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Pictured here is a sneak-peek from author\/illustrator\/graphic novelist Paul Hoppe<\/a><\/strong>. In Spring 2011, Chronicle will release The Woods<\/em>, which Paul describes as his second self-authored children’s book. It’s about a boy who goes into the woods to look for his stuffed bunny. “This is very much based on stories and fairy tales from Poland, Germany, and all over Europe,” Paul told me, “in which the forest was a magical, mysterious place.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul, an illustrator and graphic designer, first came to my attention last year with his 2009 release from Bloomsbury, Hat<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. I very much liked this book, all about Henry, a young boy with his mother, who spots a wide-brimmed hat on a park bench. Henry really wants to keep the red hat, and his imagination takes off as he ponders the hat’s uses (a boat, sailing far away; a wedge for a crocodile’s mouth; a prop in a stage show that makes Henry a bonafide star; etc.). <\/p>\n Publishers Weekly<\/em> wrote about this one, “Hoppe’s…inked cartoons, punctuated by rose, teal and green spot colors, give Henry’s Walter Mittyesque musings an indomitable, ebullient innocence reminiscent of kids’ books from the early 1960s,” and the Kirkus<\/em> review notes the “gorgeous Caps for Sale<\/em> blue.”<\/p>\n Paul’s here this morning to briefly introduce himself, so let’s get right to it, and as we listen, we’ll take a look at some more of his illustrations and graphic-novel work…<\/p>\n Inspired by the Big City, I did a lot of location drawing and explored urban themes. I started doing editorial illustration. Getting frequent assignments by esteemed publications such as The New York Times<\/em> and The New Yorker<\/em> was incredibly thrilling.<\/p>\n Inspired and encouraged by fellow graduates working in this field, I started working on children’s books and more recently got heavily into comics again, which is where my whole journey started.<\/p>\n Now, because of my colorful past, my projects are very diverse, which is both exciting and challenging. Sometimes I have to remind myself how fortunate I am being an artist in New York.<\/p>\n I have a great interest in comic-zines, self-publishing, and hand-made books. Out of this interest, I started the Comic Anthology Rabid Rabbit<\/a><\/strong><\/em> with my colleague Chris M. Butzer<\/a><\/strong>, joined by Ben X. Trinh<\/a><\/strong> and S.Y. Choi<\/a><\/strong> and a pool of fantastic contributors. I continue to do hand-made mini-comics and sell them at events such as the MoCCA Festival and Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival — and sometimes comic stores in the city.<\/p>\n Can I See Your I.D.?<\/em>, written by Chris Barton<\/a><\/strong> and to be published by Dial Books for Young Readers in Spring 2011, is a young adult title. Ten stories about pretenders and people that took on a different identity through various time periods. I did the cover and a one-page comic for each chapter.<\/p>\n Metal Man<\/a><\/strong><\/em> was published by Charlesbridge in 2008. One day, a metal welder and a young boy create art together.<\/p>\n Peanut<\/em>, written by Ayun Halliday<\/a><\/strong> (Schwartz & Wade), is my biggest project, a 200-page young adult graphic novel about a girl who switches schools and finds an unusual way to make herself more interesting in her new surrounding. This one is still in the works.<\/p>\n For more information on Paul and to see more art, here’s<\/a><\/strong> his website, here’s<\/a><\/strong> his blog, and here’s his zines work<\/a><\/strong>. I thank him for stopping by. <\/p>\n All images \u00a9 Paul Hoppe and used with permission. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n As a reminder, 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. <\/p>\n Honestly, I’m surprised I could muster up seven kicks. I have felt all week as if a violin has been playing out of tune in the next room. Let’s make that a fiddle, since the very funny Steve Martin is entertaining us below with some bluegrass this morning. No, I don’t know why a fiddle would be playing in the first place in the next room of my life—I don’t claim to be a novelist any good at metaphoring (I just turned that word into a verb)—but mine’s been creaking and caterwauling and altogether off-key. <\/p>\n But, because I would be a fail-tastic host to not bring you some kicks this week, I shall do so. Not to mention there are always small graces to be found in this world. (And, quite possibly, it’s our task to find them.)<\/p>\n 1).<\/font> As mentioned above, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers<\/a><\/strong> with the entire atheist hymnal: <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a>
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