Creator Matt Janz began his flirtation with the world of cartooning at age 10. He spent his adolescent years at the drawing board, creating many comic strips and stifling any athleticism he might have had.

In 1994, after just one term as Governor of Minnesota, Matt began the first stages of what
would eventually evolve into "Out of the Gene Pool." In 2000 Matt Janz was one of the first recipients of The Washington Post Writers Group's FineToon Fellowship which, unfortunately, turned out to be a cleverly disguised “pyramid” scheme. Luckily for him and his 6 adoring fans, “Out of the Gene Pool” was launched on January 6, 2002 into publications such as the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post and the New York Daily News.