I just sent out the final revised artwork for "The Adventures of Nanny Piggins" this morning and I am totally pleased with the results.
This is not the final look of the book jacket but it's nice to share none the less...
The author, the lovely Ms. R.A. Spratt, lives in Australia and she was sweet enough to send me the original Australian versions. Yay! I can't wait to read the second one!
NOTE: See my new chalkboard wall? (more on that later)
Lisa Yee and I had a fun launch party at Vroman's over the weekend...
I'm apparently doing my horrible impression of Gilbert Godfried and Lisa is showing off her 'spirit fingers'. Amy Goldman Koss is on the right in disgust of our shameless ability to self promote. The event was fun. About 100 people showed up and ate all of our doughnuts. Those of you in the LA area who didn't show up to the signing were punished by witnessing the Phillies deliver an 11-0 beating to our beloved Dodgers. (Next time you'll all know to come won't you?)
I also gave away an enormous drawing to a sweet gal (the prize was determined by who travelled the farthest to come to our signing. Her grandmother was from Palo Alto)
Tomorrow I leave for the east coast (one of my favorite places outside of my studio) but not before speaking to the students at the Rhode Island School of Design..
So exciting! I can't wait to... Wha? HEY!!!!!! WHAT THE?!
(Thanks to Jarrett "I'd like to buy a vowel" Krosoczka for the pics)
This is a portion of a page from my upcoming graphic novel (The Domesticated Four)
I would have to say hands are the worst things I draw. I usually manage by photo reference or feeling my way around the form until I get this fat swollen palm with hot dogs for fingers. Lately I've noticed that my hands have gotten better. Take this fist on the dog for instance. I drew that fist with a sense of confidence like I never had before and I nailed it on the first try in 5 minutes. For those who draw I think you sometimes notice that one day you can just do things that you were unable to do before.
I hadn't experienced a revelation like that since I was in art school.
I was talking to a friend about books that we worked on and would rather forget about. Artwork we were so ashamed to have published that we wished that Amazon.com didn't keep themselves so well updated. This got me to look through my old archive of work, which got me to think about how much I've evolved and improved over the years. To the casual viewer my work may seem the same to most of you, but to me, a person who has been married to my craft for many years, you see every little subtle change.
Regrettably, I must say, that the old work is horrendous and I'm ashamed to show it, but like Alcohol Anonymous, we have to let it all out, tell ourselves it's OK and that we can move on.
OK, so I'm not familiar with the 12 step program but you get the picture.
These were the very first pieces I ever got published in book publishing (aside from Guild of Geniuses) It was for a book series written by Gregory Maguire (author of "Wicked") called the Hamlet Chronicles. (a total of seven books in the series) Harpercollins wanted me to repackage the series as well as illustrate the last three new books. This was when I was painting in acrylics and would ship the original artwork out to the clients. As you can see towards the tail end of the series I switched to digital because I quickly learned that revisions can be a pain...
THREE ROTTEN EGGS
SEVEN SPIDERS SPINNING
FOUR STUPID CUPIDS
A COUPLE OF APRIL FOOLS
FIVE ALIEN ELVES
SIX HAUNTED HAIRDOS
ONE FINAL FIRECRACKER
These are just a few of many skeletons in my closet.
Ugh, I can't even look at SEVEN SPIDERS SPINNING..... Atrocious.
So, Mr. Maguire, if you're reading this, I'm sorry I sucked in the early part of my career and that the stories you worked so hard to get published had to endure the Suckitude™ of my naive abilities of that time. If Harpercollins were to ever give me a second shot at repackaging these I would think I would do you proud, but we'll just call it what it was... A relationship where one of us (me) just wasn't mature enough to follow through with to the end.
I just recently discovered that CHICKEN DANCE made it into the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators in New York. Now, it's not the first time I've been in the show, but I have to be honest with you, I was truly bitter when I learned that THE GHOSTS OF LUCKLESS GULCH was excluded from last years show. With that said, if OH NO doesn't make it into next year's Original Art Show I will feel truly jaded.
In any case, I wanted to share the cover for OH NO with you all because it will be relevant to my next blog, which will come later on in the week(s)
A while back I blogged about this great book my parents got for me while they were in Thailand. It was a book about old movie posters. Stuff like this...
I just loved the rough painterly feel of old pulp retro posters. OH NO was one of those projects that I felt lended itself to that feel so I modeled it after an old 1960's Japanese Monster Movie Poster such as this...
and especially these...
See the influences? I hope it translates well into a children's book...
(click on all images to see a larger version)
I'll walk you through a few details....
First of all, the jacket as a whole may look a little busy, but if you look at it as parts of a whole then it makes more sense.
Here's the cover...
I thought the single image of a girl standing in front of a city in carnage would stand out on a bookshelf. Then upon closer inspection you would notice that in her glasses you can see the reflection of a giant robot and a giant frog preparing to fight. The art director and I decided that the paper should be matte (or satin finish) and that the glasses would be spot glossed to give it that reflective feel.
The back of the book continues on with the whole retro feel. The robot is a dominant shape in the background which is predominantly red/orange. I also gave him a speech bubble where the book bar code would be placed as if the robot were talking and I included a 'Presented in Retrovision' and 'Color by Colorflux' ads which were later removed before printing. Also note the rough painted edge over the white border. The large signwritten in Japanese literally translates to "OH NO" in Japanese. For the longest time I was trying to convince the folks at Hyperion to include Japanese in the title and in the text. We ended up settling on a middle ground.
The about the author/illustrator section is also part of the whole retro feel of the jacket. Here is an image of the author, Mac Barnett and I running away from the monster (in classic sci-fi poster form). I added an eye patch to myself as an homage to to some of the old mad scientist villains you would see in the Bond movies and so forth. It almost rings synonymous with the goatee in Star Trek that automatically signified Spock as being evil. It was as if to say a prerequisite to being evil in the 60's was that you had to have lost an eye. Oh those silly 60's...
But wait that's not all... Take off the jacket and turn it over. What's this? A door poster?!
The art director and editor were awesome enough to let me include a movie poster that kids can hang up on their wall. It comes complete with tag lines and movie credits which include the names of the art director and editor as well.
BUT WAIT DAN! HOLD ON! If my kid hangs this book poster on his door then he's gonna have a book with no jacket on it. What good is that?!
Ah, never fear. The hardcover is decorated, as well, as you can see here...
It's supposed to be the science notebook of the girl in the book. The coffee stains were supposed to be tinted to more of a chocolate milk sort of feel but I think it failed. There was originally more stuff on it to begin with but Mac and the editor felt it was best to simplify it and keep it minimal.
Don't adjust your monitors....From now until next year I only have chapter book projects (and my graphic novel) to work on so black and white artwork will be the most common thing you will see here for a while. With that said I noticed thatthe process of painting and drawing incorporate two different parts of the right side of my brain. If I have been painting for a while I notice I need a few weeks to get back into form with my drawing skills and vice versa. Well, here are a few Nanny Piggins pieces I recently did. Each one took about a day and I might go back and add more detail to the shutters and so forth. I tried something new with the bushes in the first piece. I was looking at some of Chris Van Allsburg's work online and wanted to throw in a little 'The Garden of Abdul Gasai' detail in there. I failed. They kinda look like dragon scales but, hey, live and learn.
Not to make excuses but I'm so busy these days I only have time to respond to events which happened instead of promoting them. I'm a bad blogger. Bare with me.
On Friday I sent 'OH NO' out the door. I was so into this book that I designed everything you could imagine to exist on a book. Here is the hardback cover which ended up being edited down. I guess you could call this a deleted scene...
I also finished up 'The Christmas Genie' with Simon and Schuster the week before. Note to self, Converting from Grayscale to CMYK greatly enhances the contrast of a file...
So you ask.... what's left on your plate Dan?
Well, I have Nanny Piggins in progress which is due at the end of this month....
Meanwhile, I get to work on the next Bobby book with these fine folks...
(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Me, Lisa Yee, Arthur Levine, Elizabeth Parisi NOT SHOWN: Cheryl Klein)
But what's the REAL kicker?
I get to finish my graphic novel....
WHAT?! You ask? You've been talking about that for YEARS. I don't believe you! I want proof!
Here's your proof....
Holy COLOR!
Did I mention the deadline is March 1st? My editor gave me a net schedule outline and everything. It's along the lines of...
October 7th- You die October 14th- You DIE October 21st- YOU DIE
Yeah...... Nuts. I know. Maybe I should inquire about the services of Kazu Kubiushi and Team Amulet down the street?
But I can't complain, all the recent work I've done has paid off rather well in giving me the exposure I needed to acquire more work. I've been getting a flood of offers within the last two weeks and now it's a matter of being able to find time to do them. I love all the stuff I've read so far so I might just have to do all of them!
Hey editors and art directors out there. I'd LOOOOOVE to do a silly pirate book if any of you have a manuscript for one! HINT HINT
In other news...
CHICKEN DANCE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE ORIGINAL ART SHOW AT THE SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS!
I selected this piece to be in the show....
I will be making a trip to NY to attend the show (Though I haven't told my wife yet) It'll be a real quick fly in fly out thing but I'd love to hang out with as many fellow children's book artists as I can because I admire ALL your work and you all keep me going.
Lastly, the SCBWI conference.
This was the first year I was a member of faculty. I critiqued picture book manuscripts and judges. The best part? Meeting people I totally admire....
(LEFT TO RIGHT: Three time Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner, 'Trucktown' co-visual creator Dave Gordon, New York Times Best Illustrated book author Dan Yaccarino, and me)
Just a wealth of knowledge is learned chatting ith these guys.
Remember that scene in Return of the Jedi, when Lando Calrissian is flying the Milleneum Falcon out of the Death Star while it's blowing up all around them and they escape within an inch of their lives? That's been my last few months of work so, naturally, I've been neglecting this site to get stuff done.
So Dan, what's making you so busy?
Let's start with Chicken Dance, that little book from Sterling Publishing that is supposed to be released August 1st but has apparently already found it's way into Barnes & Noble bookstores....
First of all, EXCELLENT REVIEWS!
This one from Kirkus (the toughest reviewers of the bunch)... Kirkus Reviews 2009 July #1 CLS Basic Picture Books
A duck-and-chicken rivalry turns foul in this outrageous offering. Barn animals compete in a talent show to win Elvis Poultry concert tickets; after all, the King's "top bird." For chickens Marge and Lola, practice proves fruitless: Bowling squashes them flat, juggling sets feathers on fire and flying leaves the duo disoriented and "up to their wattles" in the haystack. The bullying ducks taunt them along the way. "Don't bother, drumsticks. Ducks win every year." During the night's grand show, the chickens' typical squawking and flapping leaves Elvis impressed with the dynamic divas. The zippy narative features punchy dialogue and witty interactions; creative wordplay abounds ("Let's bawk and roll!"). Droll delivery soars high, advancing the story line to its playful conclusion. Santat's rich ink-and-acrylic designs provide a humorous context through animated expressions. Elvis, in his signature sequined white suit and dark shades, dominates his double-page spreads. Utilizing shadow and depth, warm colors provide the backgrounds for the energetic antics. Fly the coop to enjoy this hilarious adventure. (Picture book 4-8) Copyright Kirkus 2009 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
Then there's this one from Cookie Magazine...
Santat's delightfully expressive character designs add tons of comedic
value to an already quite silly tale of a barnyard talent show. There
are plenty of chuckles to be had over the course of this eminently
likable book, but the highlight comes when the two lead hens go through
a trial-and-error (with a bit more focus on the "error") process of
perfecting their act.
—Ages 3 to 6
Publishers Weekly.....
Chicken Dance Tammi Sauer, illus. by Dan Santat. Sterling, $14.95 (36p) ISBN 978-1-4027-5366-4 Move over, Susan Boyle: the next talent-that-comes-out-of nowhere is a pair of chickens named Marge and Lola. They're determined to win tickets to see a performance of their idol, Elvis Poultry. But they'll have to place first in the barnyard talent show—outscoring acts that include a trio of goats that eat a tractor onstage and cows that jump over the moon—and humiliate their snotty duck rivals. “Get some floaties, chickens!” shout the ducks after the chickens test their swimming prowess with unsuccessful results (“They totally sank”). With snappy banter (“We're on,” says Marge as their turn on the stage arrives. “We're doomed,” replies Lola) and tightly constructed storytelling, Sauer (Cowboy Camp) pulls off the neat trick of both embracing and spoofing the against-all-odds genre. Totally in sync with his collaborator, Santat's (Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo) sculptural, mixed media pictures exude an old-fashioned, theatrical drama that lifts the many jokes—visual and textual—into sublime silliness. Ages 4–7. (Aug.)
Booklist....
The author of Cowboy Camp (2005) offers here another clever picture book filled with broad humor aimed at young listeners and their parents. Chickens Marge and Lola, desperate to see Elvis Poultry in concert, decide to enter the barnyard talent show where tickets are the grand prize. Competition is stiff: the goats eat a tractor, the pigs form a pyramid, the cows jump over the moon, and the ducks surf a wave. The talent-less chickens resort to bawking, flapping, and shaking—which doesn’t impress the judges, but does earn them a spot onstage as dancers for their idol. Santat’s computer-enhanced acrylic-and-ink artwork comically extends Sauer’s droll text, especially the depictions of Marge and Lola’s attempts at bowling, juggling, tightrope walking, and swimming; also noteworthy is the flamboyant Elvis, wearing sunglasses and a white, gem-studded costume. Filled with fowl puns and intertextual references to children’s culture, and reminiscent of Mary Jane Auch’s poultry picture books such as Beauty and the Beaks (2007), this should please all ages.
I'm a stranger to the all around positive reviews. This is a new thing for me.
Hi Five everyone!
(NOTE: I've been sending out this jeg to editors, art directors, and author friends who bring me good news lately. No joke)
Meanwhile, Sterling Publishing, Tammi Sauer, and I have been busy assualting everyone's senses on
Facebook with Chicken Dance promotion and it seems to be grabbing folks
attention.
Stuff like this...
and this....
aaaaand (sadly) this....
Tammi was a huge hit at the ALA conference in Chicago. I was told Sterling gave out 100 copies of the book in under an hour.
What else is going on you ask?
I've got a Dan Gutman book I have to turn in my next week. Here's a piece...
Then there's Nanny Piggin's with Little Brown.....
and a project with Abrams called 'Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies' which I haven't announced yet. Here's a glimpse of the cover.....
Lastly, OH NO is due next week.... Here's a lay in for a special retro movie poster that will be on the back of the jacket. (The type is not final by the way)
Most of this is all due in or before August by the way.
The deadlines are all being met and I'm very satisfied with the work quality by the way (for all of you who read the Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog the other week and heard me wallow in my own self pity)
This has clearly become the year of the middle grade chapter book for me.
So what's up after this?
Well, not to throw a wrench in the entire thing but I'm off to Comic Con on Thursday to hang out with some children's book and comic book pals. Expect some silly pictures to evolve from that.
After that, for the first time I'll be critiquing manuscripts and will be a judge of the portfolio competition at this year's SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles. I hope to see you all there doing "the Bellyache"
Then, it's a mad dash to work on the second Booby Chan book with Arthur Levine Books and, my pal, Lisa Yee (wich will be due in mid November)
NOTE: Lisa and I recently were judges in Cheryl Klein's Thomas Bowdler Fiction Contest seen here.
ALSO the fine folks at Arthur Levine Books buckled me down and gave me a due date for The Domesticated Four! (it's a season that rhymes with 'wing')
Now do you see why I'm so quiet?
See why my hair is so gray?
On top of all that, my house should be completed with construction in about three weeks and that kid of mine? Still sucks at sleeping...
OK I'm sweating with nervousness just knowing what I have to get done. I've chatted with you all long enough! I gotta get outta here! I- BAM! (Dan's head explodes)
Hey folks, so I haven't posted anything in weeks only because I'm being pulled in all different directions on different projects and I'm heading off for a small mini vacation starting Wednesday with the family.
I can't really share much with what I have in store for you all until next week after the big ALA Conference in Chicago. Sterling Publishing has been really getting the word out on CHICKEN DANCE, and I don't want to disappoint in terms of promotion on my end.
Here's a hint...Some of you may have remembered that I bought a Chicken Puppet...
Well, I bought some fabric, sequins, thread and some glue (Note the disgusting floor. That is the current state of my studio)
and two days later I made Elvis Poultry....
Now, I can add 'seamstress' to my resume! (I wish I had a Bedazzler)
Some folks say sewing is fun and relaxing. I am not one of those people...
AND IF YOU'RE ATTENDING ALA THIS COMING WEEKEND BE SURE TO VISIT THE STERLING BOOTH TO SEE TAMMI SAUER SIGN COPIES OF CHICKEN DANCE STAURDAY AT 3!
I even have a flyer to prove it.
Here's some artwork for Simon and Schuster I'm doing for a Dan Gutman chapter book to show you all that I'm still working away....
One last thing....
My youngest son (I love him to death) is a horrible sleeper at night
So I decided to have some fun
I bought a fake mustache from a 25 cent toy dispenser
So the house addition project is getting to the final five weeks of construction and I couldn't be happier. No more dust, no more scratches and people walking through the joint. I can soon return to having a nice quiet place to work and be left alone. Meanwhile, the little monster you see in the picture has been a horrible sleeper waking up every hour and a half.
Awww, little monster... How can I stay mad at you?
Good news. I'll be critiquing picture book manuscripts at this year's LA SCBWI Conference. With that said some a few of my books will be sold at the SCBWI bookstore, both of which will be making their early debut's in order to make the most of the conference.
CHICKEN DANCE is one of them....
and the other is BOBBY VS. GIRLS...
both authors for these books will be in attendance at the conference so you can make the most of your experience and get the books signed by BOTH the author and illustrator (that would be me)
Meanwhile, I'm finishing up the last few illustrations for OH NO! and I think it looks great. I can't show you guys much more because I've shown too much, but.... Oh, What the hey! here's a little peek of a little smidge....
I'm also working on a Dan Gutman book for Simon and Schuster...
"Painting is drawing and drawing is painting" is what Da Vinci used to say.
Lastly, author Tammi Sauer and I have been preparing for our huge 'Chicken Dance' marketing campaign and that only means one thing....
