Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Nope, that’s not author/illustrator Tim Egan, though I promise he’s pictured below in the interview. That’s Farmer Fred, one of my favorite picture book protagonists. He’s from Egan’s 2003 title, Serious Farm. Farmer Fred doesn’t smile much. “He wasn’t a sad fellow,” Egan writes, “just very serious.” He subscribes to the notion that there’s nothing funny about corn, not to mention there is no humor in tomatoes. (He kinda does have a point there, doesn’t he?) And, because he owns the farm, his farm animals are all extremely serious, too. See what I mean?

Until, that is, one night when Edna, the cow, declares that “it’s okay to be serious, but not all the time. We need some laughter.” Thus begins the animals’ secret plan to “make the farm more fun.”

I already covered last week at my Kirkus column why I like Egan’s books so much. Today he visits for a 7-Imp cyber-breakfast to showcase some art and tell us a bit more about his work. But I will summarize here again: He’s quite droll—in both his writing and cartoon illustrations—and I happen to like a good Droll. So far, in the over ten picture book titles he’s brought readers, he’s treated us to an understated, low-key humor. “Offbeat,” as I wrote last week, is used often to describe his humor, and in the picture book world, offbeat is refreshing.

I took the chance to invite Egan over for a cyber-breakfast, once I saw he had a new Dodsworth title out. Dodsworth, pictured here, is the star of Egan’s beginning reader series. He’s the same mouse who appeared in 2007’s The Pink Refrigerator—though in this series he is joined by a dry-witted duck—which was launched in 2007 with Dodsworth in New York. Dodsworth is a committed traveler, taking us on journeys all over the globe. In each title, child readers are introduced to the landmarks famous to each city he visits, Dodsworth all the while serving as the duck’s very funny straight man. As a Kirkus reviewer for the first title pointed out, these are James Marshall-esque in style, more character-driven than plot-driven. And they’re funny, some of the best early readers you can hand a child learning to read on his or her own. In this latest title, they zoom through the streets of Rome, the duck finds some white paint and attempts to add a duck to the Sistine Chapel, and they find themselves having to replace coins in Trevi Fountain. Needless to say, other fun adventures ensue.

I like Tim’s answer to my breakfast-of-choice question: “Hmm. I love almost every kind of breakfast, but I suppose Eggs Benedict would top the list. I don’t have it very often, usually only when we’re traveling to pretty places, for some reason. Maybe that’s why I love it so much, because it means we’re on vacation, and I just love being on vacation. Aside from that, my wife, Ann, and I start our mornings with at least two hot mugs of coffee. If we’re not going anywhere, we have three or more cups. We actually call these ‘three-cup mornings.’ I love coffee. And orange juice. And waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, bagels, muffins, omelettes and even an occasional piece of chocolate cake. And more coffee.”

What a coincidence, because I love all those things, too, especially coffee. This is going to be a good meal. Good food, good company, Tim’s stories and art to make me laugh. I also hope that occasionally an occasional piece of chocolate cake with some occasional (or more than occasional) chocolate icing shows up as we chat. Anyway, yup, I definitely like to laugh along with his books, and so has every child with which I’ve ever shared them. I thank Tim for stopping by, and let’s get to it.

Jules: Are you an illustrator or author/illustrator?

Tim: Author/Illustrator.

Jules: Can you list your books-to-date?

Tim:

• Friday Night at Hodges’ Café
• Chestnut Cove
• Metropolitan Cow
• Burnt Toast on Davenport Street
• Distant Feathers
• The Blunder of the Rogues
• The Experiments of Doctor Vermin
• A Mile From Ellington Station
• Serious Farm
• Roasted Peanuts
• The Trial of Cardigan Jones
• The Pink Refrigerator
• Dodsworth in New York
• Dodsworth in Paris
• Dodsworth in London
• Dodsworth in Rome

Jules: What is your usual medium, or––if you use a variety—your preferred one?

Tim: Ink and watercolor and sometimes just plain watercolor.

Jules: If you have illustrated for various age ranges (such as, both picture books and early reader books OR, say, picture books and chapter books), can you briefly discuss the differences, if any, in illustrating for one age group to another?

Tim: My drawings usually consist of nicely-dressed animals (Armani seems to be the preferred formal wear), so I’m not sure if one age group stands out more than another. When I write, the picture books allow a bit more freedom in terms of sentence structure and vocabulary, and the early readers are broken into short chapters, but the animals are still fairly well-groomed and the illustrations are done the same.

Jules: Where are your stompin’ grounds?

Tim: We live in sunny California, in a quiet area of L.A., close to pretty canyons and the beautiful, sparkling Pacific Ocean.

Jules: Can you briefly tell me about your road to publication?

Tim: I graduated from Art Center College of Design and did editorial, advertising and greeting card work for a few years. I then sent a few story ideas and illustrations to different publishers. The stories were actually rather serious and the drawings weren’t very funny either, and I received an array of rejection letters. But I was always sketching odd little characters in my sketchbooks, and my wife, Ann, suggested I work with those guys more and just write about their funny little lives.

I took that sage advice and sent a story, called Root’s Pond to Margaret Raymo, an editor at Houghton Mifflin. She liked the story and called to see if I had any other ideas. I lied and said, “Of course” and then started writing in a panic that night. About two months later, I sent her a story called Friday Night at Hodges’ Café {illustration pictured upper left}, and she called and said, “We love this. Let’s do it.” That was over fifteen years ago, and I still can’t believe it. Since then, Margaret has been my editor on all my books with Houghton, and she’s just amazing at knowing what works and what doesn’t. What a special gift that is.

Jules: Can you please point readers to your web site and/or blog?

Tim: www.timegan.com.

Jules: If you do school visits, tell me what they’re like.

Tim: They’re one of my very favorite things to do. I love hearing what kids think and showing them how books are made. Mostly, I love drawing for them, because they sometimes applaud when I’m finished. I do a slide presentation and talk all about the mistakes I make in both writing and illustrating, and they seem relieved to know that I make so many mistakes. It’s also fun getting them all excited and worked up. Then, just as their screaming reaches a crescendo, I leave. Great fun!

Jules: If you teach illustration, by chance, tell me how that influences your work as an illustrator.

Tim: I do teach in the summers at Art Center, my alma mater. It’s invigorating and inspiring to see all the amazing talent out there. It can also be very intimidating when your students are so damn good. I just smile and tell them that they’re brilliant and then go to my car and cry.

Jules: Any new titles/projects you might be working on now that you can tell me about?

Tim: I’m currently working on a series of early reader books about a little guy named Dodsworth and a crazy duck that’s traveling the world with him. They’re great fun to work on. I have a few different stories of where they’re going next, but I’m not 100% sure which one it will be.

I’m also working on some animation projects with our sons, Chris and Brian. Chris is a great writer and musician and also the voice of the main character, and Brian is a fantastic artist and animator and is doing amazing things that I can’t do. They’re helping me develop a short little cartoon series, along with the voice talents of Ann and some really close friends. It’s always fun heading down new roads, and I love seeing the characters finally start to move and talk, as they’ve been doing in my head for years.

Coffee’s ready, and the table’s set now. Let’s get a bit more detailed, and I thank Tim again for visiting 7-Imp.

1. Jules: What exactly is your process when you are illustrating a book? You can start wherever you’d like when answering: getting initial ideas, starting to illustrate, or even what it’s like under deadline, etc. Do you outline a great deal of the book before you illustrate or just let your muse lead you on and see where you end up?

Tim: My work always starts in my sketchbooks and almost always with a drawing of some sort. I start doodling little drawings and, if things are going well, I’ll begin developing some sort of story. It’s a very loose and organic process, and I never really start with any kind of concrete idea. I realized years ago that I need to begin in order to get anywhere. If I actually just sat and waited for some great idea to materialize, it wouldn’t. For me, it’s better to just start creating and see what happens.

Once an idea begins to develop, I’ll do a very rough mapping out of how it might fit within the confines of a book, sometimes 32 pages, sometimes 48. From then on, it’s pure frustration and sweat to try and make things work. If I actually get to the point of making a dummy (usually a few months and dozens of versions later), I’ll hand it to my wife, Ann. I’ll pace around nervously in the studio, waiting for her response. If she comes out and says, “I like it,” I know it’s a failure and she’s just being nice (because she is nice). But if she comes out and says, “I love it!”, I’m on to something and I proceed from there.

2. Jules: Describe your studio or usual work space.

Tim: My studio is about twenty steps from our back door. It’s a quiet, great space and I love being in there. It’s filled with old tin toys and other fun things we collect. We built a large bookcase that opens up like a secret door and behind it is a small workshop where four elves live. Okay, there are no elves, but the bookcase really does open into a little workshop.

3. Jules: As a book lover, it interests me: What books or authors and/or illustrators influenced you as an early reader?

Tim: I’ve been a huge fan of illustrators, painters, and designers of all kinds since I was a kid. Everything from old TV Guide covers by Jack Davis to great painters like Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper. And, in no particular order, N.C. Wyeth, Al Hirschfeld, Seymour Chwast, Milton Glaser, Etienne Delessert, Norman Rockwell, Rembrandt (I love putting Norman Rockwell and Rembrandt in the same sentence just to get a reaction), Leonardo Da Vinci and the great Bernie Fuchs. And, of course, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, William Steig, James Marshall and three hundred and forty-seven other people.

4. Jules: If you could have three (living) illustrators—whom you have not yet met—over for coffee or a glass of rich, red wine, whom would you choose?

Tim: Maurice Sendak, Etienne Delessert and Seymour Chwast. I’ll bring the wine.

5. Jules: What is currently in rotation on your iPod or loaded in your CD player? Do you listen to music while you create books?

Tim: I do listen to music while I draw, but I write in silence, because my brain can’t think and listen at the same time. My musical taste is all over the place, so a huge mix of The Beatles, Sinatra, Mozart, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Keith Jarrett, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson. Too many to name, but they’re all great.

6. Jules: What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?

Tim: I’m left-handed when I draw and write, but I throw with my right hand. And I can stand on my head.

Jules: What is your favorite word?

Tim: “Hilarious.”

Jules: What is your least favorite word?

Tim: “Depressing.”

Jules: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Tim: Love, trees, the ocean, the mountains, traveling, dogs, birds, food, laughter, good conversation, wine, chocolate, beef tacos, life.

Jules: What turns you off?

Tim: Mayonnaise.

Jules: What is your favorite curse word? (optional)

Tim: “Balderdash!”

Jules: What sound or noise do you love?

Tim: Waterfalls.

Jules: What sound or noise do you hate?

Tim: Shattering glass.

Jules: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Tim: Monkey trainer.

Jules: What profession would you not like to do?

Tim: Shark trainer.

Jules: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Tim: “Hey, Tim. Sorry you fell off the roof, but there’s a party with all of your old friends down the road. Just take this classic red 1957 convertible Thunderbird through the forest until you get to the little independent bookstore on the corner. There’ll be plenty of free drinks, the best food you’ve ever had and a spectacular view of Lake Tahoe. Friends and family that are still alive will be here in the blink of an eye and from here on out, it’s all good times…and you don’t need sunscreen! Enjoy!”

All artwork and images used with permission of Tim Egan. All rights reserved.

The spiffy and slightly sinister gentleman introducing the Pivot Questionnaire is Alfred, © 2009 Matt Phelan.