Martin Schlierkamp, an illustrator and enthusiastic follower of Star Wars, created Shao to Gok for the Design An Alien competition featured in the Star Wars Galaxy Magazines. His submission received an honorable mention within the 16+ age group. At the time of his entry's publication, he was 23 years old.
Born in Cologne, Germany in 1972, was Martin Schlierkamp. After attaining a diploma in graphic design in 2000, coupled with experience in both cartoon animation and game development, he now operates independently as a freelance artist. His clientele encompasses design firms, animation houses, publishers of books and comics, game creators, and individual patrons.
Starting in 2017, he started contributing illustrations for the German Star Wars Magazine's exclusive edition for subscribers, titled "Journal of the Whills".