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Burton was born in Belvedere, Illinois, as the youngest of three children. His father, a travelling drugs salesman from the Greater Toronto area, died when his son was ten years old, and Burton and his family moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1910s.

Burton started work in the 1920s, as an animation cameraman for Leon Schlesinger Productions - the animation company that was responsible for animating the "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" shorts for Warner Bros. In 1944, Warner Bros. bought the studio and renamed it Warner Bros. Cartoons; Burton moved up the ranks to become production manager, and then eventually producer in 1958. During this time, Burton's son John Burton Jr. also joined Warner Bros. as an animator.

In 1961, Burton left Warner Bros., and was replaced as producer by David H. DePatie. Burton once again came to work for Leon Schlesinger, and worked as an executive at Pacific Title. Burton died in Los Angeles in 1978.

Joseph Charboneau was the 1980 American League Rookie of the Year as an Outfielder and Designated Hitter for the Cleveland Indians. "Super Joe", as he was nicknamed, batted .289 with 23 HR's during his rookie season. Charboneau was a colorful character who was famed for stunts such as opening beer bottles with his eye socket. Charboneau's baseball career was short-lived, however, and is considered to be one ofbaseball's all-time greatest "flameouts". By the end of 1982, Joe Charboneau's Major League career was over.

William Hurlbut was born on 13 July 1878 in Belvidere, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Ladies Must Love (1933) and Madame Spy (1934). He died on 4 May 1957 in Hollywood, California, USA.

Kurt Sellers was born on 20 March 1982 in Belvidere, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! (1999), WWE Sunday Night Heat (1998) and ECW on Sci-Fi (2006).

Jeff Hoffman was born on 23 May 1971 in Belvidere, Illinois, USA. He is a director and actor, known for Up Up Down Down: The Series (2010), Role Play (1999) and The Tell-Tale Heart (2003).

Jerry LaBuy spent most of his childhood destroying vast portions of his parents rural yard while creating and filming some rather intense G.I. Joe action figure battles with his friends. He grew up near the town of Caledonia, IL where he would also write different action stories that he and the neighborhood kids would then act out in the woods and fields that surrounded his home.

An athlete in high school, he pursued an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy with the goal of becoming an aviator and eventually an astronaut, but was denied due to his asthma. Unable to serve in the military (and unsure on what direction to take in his studies) he enrolled at Northern Illinois University and then Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. While he was there he worked as a stage manager with the Starlight Theatre. He graduated in 1996 and decided to follow his talent for storytelling. He enrolled in the film program at Columbia College - Chicago and graduated in the spring of 1998.

He moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter and worked on a variety of projects including the short film "Eyeball Eddie" for his friend, Elizabeth Allen ("Aquamarine", "Ramona & Beezus"). He also had stints working on the syndicated show "Relic Hunter" and as the program coordinator for USC's Peter Stark Producing Program. While at USC he worked with film producer Lawrence Turman ("The Graduate", "American History X").

In early 2001, LaBuy moved to Chicago to direct and edit spots for many production companies in the Midwest. In 2006 he was a member of the first MFA class at DePaul University in Chicago Illinois. During this time he also began teaching film and audio production at Rock Valley College. Upon completion of his thesis film 'Crossing the Lake' he was one of the first graduates of the DePaul MFA in Cinema program in 2010.

In 2010 he founded the Mosaic Film Project, which hosts film events including screenings, workshops, filmmaker Q&A sessions, and film fests including their annual major event the Mosaic World Film Festival.

In addition to this he has gone on to produce several film projects, most of which he produces and directs via his production company, The Caledonia Night Sky Co.

Brenda You was born on 21 October 1967 in Belvidere, Illinois, USA. She was an assistant director and producer, known for The Jerry Springer Show (1991), Jerry Springer: Too Hot for TV! (1997) and NWA: Total Nonstop Action (2002). She died on 13 November 2005 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Paula Parrish was born in Belvidere, Illinois, USA. Paula is a director and writer, known for Sweet and Lowdown (1999), Criminal People and Club Gaijin (2004).

Bennet Abrams was born on 28 November 1931 in Belvidere, Illinois, USA. He is known for The House on Skull Mountain (1974). He died on 3 August 2004 in San Marcos, California, USA.

Peter J. Storms grew up in northern Illinois, where he began playing the piano at age 5. He studied English and Anthropology at Illinois Wesleyan University while also being heavily involved with many musical ensembles. Spending his junior year of college at the University of Durham in England provided Peter with a broad view of international relations and cultures which has informed his work musically and intellectually.

Besides being a pianist and composer, Mr. Storms is also an arranger, transcriber, conductor, music director, sound designer, and, by day, a database administrator and software developer. He has toured with Michael Londra, conducting his PBS special "Beyond Celtic," and has been very active in the Chicago theater scene. In 2011, he earned a Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Outstanding Sound Design for Silk Road Theatre Project's production of "Scorched."