Cartoonist and Writer, Ariel Schrag, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her first steps—starting in high school—as a comics creator; how the current discourse surrounding what illustrators and writers can and can’t do with their work has its pros and cons; how illustrators and writers can get going on the thing they want to create; and more. To learn more about Ariel, visit arielschrag.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Robert Crumb , Linda Barry , Mimi Pond , and Matt Groening If ...
Jun 08, 2021•44 min•Ep. 108
Caldecott-winning illustrator and author, David Macaulay, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his first steps in publishing—from rejections to Caldecott wins. He also shares this thoughts on: “breaking into publishing”, developing curiosity, quitting illustration, and more. To learn more about David, visit davidmacaulay.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration , on Substack . Among other benefits, you will ga...
Jun 01, 2021•52 min•Ep. 107
Kay Fraser, Senior Art Director at Capstone, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her path to becoming an art director—from Buenos Aires to Minnesota; how she and her team look for—and work with—illustrators; what the best practices are when emailing art directors; and more. If you want to email Kay a link to your portfolio, click here . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration , on Substack . Among other benefits, ...
May 25, 2021•39 min•Ep. 106
Darryl Cheng—author of The New Plant Parent and creator of House Plant Journal—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about being a plant parent; how he approaches house plant care, technically and philosophically; why illustrators should avoid “plant blindness” when it comes to growing or illustrating plants; and more. To learn more about Darryl, visit houseplantjournal.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration , on S...
May 18, 2021•45 min•Ep. 105
Ellen Kokontis—Art Director at Cottage Door Press—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the circuitous route she took to becoming a children’s book art director; what she looks for in illustrations (beyond “I know it when I see it”); what three big mistakes she sees illustrators make; and more. To learn more about Ellen, visit ellenkokontis.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration , on Substack . Among other be...
May 11, 2021•53 min•Ep. 104
Illustrator and Author, Rashin Kheiriyeh, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she became an illustrator—with help from her mother and the Iranian Government; what cultural differences she’s noticed while working with Publishers around the world; why your life’s experiences are worth sharing through illustration; and more. To learn more about Rashin, visit rashinart.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication, Notes On Illustration...
May 04, 2021•33 min•Ep. 103
Janna Morishima, Illustration and Literary Agent & Founder of Kids Comics Unite, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she co-founded Graphix—Scholastic’s Graphic Novel imprint; why she thinks the current graphic novel boom is only the beginning; what she looks for in illustrators’ portfolios; what rules to break when querying agents; and more. If you are planning on submitting a graphic novel to a publisher or agent… the end of this episode is for you. To learn more about Janna and her age...
Apr 27, 2021•56 min•Ep. 102
Sari Levy-Schorr, President and Owner of Levy Creative Management, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she transitioned from being an illustration student who didn’t think she was “good enough” to being an agent who represents illustrators; and what defines a good agent/illustrator relationship. Sari also answers questions from Patrons of the Podcast about signing with an agent; the viability of traditional art; portfolio mistakes; and more. To learn more about Sari and her agency, visit levy...
Apr 20, 2021•39 min•Ep. 101
This is our 100th Episode! To celebrate, Giuseppe Castellano has compiled short highlights from episodes 51 to 99. If this is the first time you’ve listened to our podcast, you’ll hear from illustrators, agents, art directors, editors, publishers, museum curators and more… Through 49 episodes, we covered a wide range of topics, including: restarting a creative career, living and working through the COVID19 pandemic; starting a publishing company; winning the Caldecott; hanging out with Jimi Hend...
Apr 13, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 100
Caldecott-winning Artist & Writer, Uri Shulevitz, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he went from fleeing the Nazi’s in 1939, to publishing his first picture book with Harper & Row in 1963; why he thought his career in picture books was over before it really began; why he wrote Writing with Pictures (and how the beloved book almost didn’t happen); why he thinks illustrators should give up on the idea of the “perfect picture”; and more. To learn more about Uri, visit urishulevitz.com ...
Apr 06, 2021•52 min•Ep. 99
D.B. Dowd—Professor of Art and American Culture Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, and faculty director of the D.B. Dowd Modern Graphic History Library—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the definition of illustration; whether illustration is or is not art; what advice he has for any illustrator looking to find their “style”; and so much more. To learn more about D.B., visit dbdowd.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Gustave Doré , Howard Pyle , N.C. Wyeth , Mead Schaeff...
Mar 30, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 98
Visual Artist, Henrik Drescher, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the early days of Henrik’s career in New York City; how artists can stoke the fire of interest and creativity; what publishing professionals mean when they say that illustration needs to be “unique”; what the word “ commercial” really means; and more. To learn more about Henrik, visit hdrescher.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Marshall Arisman , Brian Cronin , Alan Cober , and Vivienne Flesher If you find value in...
Mar 23, 2021•42 min•Ep. 97
Victor Juhasz—award-winning illustrator, satirist, and visual reporter—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about working “in the old school” as an illustrator in the 1970’s; the relationship between the U.S. Military and Illustration throughout history; being an artist embedded with U.S. troops; knowing when an illustration is “finished”; and more. To learn more about Victor, visit juhaszillustration.com . To learn more about the U.S. Air Force Art Program—and its relationship with the Society of Illus...
Mar 16, 2021•56 min•Ep. 96
Barbara Nessim—Illustrator, Fine Artist, and Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame inductee—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the early days of her illustrious career—starting at Pratt Institute in the 1950’s; working as one of the very few women in illustration in the 1960’s; hanging out with Milton Glaser, Tomi Ungerer, and Gloria Steinem; being one of the first artists to “go digital”; avoiding the need to “fit in”; and more. To learn more about Barbara, visit barbaranessim.com . Artists ment...
Mar 09, 2021•48 min•Ep. 95
Illustrator and Author, Dinalie Dabarera, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she went from querying agents, to getting an agent, to receiving a two-book deal from Macmillan—in the span of a year; what valuable lesson she learned from illustrating her first picture book; why some illustrators feel they need permission to make the art they want to make; and more. To learn more about Dinalie, visit dinalie.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-se...
Mar 02, 2021•36 min•Ep. 94
Chris Sickels, also known as Red Nose Studio, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he built his illustration career, from farm to drawing table; why he illustrates in three dimensions—and why he’s preparing for a day when editors no longer want “puppets” in their magazines. Also, Chris shares the secret to working alone, or as he put it, “running your own race”. To learn more about Chris, visit rednosestudio.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: David Beck , The Quay Brothers , Lane...
Feb 23, 2021•53 min•Ep. 93
Andrew Fairclough—illustrator, designer, and founder of True Grit Texture Supply—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the early days of his career and the founding of True Grit; why he prefers limited color palettes; what illustrators can do to stay on their feet from a “knock-back”; and more. To learn more about Andrew, visit kindredstudio.net . To check out Andrew’s digital brushes, textures, and more, visit truegrittexturesupply.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Shawn Kerri , WBY...
Feb 16, 2021•42 min•Ep. 92
Illustrator and Printmaker, Frances Jetter, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she wandered from photographing inmates at Rykers Island to starting an illustration career in the mid-1970’s. They discuss what it was like working with art directors in the 1980’s; why she hits political and social issues—hard; what illustrators can do to find authenticity; and more. To learn more about Frances, visit fjetter.net . Frances mentioned a book called, The Golden Encyclopedia of Art: Painting, Sculpt...
Feb 09, 2021•40 min•Ep. 91
Illustrator, Author, and Educator, David Soman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how David got his first picture book job—despite not having a single illustration in his portfolio. They discuss the past and future of the beloved, Ladybug Girl books; the bad art advice coming from publishing professionals; painting with watercolor; teaching at the School of Visual Arts; and much more. To learn more about David, his partner, Jacky Davis, and Ladybug Girl, visit readbrightly.com . Follow David on...
Feb 02, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 90
Matthew Carlson—Design Director at Adobe Creative Cloud—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his role at Adobe, and how they responded to COVID-19; why Adobe, Facebook, Twitter, and the rest of Big Tech are so reliant on illustration; what the similarities and differences are between digital and traditional methods of creating art; and more. To learn more about Matthew, visit behance.net/dreamjar . They discuss Matthew’s successful Kickstarter campaign for a role-playing tabletop game, called Wand...
Jan 26, 2021•49 min•Ep. 89
Renowned Painter and Author, Greg Manchess, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the turbulent beginning of his artistic journey; why his 2017 groundbreaking graphic novel, Above the Timberline, is about searching for his father; how he processes failure; why oil painting and the perfection of imperfection have sustained his 40-year career; and more. To learn more about Greg, visit manchess.com . Greg’s blog post on Failure was mentioned in this episode. You can read the post on muddycolors.com. A...
Jan 19, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 88
Christine von der Linn—Director of Illustration Art at Swann Auction Galleries—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she values traditional and digital illustration; whether important illustrations belong in a museum or in your dining room; why collectors are turning their attention to artists most of us never learned about in art school; and more. To learn more about Christine and Swann Auction Galleries, visit swanngalleries.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Frederic Church , L...
Jan 12, 2021•54 min•Ep. 87
Daniel Abraham—Attorney at Law—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his career protecting the rights of artists. He shares how he and his small team reversed a 1986 tax law that destroyed an artists’s ability to deduct expenses; how gatekeepers attempt to separate artists from their art; why illustrators need to know the difference between “specs and terms”; how illustrators can protect—and make money from—their “authorship”; and so much more. To learn more about Daniel, copyright law, and the ser...
Jan 05, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 86
David Borgenicht—Owner and CEO of Quirk Books—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the founding, management, and future of Quirk Books; how his team looks for illustrators, and what they look for in illustration; whether Publishing saw its worst-case scenario in 2020; why a book is a much-needed companion as we try to survive whatever life throws at us; and more. To learn more about Quirk Books, visit quirkbooks.com . If you would like to submit a portfolio or book idea to Quirk, visit quirkbooks....
Dec 29, 2020•44 min•Ep. 85
Luke Flowers—illustrator, author, and self-described “creative cave-dweller”—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about why Jim Henson is a big part of Luke’s kindness and creativity; how he’s managed to illustrate more than 50 children’s books in less than a decade; how he lives with self-doubt and depression; and much more. Luke and Giuseppe also do their best impression of Kermit the Frog… To learn more about Luke, visit lukeflowerscreative.com . Artists mentioned in this episode include: Michael Smo...
Dec 22, 2020•51 min•Ep. 84
Lindsay Nohl, illustrator, educator, and founder of Light Grey Art Lab, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the founding of her gallery; how she curates exhibitions; why submitting artwork to competitions, exhibitions, and potential clients, involves paradoxical truths; what artists need to do if they want to be product designers; and more. To learn more about Lindsay and Light Grey, visit lightgreyartlab.com . Lindsay mentioned Coroflot.com as a way for artists to find work and clients. If you f...
Dec 15, 2020•55 min•Ep. 83
Julia Rosenfeld, Senior Designer at Penguin Young Readers Group, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the inner-workings of the children‘s book design department; working with Giuseppe as his former Design Assistant; what #mailersandcoffee was, and why it was important; how Julia looks for illustrators during the COVID19 pandemic; and much more. To learn more about Julia, visit juliarosenfeld.com . If you find value in this podcast, you can support it by subscribing to our best-selling publication...
Dec 08, 2020•45 min•Ep. 82
Jane O’Connor, children’s book author, and editor-at-large at Penguin Young Readers Group, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her 50-year career. She shares her thoughts on mergers in Publishing; writing Fancy Nancy; creating the trend-setting, non-fiction series, Who Was?; working with Giuseppe as her art director; working with Gyo Fujikawa, Tomie dePaola and Peggy Rathmann; and so much more. To learn more about Jane, visit fancynancyworld.com Artists mentioned in this episode include: Mort Dru...
Dec 01, 2020•48 min•Ep. 81
Author and Illustrator, Kazu Kibuishi, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the personal hardships and challenges he faced in becoming a graphic novelist; where comics and graphic novels stand, and where they should go; why doctors gave Kazu a 99% chance of dying in 2012, and how his near-death experience effects him now; what advice he has for comic book and graphic novel creators; and more. At the end of the episode, Giuseppe’s 13 year-old cohost asks Kazu about the future of Amulet. To learn mo...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 80
Award-winning cartoonist, John Cuneo, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about John’s career before and after his “artistic crisis”. They discuss how insecurity and anxiety drive wedges between an artist and their work; why John “goes there” with his “NSFW” illustrations; what role depression plays in John’s, and Giuseppe’s, lives; and much more. Before you listen to this episode, you should know : Sex, trauma, and self-harm are discussed. To learn more about John, visit johncuneo.com . Artists mentio...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 79
