John Grandits, Designer

John Grandits had just begun work in 1973 for Open Court Publishing as a textbook designer when he was asked to help reformat Cricket following its January inaugural issue. A few months later, he traveled with Marianne and Blouke Carus to Lyme, New Hampshire, in a blinding snow storm, to meet with Art Director Trina Schart Hyman. Arriving in town late, in the spirit of self-preservation, Grandits and Blouke Carus roused the owners of the closed inn by pelting the windows with snowballs!

In 1979, Grandits became Cricket's second art director. He met his wife while working for Cricket and helped launch the magazines Muse and Click.

In Celebrate Cricket, editor Marcia Leonard recalls that Grandits served as a superb liaison between Trina Schart Hyman and the production department, contributing to the feeling of collegiality among the staff. Cricket founder Marianne Carus relates in her 2018 oral history interview that Grandits was keen on expanding Cricket to television in its early years. On his website, Grandits describes himself as "a poet, typographer, art director, designer, & writer".