Christopher Epling currently serves as the staff editorial cartoonist for the Appalachian News-Express, The Mingo County Messenger, The Floyd County Chronicle and Times, The Hazard Herald, and The Paintsville Herald. Epling also currently serves as an adjunct professor at UPike (Film and Media Department). In 2012, Epling’s first children’s book, “Erby’s Turn to Rake,” received a Silver Medal as the 2013 Children’s Book of the Year from Reader’s Favorite. He received the Kentucky Press Association Mark of Excellence Award for Editorial Cartooning back to back years (2012 & 2013) for his work in the “Kentucky Kernel” and “North of Center” (Lexington, Ky). His first graphic novel, ‘The Hillbilly-Bigfoot Paranormal Survival Guide’ will be released in late 2020 from Morris Publishing.