Mark Kistler

The untold story of the prolific artist behind the beloved 80's and 90's shows "The Secret City", "Draw Squad" and "Imagination Station". Mark Kistler became a well-known personality on classic PBS alongside Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross, and Reading Rainbow. He helped shape a pivotal era of instructional programming for children in the pre-YouTube world, teaching 3D drawing before CGI. With over one-million books sold, the Emmy-award-winning host continues to inspire audiences through his incredible hand-drawn worlds and unique teaching philosophies.

The Secret City Adventures was a series of television programs designed to teach children how to draw. The series was produced by Maryland Public Television and aired on PBS and TVOntario in the late 1980s. The series starred Mark Kistler as Commander Mark who led viewers through various drawing exercises and examples. The show also featured other characters, including Moonbot, Unibear, Pigasus, Furbles, Violet the Dragon, and others. Occasionally, guest artists would appear on the show to demonstrate other art forms.