Lee Sheppard, Director of Toon Studio is a freelancer (since 1990) based in Sydney. His study included 2 years of Fine Arts at Paddington Art School under tuition by Stephen Wesley Gorton, Classical Advanced Animation studies at Enmore Design Centre and Screenwriting for Children's Animated Television Series at the Australian Film Television Radion School (AFTRS).

Lee is a firm believer in giving back to the community. He has taught art to children in private and public schools and has been a volunteer cartoonist to the Starlight Children’s Room (Westmead Hospital) and the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal. His current interest is in supporting the Children's Medical Research Institue and the excellent groundbreaking work they have done over the years and continue to do so.

In 1994 he was nominated as a full member by Jim Russell to join the Australian Cartoonists' Association, the oldest association of its kind in the world. Lee was on the committee for 5 years, of which he played the role of Secretary and NSW State Vice President. He has organised the 1998, 1999 National Cartooning Conferences and assisted in the production of the National Cartoon Awards called the Stanleys in those same years. In 2003, he won Best Cartoon on the night at the Stanley Awards night in Ettalong.

And in 1998 he was once again nominated by Jim Russell to the ranks of the National Cartoonists Society in the United States.

Cactus Island, a newspaper comic strip based on the multi award winning radio show How Green Was My Cactus, ran for over six years. It was syndicated through Auspac Media and was published across the nation in newspapers and heard live on radio.
See more at cactus.com.au

Lee continues to contribute articles regarding the industry and exhibits in displays internationally. Outside the cartooning industry Lee has also instructed classes under the eye of Grandmaster Gary Khor in teaching the arts of Tai Chi Qigong.