James Shepherdwas born in London in 1867. He first made his name with his popular series of Zig Zag Fables published in the The Strand Magazine. In 1893 he joined the staff of Punch Magazine and contributed cartoons for the next forty years.

Books illustrated by Shepherd include Zig-Zags at the Zoo (1895), Tommy at the Zoo (1895), Zig-Zag Fables (1897), Wonders in Monsterland (1901), The Donkey Book (1903), Funny Animals (1904), A Frolic Round the Zoo (1926) and Animal Caricature (1936). James Shepherd died in 1946.