Dan Pinto was born and raised in Queens, New York. From an early age, he loved to draw and paint. This grew to become a lifelong passion and he soon found himself studying art through out high school and into college. He graduated with a BFA in Animation from University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

His student film Hedgehug has earned him several awards and has played in numerous festival worldwide. It eventually led to his first book, Hedgehug: A Sharp Lesson in Love.

Dan currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he makes his living as an animator. He spends his days cooking, painting, and exploring the city. One day, he hopes to own a wiener dog.