The Illustration Department Podcast

Latest Episodes:

James Burns Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

Vice President, and Managing Agent, for the Bright Agency, James Burns, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the role of an artist rep; how COVID-19 has affected publishing; what the facts are regarding the graphic novel boom (including fees); what an illustrator can do to improve their portfolio; and so much more. James also answers questions from Patrons of The Illustration Department Podcast.

To learn more about James, visit his page on Bright’s website.

Several podcast episodes with other agents were mentioned in this episode. They include Giuseppe’s chats with Angharad Kowal Stannus of Kowal Stannus Agency, and Mark Mills of Plum Pudding Illustration Agency. Listen to all three to get a sense of how different agencies have different (and similar) perspectives on the illustration industry.

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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Dian Holton Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

Senior Deputy Art Director at AARP, Dian Holton, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she went from Army kid to Design Leader; what she thinks are the benefits and struggles of being a mentor and mentee; and what conversations need to be had with respect to diversity and inclusion in the applied arts.

Throughout this conversation, Dian and Giuseppe touch on the racial inequities they see in conventional teachings of art history.

To learn more about Dian, visit dianholton.com.

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David Edward Byrd Jul 15, 2020

Show notes

Illustrator, David Edward Byrd, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his 50-year career in illustration. David takes us on a journey that begins in Cleveland, Tennessee; detours through Miami Beach, Florida; stops in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—where he studied at Carnegie Mellon University; and settles in Port Jervis, New York—where he created posters for The Woodstock Festival.

His story then moves through New York City in the 1970’s—where he hung out with Jimi Hendrix; and where he created posters for Broadway shows, including: Follies, Godspell, and Little Shop of Horrors.

The journey concludes in Los Angeles in the 1980’s —where David illustrated for Van Halen, Warner Brothers, and Disney; he met his partner; he art directed for The Advocate; and much more.

To learn more about David, visit david-edward-byrd.com.

A few of the illustrators mentioned in this episode include: Frank Verlizzo and Alfonse Mucha

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Nancy Stahl Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

Illustrator, and forerunner of the digital illustration age, Nancy Stahl, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she started her illustration career in 1971 with two hundred dollars and two years of art school.

They also discuss the pleasure and pain of working in gouache; what it was like to be one of the first illustrators to “go digital” in the 1980’s; and why a company called Adobe invited her to try out a new program called, Photoshop.

To learn more about Nancy, visit nancystahl.com.

Illustrators mentioned in this episode include: Rick Tulka, Michael Deas, Barry Zaid, Seymour Chwast, James McMullan, Lance Hidy, Paul Davis, Vivienne Flesher, Philippe Weisbecker, Barbara Nessim, and J. Otto Seibold.

Nancy mentioned an article written by Steven Heller on the nascent Adobe Photoshop. You can read it here on printmag.com.

Giuseppe mentioned his podcast conversation with Seymour Chwast. You can listen to it here. He also mentioned discussing women in illustration with Zina Saunders. That episode can be found here.

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Noah Klocek Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

Art Director at Pixar, Noah Klocek, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how a childhood without a television led to simultaneous careers in feature film animation and children’s book illustration; what differentiates Pixar from Dreamworks (aside from kicks in the groin); and why it’s so important to learn about color theory.

To learn more about Noah, visit imageblock.com.

Writers and illustrators mentioned in this episode include: Tomie DePaola, Trina Schart Hyman, Lisbeth Zwerger, Gustaf Tenggren, Bill Peet, Mary Blair, Aurelius Battaglia, Hayao Miyazaki, and Bonnie Becker

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Shawna J.C. Tenney Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

Author and illustrator, Shawna J.C. Tenney, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about getting into illustration thanks to a scheduling snafu in high school; why illustrators sometimes need to break up with their agent (or agents); why her illustration and animation podcast, Stories Unbound, was short-lived—and what she regrets about it; and why—as Mercer Meyer would agree—rejection should be viewed as a normal part of an illustrator’s career.

To learn more about Shawna, visit shawnajctenney.com.

Writers and illustrators mentioned in this episode include: Mercer Meyer, Ruth Sanderson, Carter Goodrich, and Mary Grandpré.

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The 1-year Anniversary Episode Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

Since June 18, 2019, Giuseppe Castellano has talked to leaders, legends, and luminaries in illustration, graphic design, publishing, animation, and other creative fields, about their beginnings, their successes, and the bumps and bruises they’ve experienced along the way.

To celebrate the podcast’s 1-year Anniversary, Giuseppe asked listeners of the podcast to answer three questions:

1. What is the best thing about being an illustrator?

2. What is the worst thing about being an illustrator?

3. What advice would you offer to illustrators?

Lastly, each of the 23 contributing illustrators share an important message.

To learn more about the contributors to this episode, here are their names (linked to their websites)—in the order that you hear them: Lalena Fisher, Nick Sweeney, Crisy Meschieri, Dave Bain, Helena Juhasz, Estefanía Santos, Guilherme Karsten, Jenny Eickbush, Christof Simons, Marina Movshina, Michelle Schneider, Nadya Bonten-Slenders, Prescott Hill, Jessica Linn Evans, Stephen Macquignon, Tara Santoro, Beverly Hall, Ximena Ross, Scott Soeder, Estrela Lourenco, Sherry Meidell, Lizzie DiFiore, and Eddie Edwards

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Rudy Gutierrez Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

Educator, and multi-award-winning artist, Rudy Gutierrez, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he’s “lived many dreams” over a 40-year career in Illustration; why the famous musician, Carlos Santana, chose Rudy’s art for his 2002 album, Shaman; why he thinks the role of an educator is to help students “find their validity”; what it was like getting the “Caldecott Call”; and how illustrators can find their path.

To learn more about Rudy, visit altpick.com/rudygutierrez or rudygutierrez.net.

Giuseppe mentioned educator, Murry Tinkelman’s words that celebrated Rudy’s 2005 Distinguished Educator in the Arts award. You can read it in full on the Society of Illustrators website.

A few of the writers and artists mentioned in this episode include: Mati Klarwein, Dave Passalacqua, Randy Chavez, Marshall Arisman, Andrea Loney, Murray Tinkelman, Rafael Tufiño, David Grove, and Bernie Fuchs

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Johnny Temple Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

Publisher of Akashic Books, Johnny Temple, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he went from touring with Rage Against The Machine to launching a socially conscious publishing company; why it took a “constellation of fortunate events” to form Akashic; why Johnny doesn’t like the idea of “mandatory gatekeepers” between artists and companies; and, how Go The F*ck To Sleep went from an almost-rejected proposal to a game-changing phenomenon.

Johnny talked about Samuel L. Jackson’s reading of Stay the F**k at Home on The Jimmy Kimmel Show. Here’s the clip on Youtube.

To learn more about Johnny and Akashic Books, visit akashicbooks.com.

Akashic’s new LyricPop series was discussed in this episode. Here’s more on them.

Johnny mentioned that he’s always looking for illustrators. The best way to reach him is to email him at temple450@aol.com.

A few of the writers and artists mentioned in this episode include: Marlon James, Kaylie Jones, Adam Mansbach, and Ricardo Cortés.

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Claudia Z. Bedrick May 26, 2020

Show notes

Co-founder, Publisher, Art Director, and Editor of Enchanted Lion Books, Claudia Z. Bedrick, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she—and her family—started the leading independent publishing company; why Enchanted Lion has yet to be swallowed by a Big Fish—despite several attempts; what it takes for an independent to survive—and in many cases, thrive—in the marketplace; and what the publisher of beautifully illustrated books looks for in illustrators.

Lastly, Claudia and I explain why we both hope that the publishing industry does NOT go back to normal post-pandemic.

To learn more about Claudia and Enchanted Lion Books, visit enchantedlion.com.

A few of the artists mentioned in this episode include: Helen Borten, Jim Flora, Milton Glaser, Marc Boutevant, Olimpia Zagnoli, and Ping Zhu.

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