JUST THE FACTS: Age - 25; Hometown - Gillsville, Georgia; Education - Studied computer animation at Savannah College of Art and Design; Employ - the Mill, NY since Aug. 2004.

BEST WORK: Merck lent his talents to Nextel "Bees" in which real estate brokers buzz back to the beehive office tower after sealing a honey of a deal. "It's kind of goofy and exaggerated, and even though I like cartoony stuff, I tend to go towards photorealistic and polished to make it look like it fits in the real world."

ON INSPIRATION: During a college mock interview Merck asked someone from Sony Imageworks for useful advice upon entering the real world. "He said, 'Don't forget to enjoy the weekend; don't forget to live a life that fuels your creativity so that you have something to draw from at work'."

HIS MENTOR: Larry Lauria, a former Disney animator. Merck took graphic design in high school, but found it "just sat there on the page and didn't do anything. Larry showed me what was out there in the Disney world and helped me apply that to a computer."

IF HE QUIT HIS DAY JOB: Merck would like to revisit working in a coffee shop when he retires, and not just for the petty cash and day-old donuts. "I just love being around people, talking to them and finding out their stories," he says.

The Mill> http://www.the-mill.com