The Illustration Department Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Olimpia Zagnoli Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

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” Olimpia her whole life.

Here are a few of the bands and musicians they mentioned: T. Rex, Franco Battiato, Giuni Russo, Piero Ciampi, Lucio Battisti, and Mina.

I mentioned a song called, “Prisencólinensináinciúsol”, from Adriano Celentano. Here is the video. It may be one of the more bizarre things you ever see.

To learn more about Olimpia, visit olimpiazagnoli.com.

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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David Goldman Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

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 important thing” anyone in a creative field should be attempting to do.

Here are a few of the artists mentioned: Norm Bendell, David Anson Russo, Michael Morgenstern, Kyle Webster, Tim Cook, and Cathie Bleck

To learn more about David, visit davidgoldmanagency.com.

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Javaka Steptoe Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

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.

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Leo Espinosa Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

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) have shaped children’s literature.

Here are a few illustrators mentioned: Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, Yves Chaland, Xavier Mariscal, Mary Blair, Alice and Martin Provensen, Aurelius Battaglia, Abner Graboff, Alex Ducal, Alexander Girard, and Miroslav Šašek

I mention the mysterious Abner Graboff—about whom Maurice Sendak said, Whatever happened to him? He was really good. Here’s an interview of Jon Graboff that speaks to his father’s claim of the CBS logo.

To learn more about Leo, visit studioespinosa.com.

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Peter Jaszi Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

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:

Submitting your work to the U.S. Copyright Office.

The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) is a nonprofit organization run by and for fans to provide access to and preserve the history of fanworks and fan cultures.

This code of best practices provides visual-arts professionals with a set of principles addressing best practices in the fair use of copyrighted materials. —College Art Association of America

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Emily Keyes Sep 10, 2019

Show notes

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 Short Fuse Guide to Publishing Contracts.

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Leonard S. Marcus Sep 03, 2019

Show notes

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, magazines, treatises, and articles mentioned: Some Thoughts Concerning Education, by John Locke (1692); The Brownies’ Book, by W. E. B. Du Bois (1920); Clever Bill, by William Nicholson (1926); The Two Reds, by William Lipkind (1950); The All White World of Children’s Books, by Nancy Larrick (1965); and Where Are the People of Color in Children's Books? by Walter Dean Myers (2014).

To learn about Leonard and his books on children’s publishing, visit leonardmarcus.com.

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Jon Cockley Aug 27, 2019

Show notes

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 less than 9 illustrations as low-res JPGs (approx. 1000px longest edge) to: submissions@handsomefrank.com.

To learn more about Handsome Frank, visit handsomefrank.com.

He mentioned an article he wrote called, Algorithm Anxiety. You can read it by following this link.

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Floyd Cooper Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

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 few of the authors and illustrators mentioned: Mark English, Thomas Blackshear, Alex Bostic, Eloise Greenfield, Tom Feelings, Jerry Pinkney, Virginia Hamilton, and Bernie Fuchs

To learn more about Floyd, visit floydcooper.com .

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Jess Brallier Aug 13, 2019

Show notes

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 Mailer, Tracy Kidder, and Lillian Hellman.

To connect with Jess, you can find him on LinkedIn .

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