![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/sherman.JPG\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Illustrator John Manders<\/strong><\/a> is here for seven questions over breakfast (there he is with Sherman and the day’s first cup of coffee). He can’t linger for too<\/em> long, since he and his wife just moved into an old farm house in November and have a ton<\/em> of work to do. And, since John has only been able to answer interview questions “in between plumbing emergencies, appliance deliveries, demolition, unloading and unpacking, and—of course—billable work,” as he put it, I’m even more grateful he took the time to stop by. In fact, about the picture above John told me that behind him and Sherman is the void to be inhabited eventually by a refrigerator. Seeing as how he also just installed a new copper pipe to replace a decrepit old iron hot water line (er, John did…not Sherman), he says that he can be a plumber if the bottom falls out of the children’s book biz, but I hope that doesn’t happen, because I like the energy he brings to his illustrations way<\/em> too much. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As one of our astute readers<\/strong><\/a> put it so perfectly at that Where’s My Mummy?<\/em> post, John’s work has a “crazy-anarchic feel to it” that I love. As Kirkus<\/em> once pointed out about John’s illustrations for Dan Bar-el’s<\/strong><\/a> Such a Prince<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, he’s “playing clear homage to ’50s-style Disney cartoons.” It’s that exaggerated, animated energy that draws me to his illustrated titles. And today he’s sharing some sketches with us so that we can get a sneak peek into his process, such as with these images from Where’s My Mummy?<\/em><\/p>\n And I still say that The Perfect Nest<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Catherine Friend<\/strong><\/a> was the Flat-Out Funniest Yet Most Under-Rated Picture Book of 2007. I posted about that one here<\/strong><\/a> and here<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a1Caramba! and sacr\u00e9 bleu! and great balls of fire! but this book is snort-outloud-funny, not only thanks to Friend’s writing, but also to the spot-on screwball humor John brings to the story with his paintbrush. <\/p>\n Here’s Jack from that tale: He’s trying to attract the perfect chicken that will lay the perfect egg to make the perfect omelet.<\/p>\n I have to say that this will be my first breakfast cigar, but I’m definitely up for something new. <\/p>\n I thank him kindly for stopping by.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Are you an illustrator or author\/illustrator?<\/font><\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: I\u2019m an illustrator. I\u2019m hoping to be an author\/illustrator in the very near future! <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date?<\/font><\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: Here are five of my favorites\u2014-and they are already beloved children\u2019s classics: <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: I like to paint with gouache (sounds like “squash”)\u2014it\u2019s opaque watercolor and a favorite medium of old animators.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: 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?<\/font><\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: My usual crowd is 5- to 8-year-olds, who read picture books. Since many of my audience are just learning to read, the challenge is to tell the author\u2019s story in pictures. You can\u2019t simply repeat with images what the author already said in words\u2014that would be boring\u2014so I\u2019ve got to tell the story in a way that words can\u2019t. That means discovering things about the characters or the plot that the author may not have included in the manuscript. I also need to pace the action, make the characters believable, and design a world that the reader accepts as real. Keeping the creative energy at the same level throughout thirty-two pages—plus cover, endpapers, and flaps—takes discipline. <\/p>\n I\u2019ve made a few forays into the world of chapter books. These require less work at the rendering stage\u2014one black and white image per chapter, highlighting a dramatic moment. There is still a lot of prep work: designing characters and settings. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Where are your stompin\u2019 grounds?<\/font> <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: Up until October 31st, I would have answered that question: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But now I can tell you it\u2019s Franklin, PA, a lovely little town in the northwest corner of the Commonwealth. My wife and I just moved into a 100+-year-old farmhouse outside of town. I love old houses and over the next few years we\u2019ll be restoring this beauty. We live on two acres with a bit of woods, which our neighbors tell us are full of deer, porcupines, possums, skunks, coyotes, and bears. Somewhere in this howling wilderness, I intend to build my new studio. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you briefly tell us about your road to publication?<\/font> <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: Back when I was a graphic designer, hoping to be a children\u2019s book illustrator, I sent a series of four postcards\u2014a four-part story of St. George and the dragon\u2014to art directors and editors of children\u2019s magazines. I let a week pass in between mailings, so by the time the fourth postcard arrived, people were waiting for it. I got several assignments from that promotion. I continued to work for magazines, and eventually an editor from Houghton Mifflin spotted my work and invited me to illustrate a book. <\/p>\n Around that time, I established a relationship with legendary illustrators’ rep, Harriet Kasak. She helped me to hone my style and was infinitely better at negotiating fees than I am. Through Harriet, I added textbook assignments to my portfolio as well as more trade books. Nowadays, I do trade picture books almost exclusively. Harriet\u2014my rep, guide, and mentor\u2014passed on in 2003. I continue to work with her very capable successor, Mela Bolinao<\/strong><\/a>, at MB Artists. <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: Please visit me at www.johnmanders.com<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: If you do school visits, tell us what they\u2019re like.<\/font><\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: The fun begins the moment my limo pulls into the school\u2019s fire lane. Once my advance security team has cleared a path through the paparazzi, I\u2019m hustled into the cafeteria\/auditorium which is usually packed to the rafters with students hungry for a face-melting performance. <\/p>\n For younger crowds, I read from one of my books, then create a painting for them. I describe the tools and materials I use and explain the steps of the drawing and painting process. I\u2019ve been reading from Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies<\/strong><\/a><\/em> lately, so I dress as a bunny pirate and we sing a buccaneer bunny sea-shanty while I paint. <\/p>\n The older kids get an in-depth presentation about how a picture book gets illustrated\u2014with lots of visuals, like original sketches and paintings, to pass around. I talk about every step, from manuscript to printed book, and how important it is to work with a creative team: art director, editor, and designer. <\/p>\n At the show\u2019s climax, I like to launch myself off the stage and do a little crowd-surfing. <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: I used to teach graphic design at Pittsburgh Technical Institute<\/strong><\/a>. As much as I love to teach, I had to give it up\u2014it\u2019s the only more time-intensive occupation than children\u2019s book illustration. One of my favorite things about illustration is you don\u2019t have to take attendance or grade projects. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Any new titles\/projects you might be working on now that you can tell us about?<\/font> <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: I\u2019m about to start painting a story about a cat who becomes a celebrity in a Venetian coffee shop, circa 1890. I\u2019ve begun sketches for another story about a Tyrannosaurus Rex who is a birthday party guest. I\u2019ve got sketches to do for stories about: a turkey race, a store where you can purchase a new mother, and the year Santa took Christmas off. <\/p>\n 1.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What exactly is your process when you are illustrating a book? You can start wherever you\u2019d like when answering: getting initial ideas, starting to illustrate, or even what it\u2019s 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?<\/font> <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: I generally start by reading the manuscript several times. Then I roughly sketch characters. When I\u2019m ready to get down to business, I create a storyboard of thumbnail-sized sketches. These allow me to show the art director how I envision the story. While he\u2019s looking at that, I do any research that may be necessary: costumes, settings, and whatnot. <\/p>\n By the way, I recently undertook to write some stories. I find it natural to draw the storyboard first, and then write the text. <\/p>\n Once I have approval from the AD, I create finished sketches based on the thumbnails. I also draw model sheets of the important characters and design the settings. <\/p>\n The AD looks at the sketches and incorporates them into layouts with the text. I make any final changes he asks for and, with approval, begin the color stage. <\/p>\n I come up with a palette\u2014the colors I\u2019ll use for the illustrations. Color is an important tool to convey emotions or atmosphere and unify all the images. I create color sketches for all the paintings. <\/p>\n Finally, I paint! I assembly-line the paintings, first laying in the sky wherever it appears throughout the book, then the background\u2014if the story takes place in the woods, I paint trees for a couple of weeks. Then I paint the foreground on all the paintings. Then I paint a character, and paint only him wherever he appears in the story. And so on with the other characters. <\/p>\n Painting a book can take two to three months. I don\u2019t want it to look like the project took that long. This method keeps all the paintings looking consistent. <\/p>\n As soon as I finish each painting, I label it and put it in a poly envelope. I put the whole job in a cardboard portfolio case, then wrap that in a bigger cardboard envelope (with a couple of stiffening boards), and send it to the publisher via overnight delivery. I always test my package first by firing a pistol at it. If the bullet doesn\u2019t penetrate through to the artwork, it will withstand the ordeal of shipping. <\/p>\n 2.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Describe your studio or usual work space for us.<\/font> <\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: Hoo boy, that\u2019s gonna be tough. As you can see, I have commandeered a room in our new house for my studio. This will be a temporary makeshift operation until I save enough money to build my dream studio out back. <\/p>\n That studio, or the Funatorium, will be a one-room structure with lots of storage and counter space. The back of the studio will face North, so that wall will be all windows with a view of the woods (I\u2019ll be able to spot any charging bears before they get too close). There will be a little wood-burning stove, a big sink for washing up, and enough lights for the studio to be seen on Google Earth. Of course I want to minimize the studio\u2019s carbon footprint, so I\u2019m looking into alternative energy sources to power the whole operation. I\u2019m currently designing a methane reclamation system for our dog. <\/p>\n 3.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: As book lovers, it interests us: What books or authors and\/or illustrators influenced you as an early reader?<\/font> <\/p>\n 4.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: 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?<\/font><\/p>\n 5.<\/font> 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What is currently in rotation on your iPod or loaded in your CD player? Do you listen to music while you create books?<\/font><\/p>\n John<\/font><\/strong>: While I paint, I listen mostly to recorded books. I listen to history, historical fiction, and I like the lecture series available from Modern Scholar<\/strong><\/a> or The Teaching Company<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n While I\u2019m sketching, words are distracting. If I\u2019m listening to anything, it\u2019s classical music. Usually that means Renaissance-era music\u2014Tallis Scholars<\/strong><\/a> and The Anonymous Four<\/strong><\/a> are favorites. I\u2019m also a fan of jazz from the ’30s and ’40s. Of course, there\u2019s a lot to be said for listening to nothing at all.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mummy1.jpg\")
Back in October of last year, I did a feature<\/strong><\/a> on John’s latest illustrated title, Where’s My Mummy?<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, published by Candlewick in July ’08 and written by Carolyn Crimi<\/strong><\/a>. As I said in that post, I follow John’s career with interest, because I think he is one of the best illustrators today whose style is primarily humorous, cartoon-esque. He can create truly funny, child-accessible art—knowing just<\/em> where to add the right details that will get a preschooler hee-haw-laughing—and his work is fresh, brisk, and interesting (without being too cutesy), conveying that Chuck-Jones<\/strong><\/a> sensibility somethin’ fierce. I have peppered this interview with some illustrations of his from various titles so that you can see this for yourself. Usually, I’m a Total Nerd about noting from which book an illustration comes. For a few of these, I’m not sure myself (doing this interview has shown me there are way more of his books I need to see and that I wasn’t half<\/em> as familiar with his work as I thought), and I don’t want to bug John now about that, what with all the home improvement he has goin’ on. But this is a good thing, because it just means you can go out yourself and get familiar with more of his books, if you’re so inclined. And, as an Illustration Junkie, I believe that will just make your life exponentially better anyway. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mummysketch.JPG\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mummy11.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmandcat1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmand1.jpg\")
Let’s get to the interview…We’ll get the basics from John while we set the table. Oh, and what is John’s breakfast-of-choice?<\/em> you ask? “Coffee and doughnuts.<\/font> Really good coffee, from freshly ground beans, thick enough for a quarter to float on. That\u2019s to start off with. And who doesn\u2019t like cold pizza, if there\u2019s any in the fridge? Then something healthy, like cold cereal with sliced bananas or peaches (in Summer). After that, I like to fix myself a one-egg omelette with bacon and cheese. Maybe a half-grapefruit, because fiber is important. Following that, I find that a bagel with lox, cream cheese, a slice of red onion, and a few capers is the perfect way to top off the morning meal. A robust cigar, as an efficacious aid to digestion, and I\u2019m ready to begin my day.”<\/font> <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/suchaprince1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/theperfectnest1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmandersill1.jpg\")
7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What is your usual medium, or -\u2013 if you use a variety -\u2013 your preferred one?<\/font> <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmandinterview1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmandershome.JPG\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmandershome2.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/henryjmand1.jpg\")
7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Can you please point us to your web site and\/or blog?<\/font><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/johnbuccaneer.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmandprincess1.jpg\")
7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: If you teach illustration, by chance, tell us how that influences your work as an illustrator.<\/font> <\/p>\nOkay, the table’s set for our seven questions over breakfast. Have freshly-ground coffee. Have cigar. Can chat. Now we’re ready to talk more specifics…<\/font> <\/p>\n
![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/manderstn.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mandersboat.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mummytn.JPG\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mandersmodel.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mamamummy.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/manderschickens.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/manderschickens2.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/barnonna1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mum.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mummycolrsk[1].1819final.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mummycolorsfinal.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mum[1].ip.1819final.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mum[1].ip.1819afinal.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mum[1].ip.1819bfinal.jpg\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mum[1].ip.1819cfinal.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mandersstudio1.JPG\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mandersstudio2.JPG\")
\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/mandersstudio3.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/pogo.jpg\")
John<\/font><\/strong>: On Beyond Zebra<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Dr. Seuss<\/strong><\/a>; The Sea Serpents Among Us<\/em> (this was a library book I borrowed as a wee lad, and I don\u2019t remember the names of the British husband\/wife team who wrote and illustrated it. I loved the drawing style); a story about a princess by A. A. Milne<\/strong><\/a> that made me laugh out loud; Donald Duck<\/strong><\/a> comic books by Carl Barks<\/strong><\/a>; comic strips: Pogo<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Walt Kelly<\/strong><\/a>; Li\u2019l Abner<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Al Capp<\/strong><\/a>. As I grew older, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; later, everything by Mark Twain<\/strong><\/a>; the Horatio Hornblower<\/strong><\/a> series by C. S. Forester<\/strong><\/a>; Asterix le Gaulois<\/strong><\/a> comic books by Goscinny<\/strong><\/a> & Uderzo<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/sophialoren.JPG\")
John<\/font><\/strong>: Whichever three most resemble Sophia Loren<\/strong><\/a>, Maureen O\u2019Hara<\/strong><\/a>, or Louise Brooks<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/jmanddragon1.jpg\")
6.<\/font>