Mike Sullivan was born in the outskirts of Buffalo, New York. From an early age, he showed a penchant for painting and drawing. His family moved to Syracuse, NY when he was in 5th grade and he began taking weekly art classes at the Everson Museum. His main focus was on figure drawing. After staying in Syracuse, NY for 3 years, his family again moved to Detroit, MI where he was introduced to the latest painting techniques and materials by his high school art teacher. Sullivan then attended The Center for Creative Studies Art College in Detroit where he majored in Fine Arts and Illustration. After his studies here, he moved back east and began creating graphics for the Personal Computer industry for such clients as Sony, IBM, Ericsson and NEC. During this time, he continued his painting as his technique and style continued to develop.
Sullivan then moved to Manhattan in New York City where he began working in the video game industry. He created animations and graphics for Sony, Sega and Nintendo games including Home Alone, The Simpsons, Star Trek, EA Sports, and others. He continued painting and drawing while living in New York and also took workshops and classes at the Art Students League near Central Park. He later served at the DMBB ad agency as an art director before he moved to the west coast. His illustration works have appeared in publications and magazines around the world. While in Southern California, Sullivan refined his style and began offering his works of art to collectors.