and SCUBA-dived and snorkelled in Caribbean waters. He has swum with humpback whales off Maui and trapped, tagged and tracked grizzlies in Montana. Exploring the Badlands of Alberta, directing a wilderness-backpacking program in Kananaskis Country, and beachcombing off the West Coast of British Columbia have been life highlights.
Though teaching and counselling were his master game for most of his professional life, Ken’s interest in writing led him to The Banff Centre to study with W.O. Mitchell. That adventure sent him on a journey producing books. He has now produced, published or written over two dozen titles, including CARMANAH, Artistic Visions of An Ancient Rainforest, which he considers to be his most successful venture thus far. The title won both the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award and the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional BC Book Prize Since retiring from the classroom, Ken has continued his verve for writing fiction. The Adventures of Buddy Williams are his first novels.
Ken Budd operates his boutique publishing company, SummerWild Productions, from his home on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.
Jakub Kania
Designer and Illustrator
Jakub Kania grew up on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia where he became obsessed with the outdoors. Much of his youth was spent mountain bike racing, skiing and snowboarding. At nights he would draw and paint characters and landscapes that were stuck in his head but needed to be on paper.
Jakub now holds a Fine Arts diploma from Langara College and Bachelor of Design degree from the Emily Carr University Communications Design program. Since joining SummerWild Productions, he has helped to design VANCOUVER, Living the Moment and The Adventures of Buddy Williams series Jakub has also designed logos and packaging for ski and bike brands, as well as illustrations for other artists, numerous posters, and covers for music albums.
Jakub loves to ski, snowboard and ride his bikes everyday, believing that when living in a beautiful place, it should be enjoyed.