page_title: Norm Augustinus
section_title: Biography
hierarchical_section_title: Norm Augustinus / Biography
caption_attribution_description: English: Norm Augustinus selling his art on Literary Walk in Central Park, New York, NY.
context_page_description: Norman Theodore Augustinus, Jr is an American writer.
context_section_description: Known widely for writing humor, Augustinus studied Journalism and Communications at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan where he was an editor of the university newspaper the (Ferris Torch) and writer/producer of the then popular radio show, The Adventures of E-Man.  While a freshman at Ferris State University Augustinus published LEONARD. During his senior year at Ferris State University Augustinus placed in an invention contest and won a cash award for a mailbox transmitter device. A certificate and cash prize was presented to Augustinus during the dedication and open house of the Manufacturing Resource and Productivity Center.
  An inventor, his gadgets have been featured in numerous publications and television shows.
  Augustinus' highly viewed 'iPhone Colon Exam' invention/video was an inspiration to Patrick O'Neil the inventor of the iPhone olloclip which has sold over 75 million units worldwide.  Augustinus is cited in the olloclip US patent.
  He has been a copywriter, run for political office hunted for treasure, appeared in over three dozen television commercials, and worked toward a private pilot license.  In 1991 Augustinus developed the story-line and dialogue for place mats used in over 300 McDonald's restaurants throughout Michigan, The Adventures of Tizzie Bean.  Additionally, Augustinus landed a bit part (under five lines) in the movie Hoffa starring Jack Nicholson (Shot in Cobo Hall Arena, Detroit).  Augustinus is listed in the 2003 & 2004 Edition of Marquis Who's Who in America and was nominated for the Ferris State University Distinguished Alumni Award two consecutive years in a row. In 1999 he was accepted into the prestigious Powerhouse Theatre Program at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.  He has written for newspapers and online publications such as McSweeney's Internet Tendency and he is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Screen Actor's Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG - AFTRA) and Actors' Equity (AEA). 
  In March 2013 Roll Call and a dozen other publications worldwide, published a story about an animated cartoon Augustinus created and posted on his website with regards to the Obama administration.  The cartoon depicted several high ranking members of the Obama administration being laser beamed into nonexistence by a drone. The cartoon prompted a visit from the United States Secret Service. Highly controversial, the cartoon was viewed over 11 million times, and made Augustinus the first cartoonist in the United States to be investigated by a government agency because of a cartoon.     
  In 2014 and 2015 Augustinus stood in Columbus Circle Manhattan for hundreds of hours holding large, creatively worded banners in support of the New York City horse carriage industry, which de Blasio vowed to end immediately upon being elected NYC mayor. Augustinus was thanked by the Teamsters for his support in a full page notice/ad published in the New York Daily News on January 1, 2016.
caption: Norm Augustinus Selling His Art in Central Park (photo by Ann Meir).
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