The Illustration Department Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Leo Lionni Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Stephanie Plunkett, Chief Curator at The Norman Rockwell Museum, Annie Lionni, granddaughter of Leo Lionni, Leonard Marcus, children’s book historian, and Steven Heller, design historian, about how and why they curated Between Worlds: The Art and Design of Leo Lionni; what Lionni was like outside of his work; what creatives today can learn from Lionni’s work and life; and more.

To learn more about Leo Lionni, visit leolionni.com.

To learn more about Between Worlds: The Art and Design of Leo Lionni visit nrm.org.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Robert McCloskey, Eric Carle, Willem de Kooning, Fernand Léger, Alexander Calder, Massimo Vignelli, David Macaulay, Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and Brian Selznick

If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello.

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Janine Le Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Janine Le, founder and agent at Janine Le Literary Agency, about how she became a literary agent; how the process of querying agents is far from ideal; what illustrators should do if they’re struggling to find an agent; and more.

To learn more about Janine and her agency, visit janinele.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Jerry Pinkney, Peggy Rathmann, Maurice Sendak, Arnold Lobel, and Steven Kellogg

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Matthew Cordell Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author, Matthew Cordell, about why it took some persuading for Matthew to embark on a career in children’s books; why he was thinking about his father on the night of his Caldecott acceptance speech; why it’s okay if your illustrations are a little rough around the edges; and more.

To learn more about Matthew, visit matthewcordell.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Ian Falconer, William Steig, Arnold Lobel, Jules Feiifer, James Marshall, Quentin Blake, Bernard Waber, Cátia Chien, Don Tate, Beatrice Alemagna, Lilian Hoban, and Garth Williams

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Tony DiTerlizzi Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, Tony DiTerlizzi about how Dungeons & Dragons helped him along his journey as a professional creative; how other artists and illustrators guided his visual voice; why—no matter what challenge you face—you have to keep rolling the dice; and more.

To learn more about Tony, visit diterlizzi.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Arthur Rackham, Alan Lee, Brian Froud, Frank Frazetta, Norman Rockwell, Jim Henson, Don Bluth, Scott Gustafson, J.C. Leyedecker, Winsor Mckay, Hayao Miyazaki, Fred Marcellino, Edward Gorey, Charles Addams, Tim Burton, E.H. Shepard, Richard Doyle, Louis Darling, Mœbius, Heath Robinson, Edmund Dulac, W.W. Denslow, Maurice Sendak, Heinrich Kley, Maxfield Parrish, and Kadir Nelson

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Stanley Chow Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Manchester’s best known illustrator, Stanley Chow, about how fan art and Myspace helped kickstart his career; what challenges illustrators can face when raising a family; what it feels like to have your work criticized by a future President; and more.

To learn more about Stanley, visit stanleychow.co.uk.

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Julia Wertz Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to cartoonist, Julia Wertz about why illustrators should take themselves, but not their work, a little less seriously; why quitting isn’t necessarily a bad thing; why now is the time to spend less time on social media; and more.

To learn more about Julia and her books, visit juliawertz.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Roz Chast, Lynda Barry, Mimi Pond, and Aline Kominsky-Crumb

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Jason Chin Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Medalist and Sibert Honoree, Jason Chin about the life and work of Trina Schart Hyman, and how she mentored Jason; how trusting others—and yourself—is vital for illustrators; why it’s a good idea for any creative to branch out and risk a little failure; and more.

To learn more about Jason, visit jasonchin.net.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Trina Schart Hyman, Arthur Rackham, Erin Stead, Chris Van Dusen, Mary Blair, Iyvind Earle, and James Gurney

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Paige Braddock Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Paige Braddock, Chief Creative Officer at Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, about the life and work of Charles Schulz, and what he was like as her mentor; what Schulz would have likely said about efforts today to ban and censor children’s books; why illustrators should be more detail-oriented; and more.

To learn more about Paige, visit paigebraddock.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Jim Davis, V.T. Hamlin, Steve Canyon, and Bill Watterson

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Brad Holland Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning, Hall of Fame illustrator, Brad Holland about the early days of Brad’s fifty-plus-year career; how he found bits and pieces of himself, artistically speaking; how he helped bring about the modern-day approach to editorial illustration; why his days as a supervisor at Hallmark taught him that “everything turns into a bunny sooner or later”; and more.

To learn more about Brad and his work, visit bradholland.net and drawger.com/holland.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Paul Bacon, Leonard Baskin, Barry Moser, David Godine, Jack Davis, Andrew Wyeth, Milton Glaser, Giorgio Morandi, James Thurber, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Norman Rockwell, John Dioszegi, Ben Shahn, Robert Osborn, Beatrix Potter, Robert Riggs, David Levine, Gerald Scarfe, Käthe Kollwitz, and Robert Weaver

Check out these helpful links for illustrators from Brad:

His First Portfolio / Making It Personal / The Childrens Book That Wasn’t / Shel Game / Clair, Slim, Dali and Me / Resilient Reformer / Express Yourself, It’s Later Than You Think / Trojan Horse: Orphan Works and the War on Authors / First Things About Secondary Rights

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Fred Blunt Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator and author, Fred Blunt about why being “cartoony” is a good thing; how illustrators can know their style—cartoony or not—is theirs; what we can learn about the life and work of the great Ronald Searle; and more.

Check out Fred’s work by visiting fredbluntillustration.com.

Artists mentioned in this episode include: Quentin Blake, Dr. Seuss, P.D. Eastman, Ronald Searle, André Francois, Ed Benedict, and David McKee