Born in Indiana, Compton started out working on the Burlington Northern Railroad out of Missouri before coming to Alaska. A Fairbanks resident for many years, he is an internationally renowned artist, with accolades from Ducks Unlimited, twice honored as the Alaska Artist of the Year, and is a member of the Society of Animal Artists. His work portrays the vast Alaska landscape and the birds and animals that inhabit it. In 1985, Randall created the first Alaska Print of the Year for Ducks Unlimited.