The Illustration Department Podcast

Agent, Emily Keyes, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the esoteric world of foreign rights and sub-rights; and the 3 things you should know before submitting to an agent. They then discuss mental health; and why Wormtongue from The Lord of the Rings is wrong about you. To learn more about Emily—and how to submit to her—visit her Tumblr and fuseliterary.com/emily-s-keyes/ . Emily referenced her Sh...

Here are a few (of the many) authors and illustrators mentioned: Randolph Caldecott , Beatrix Potter , Wanda Gág , George Duplaix (co-founder of Little Golden Books), Nathalie Parain , Gustaf Tenggren , Ursula Nordstrom , Nicholas Mordvinoff , Maurice Sendak , Ezra Jack Keats , Langston Hughes , Mildred Taylor , John Steptoe , Jerry Pinkney , and Barbara Cooney . Here are a few of the books, magaz...

Jon Cockley, co-founder of Handsome Frank, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how fatherhood was a catalyst for starting his illustration agency; how they find illustrators to represent; and why—despite the problems he sees—illustration continues to be a viable career choice. While they no longer respond to every submission for representation, Jon says they absolutely look at every one. Email no l...

Author and illustrator, Floyd Cooper, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how a weatherman in Tulsa, Oklahoma—and his character “gusty”—stoked Floyd’s love of drawing. He also talks about his bumpy experiences with Hallmark; how Mark English became a friend and mentor; and why an author’s insistence—in 1989—that her publisher hire a black illustrator launched Floyd’s publishing career. Here are a f...

Publisher and author, Jess Brallier, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how an industrial engineer major at the University of Pittsburgh became a children’s book publisher; how he and Jeff Kinney launched The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and what a “P&L” is (and why you should care). Here are a few of the authors Jess mentioned: Virginia Woolf , Anaïs Nin , Anne Morrow Lindbergh , Norman Maile...

Here are a few of the editors, authors, and illustrators they mention: May Massee (Viking founder), Ludwig Bemelmans , Robert McCloskey , Ellen Tarry and Marie Hall Ets (authors of “My Dog Rinty”), William Steig , Roald Dahl , Mildred D. Taylor (author of “ Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry”), Lane Smith , Simms Taback , and Anna Dewdney . To learn more about Leila and her books, visit leilasales.com ....

Children’s book art director, Jim Hoover, answers questions from illustrators. Among other topics, he covers: postcards, portfolios, websites, getting work, digital vs. traditional methods, social media, and style. This is part 2 of a 2-part conversation. Be sure to listen to part 1 —in which Jim talks about the ups and downs of being a children’s book art director. If you find value in this podca...

Multi-award-winning children’s book art director, Jim Hoover, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about what it’s like to talk to Maurice Sendak and Hilary Knight; how he finds illustrators; and why he never wants to hear, “Are we married to this illustrator”. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation. Be sure to listen to part 2 —in which Jim answers your questions. If you find value in this podcast, cons...

Mark Mills, founder of Plum Pudding—one of the world’s leading children’s illustration agencies, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the origin of his agency; how art schools (and other agencies) are taking advantage of artists; and why every illustrator who submits to Plum Pudding for representation gets a reply. “Every one.” Here are a few of the illustrators we mentioned: Quentin Blake Helen Oxe...

Art director and illustrator, Krystal Lauk, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the ups and downs of the art boom in the Tech industry; why “UX/UI” is simpler than you think; and how illustration can inspire empathy. For an excellent primer on the relationship between illustration and the Tech industry, we strongly suggest reading this article by Michael Jeter , the Associate Creative Director at D...

Author/illustrator, Stephen Kroninger, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the art of collage; how a kid from “the sticks” got his own show at the MOMA; and why he thinks artists should always say they can—even if they can’t. Here are a few of the illustrators we mentioned: Eric Carle , Leo Lionni , Romare Bearden , Esphyr Slobodkina , George Gross , Henri Matisse , Kurt Schwitters , Hannah Höch ,...

Ben Zhu, the founder of Gallery Nucleus, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about being a child of immigrants; using a fortune cooking to get a job in video games; owning an art gallery; and why he thinks illustrators “deserve to be seen”. Here are a few of the illustrators mentioned: Chris Appelhans , Ronald Kurniawan , Catia Chien , Jamie Zollars , James Jean , Rebecca Sugar , Pendleton Ward and Damie...

Author/Illustrator and educator, Lisa Brown, talks with Giuseppe Castellano about myriad illustrators from Edward Gorey and Ed Emberley to Kaylani Juanita and Joohee Yoon; how one tweet led to a dream job with the New York Times Book Review (although Twitter is mostly a “nest of vipers”); and why she thinks contemporary children’s book illustration is going through a revolution. Here are a few of...

Illustrator, Erin Hunting, talks with Giuseppe Castellano about living in Melbourne, Australia; 1980’s video games and cartoons; how Grumpy Cat changed her life; what you can and can’t do with art piracy; what it means to be a Copic Ambassador; and why fan art is art. Here are a few of the cartoons and video games we mentioned: Danger Mouse , He-Man , Thundercats , Silverhawks , Cops , Snorks , Ca...

Mohamed Danawi—the founder and creative director of IlloZoo—talks with Giuseppe Castellano about the renaissance in illustration, running an art agency, the pros and cons of social media, and the necessary steps illustrators need to take to be successful—from the perspective of an agent. Here are a few of the artists we mentioned: Jack Unruh , Ralph Steadman , Joe Ciardello , Seymour Chwast , CF P...

Illustrator and Educator, Yuko Shimizu, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the fear of failure, negotiating with clients, finding your true self, Hokusai and the zen of brush and ink, and the necessary steps illustrators need to take to be successful. Here are a few of the illustrators we mention: Christoph Niemann , William Steig , Katsushika Hokusai , Mirko Ilić , and Leo Lionni To learn more ab...

Author and Illustrator, Kelly Light, and Giuseppe Castellano talk about what it means to be a good character designer; they discuss the importance of believability; they get real about social media; and they explain why publishing is one big gamble. Lastly, Kelly pinpoints the two things everyone needs to live a life as an illustrator. Here are a few of the artists we mentioned: P. D. Eastman , Sy...

Author and Illustrator, Kelly Light, and Giuseppe Castellano, talk about how Chuck Jones and P. D. Eastman influence Kelly’s work; they discuss the beauty of a line; and they talk about the art director who—in 2010—told Kelly that she had no business getting into children’s publishing. Here are a few of the artists we mentioned: Chuck Jones , Tex Avery , Friz Freleng , Walt Kelly , Roger Duvoisin...