The Illustration Department Podcast

Two-time Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator, Pamela Zagarenski, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about why personal hardship—which led to professional  abandonment—almost torpedoed her career; how she picked up the pieces; how her company’s name, Sacred Bee, came from a near-death experience; and what Goethe teaches us about achieving our creative goals. To learn more about Pamela, visit sacredbee.co...

Illustrator and Cartoonist, Gabriel Alborozo, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the anxiety-inducing choice to be a children’s book author and illustrator; why he sometimes sees the agent-illustrator relationship as “owner-pet”, how he handled rejections from agents for being “just a cartoonist”; what your big social media following says about you and your art (hint: not much); and how Gabriel dr...

Charles Santoso talks about why he chooses to work in multiple styles; how he lives with imposter syndrome; and what three words uttered ten years ago by concept artist, Ian McCaig, still give Charles goosebumps. To learn more about Charles, visit charlessantoso.com . Here are a few of the illustrators we mentio: Charles Santore , Paul Topolos , Ian McCaig , Eric Carle , Milton Glaser , and Leo an...

Recorded from his apartment, Seymour Chwast talks to Giuseppe Castellano about forming Push Pin Studios with Ed Sorel, and Milton Glaser; hanging out with Ezra Jack Keats; and what his thoughts are on Comic Sans. To learn more about Seymour Chwast, visit pushpininc.com . If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack , or a supporter on Patreon . On either platf...

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, the Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Norman Rockwell Museum, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she came to work at the museum; what lessons we can learn from Rockwell’s life and work, and why she and the museum are trying to change how the public views and appreciates the yet-to-be-fully-appreciated field of illustration. The episode begins with a segment o...

Betsy talks about what it was like working with Giuseppe Castellano at Penguin Young Readers Group; how they both live with depression; how she finds illustrators to hire; and what Clifford the Big Red Dog creator, Norman Bridwell, teaches us about rejection, imposter syndrome, and perseverance. To learn more about Betsy, visit betsyillustration.carbonmade.com . Betsy’s always looking for artists....

Co-owners and publishers of Penny Candy Books, Alexis Orgera and Chad Reynolds, talk to Giuseppe Castellano about how they started a publishing company; what 5 steps are needed to publish a book; why they accept unsolicited manuscripts; and why diversity is integral to their mission. Lastly, they discuss if Penny Candy Books—with employees living in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia, and New Jerse...

Vice President of Learning Experience Design at McGraw-Hill Education, Kelly Delaney, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her role within an educational publisher; why she doesn’t love the word, “textbook”; and why McGraw-Hill—who published Paul Galdone, Robert Barry, and a teenage Maurice Sendak—isn’t part of “The Big 6”… yet. Here are a few of the writers and illustrators they mentioned: Eve Titu...

Illustrator, Zina Saunders, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about growing up with her father—the legendary pulp artist, Norman Saunders; how she overcame “screwing off” with alcohol and drugs to start an illustration career; what you can and can’t expect from art directors; and so much more. To learn more about Zina, visit zinasaunders.com . To learn more about Norman Saunders, visit normansaunders.c...

Executive Creative Director at Serino Coyne, Jay Cooper, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his path to becoming an “Ad Man”; what it’s like to be in the room where Jay and his team created visual ad campaigns for Frozen, Hamilton, and Boys in the Band; how he manages to double as a prolific author and illustrator; and all that jazz. Here are some of the artists mentioned in this conversation: Dre...

Writer, artist, publisher, and co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how a “dumb” drawing sparked a global phenomenon; how he and Peter Laird self-published the first TMNT comics; what he sees in the current Turtles renaissance; and what his one big regret has been since the first comic published in 1984. His audio was a little off—but we...

The founder of Books of Wonder, Peter Glassman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about opening his first book store in 1980; coming out to his parents in the late 1970’s; the genius and heart of Maurice Sendak; and the connections Peter made with Arnold Lobel, Madeleine L’Engle, and many of the brightest stars in children’s publishing. Here are a few of the writers and illustrators they mentioned: Arn...

Caldecott Honor-winning author and illustrator, Betsy Lewin, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about attending Pratt Institute in the 1950’s; how she met Ted Lewin; how a poem she wrote for Parents Magazine led her to children’s publishing; and why she didn’t know she won a Caldecott Honor after getting a phone call from the Caldecott committee. We recorded this conversation in the dining room of Ted a...

Illustrator and Educator, Kelly Murphy, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about their shared experiences at the Rhode Island School of Design; Kelly’s first phone call with an editor; what it’s like teaching at RISD; why she doesn’t have an agent; and how author/illustrators can sneak around a publisher’s “no unsolicited manuscript” policy. Here are a few of the artists they mentioned: John Tenniel , A...

Author and illustrator, Meghan McCarthy, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about creating non-fiction picture books; her “depressing” experiences while working at Barnes & Noble; childhood and adulthood bullies; how Twitter criticism leads to “outrage telephone”; and what the morality clause from publishers could mean for creators. A leader in non-fiction children’s publishing, Jeanne Bendick, was...

The President of Delaware College of Art and Design, Jean Dahlgren, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about what sparked her lifelong interest in art education; why she’s tired of the “myth” of the “starving artist”; and how the Delaware College of Art and Design prepares future artists. They also praise the Delaware, and the city of Wilmington—the rightful birthplace of the Golden Age of Illustration....

Illustrator and animator, Francesca Gambatesa talks to Giuseppe Castellano about Italy’s best kept secret (spoiler: it’s Puglia); how she found a literary agent; what she thinks about when she thinks about character design; and why a career in children’s publishing isn’t for the faint of heart. To learn more about Francesca, visit francescagam.co.uk . Here are a few of the illustrators they mentio...

Illustrator and Cartoonist, Barry Blitt, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about why showing his drawings to Major League baseball players helped start Barry’s career; how he and art editor, Françoise Mouly, of The New Yorker have worked together for decades to create more than 100 covers; and why illustrators can be overly self-critical. Barry mentions a Daily Show segment with Jon Stewart, in which J...

Illustrator and educator, Will Terry, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he lied his way into a meeting with art director, Carol Porter, of The Washington Post; how the Society of Visual Storytelling got its start; and why the debate between online vs. brick & mortar art programs continues. Here are a few of the artists they mentioned: P. D. Eastman , Jake Parker , Lee White , Piper Thibod...

Illustrator, Designer, and Art Director, Kayla Wasil, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how Giuseppe met (and hired) Kayla; what it’s like to work on licensed properties in book form; and why the publishing design process can be frustrating. Kayla answers questions provided to Giuseppe by The Illustration Dept. Newsletter subscribers. They cover postcards, process, trends, and more. As a point of...

Illustrator, Olimpia Zagnoli talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the ups and downs of speaking a second language; why she calls herself an illustrator; how her father’s advice to “make your portfolio big” might have helped land her first New Yorker job; and what illustrators should think about when staring at a blank page. They also discuss how the legendary Bruno Munari has been “following” Olimpi...

Artist Representative/Personal Manager/Producer and Founder of David Goldman Agency, David Goldman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his role as an agent; why he would rather starve than give up an artist’s rights; what fees illustrators get from magazines and children’s book publishers; and how the illustration world has changed since 1980. David also shares what he thinks is the “key most impo...

Author and illustrator, Javaka Steptoe, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about growing up with his father, John Steptoe; why collage is “a means of survival”; getting the 3:00 AM phone call from the Caldecott committee; and the life and work of Jean-Michel Basquiat. To learn more about Javaka, visit javaka.com . If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack , or a...

Illustrator and Designer, Leo Espinosa talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how the passing of his father led a 13-year old Leo to drawing. They discuss Leo’s upbringing in Bogotá, Colombia; the relationship between illustration and graphic design; Milton Glaser’s life-changing influence (professionally and personally); the beauty of a pencil; and how immigrants (and their hyphen American children)...

Copyright Law expert and former Professor of Law, Peter Jaszi, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his step-grandfather—and Little Golden Books legend—Tibor Gergely. They then discuss the legality of fan art; copyright vs. trademark; the real deal behind the “poor man’s copyright”; and why and how illustrators should legally protect their work. Here are a few links Peter thought would be helpful: S...