Eric Hill was born in North London and, apart from a brief period of evacuation, lived there for many years. His career as an artist began when he worked as a messenger in an art studio and was encouraged to draw. When Eric's son was born in 1976, Eric began to write stories about a puppy to read to him at bedtime, and so Spot was born. The family moved to California in 1983. Eric continues to visit the UK several times a year and is very involved in the development of new Spot projects.