Guest: Tony DiTerlizzi, author-illustrator

Subject: Childrens Writers - TDiTerlizzi

Author: writerbabe

Uploaded By: JOANWRITE

Date: 9/28/2001

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Childrens' Writers Chat Log 9-18-01

Guest: Tony DiTerlizzi, author-illustrator

Tuesdays

9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT), Writers Workshop

Children's Writers chat - writers and illustrators of children's books meet for specific topics and special guest speakers, moderated by HOST WRTR WBABE & HOST WRTR CGaley, with HOST WRTR sUe & HOST WRTR Neely (Greeters).

****disinfected using Virex 6.0****

<HTML>Childrens' Writers Chat Log 9-18-01

Guest: Tony DiTerlizzi, author-illustrator

WriterBabe: Good! We're going into protocol now.

JimmyZangwow: hopefully i wont get booted :)

WriterBabe: When it's time for audience participation, type ? for a

question,

WriterBabe: ! for a comment, and wait your turn to be called on.

WriterBabe: Type GA for Go Ahead (guests, too) when you've finished

speaking.

WriterBabe: Co-host Chuck Galey can butt in at will.

JimmyZangwow: thank you teacher- do we get a pee break?

CGaley: (waving)

WriterBabe: Wave, Chuck.

WriterBabe: Uh, sure, Tony. Got a chamber pot handy?

JimmyZangwow: nevermind- i am wearing depends

WriterBabe: Tonight I'm tickled to welcome a wonderful illustrator, writer,

and neighbor, Mr. Jimmy Zangwow himself--

WriterBabe: Tony DiTerlizzi.

WriterBabe: Welcome, Tony!

JimmyZangwow: bowing...thank you

JimmyZangwow: thank you

WriterBabe: I'm going to start off by asking some questions.

JimmyZangwow: lets do it

WriterBabe: You started off as (and continue to be) a fantasy artist.

WriterBabe: What attracted you to this genre?

WriterBabe: Ga

JimmyZangwow: i have ALWAYS wanted to do childrens books - since i was a kid

JimmyZangwow: when I came outta art school, i felt i was ready to dive into

it yet

JimmyZangwow: sorry was NOT ready

JimmyZangwow: so i went into fantasy and games to get my technical ability

to where i was happy with it

JimmyZangwow: GA

WriterBabe: How has fantasy art influenced your children's books--or is it

the other way around? GA

JimmyZangwow: sorry- i really didn't answer your question

WriterBabe: I think you did.

JimmyZangwow: i think there is no delineation (sp?) in my mind

JimmyZangwow: "fantasy" books are a title booksellers use

JimmyZangwow: but you can easily find fantasy in childrens stories

JimmyZangwow: so for me it was easy to go from one "genre" into another

JimmyZangwow: so I see it all as storytelling- with imagination as the key

element

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: But there is a difference in the art--at least to my eye. How

would you define the difference? GA

JimmyZangwow: well- i tend to use my color and palette to convey a mood. for

instance, TED isn't a dark story whereas some of the Dungeons & Dragons stuff

can be

JimmyZangwow: so it looks different depend on the factors that make it up- i

think that variety in creation is one of my stroger abilites

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: You've illustrated other people's books? What makes you say yes

to a book? What makes you say no? GA

JimmyZangwow: wow- good question

WriterBabe: (There wasn't supposed to be a question mark after that first

sentence--I know you've illustrated them.)

JimmyZangwow: i think it is truly how it hits me- if it's something i can

feel in my heart as an awesome project

JimmyZangwow: and how much they are willing to pay me :)

WriterBabe: LOL

JimmyZangwow: subject matter also plays a big part- if I am not excited

about the challenge i will pass- regardless of who or how much is involved

JimmyZangwow: i have turned down books from pretty big names- if i am not

into it, and do it for the money- everyone suffers and thats no good- there

is already too much mediocre books out there

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: Thanks, Tony. Chuck's got a question.

JimmyZangwow: shoot

CGaley: Tony, since you're both the illustrator and the author, how do

CGaley: you go about working... pictures first? Text first? ga

JimmyZangwow: usually story first- since i was an established artist before

i started pitching my books, everyone knew i could draw the images. so we

focus on a really solid story

JimmyZangwow: my goal is to writ e decent enough story so that anyone could

illustrate it- not just me

JimmyZangwow: after i get the story rolling, i start seeing images from it,

and begin doodlin them out onto paper- the book dummy grows from there

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: Would you ever want someone else to illustrate your story, Tony?

Some illustrators like that. GA

JimmyZangwow: love to

JimmyZangwow: but being an artist- i am a PICKY PANTS

JimmyZangwow: so it would have to be just the right project

FrancoBe: ?

JimmyZangwow: i think chosing and using the right illustratr/writer team is

soooo important to the success of the book

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: That leads to my next questions--What have been the strongest

influences on your writing/illustrating? Which writers and illustrators do

you admire and why? GA

WriterBabe: (Betsy, we'll open this to the audience soon, and then you'll be

first)

JimmyZangwow: okay- being fortunate enough to get my words and pictures

published, i look at some of the classic examples of these, the 3 S's:

JimmyZangwow: Suess

JimmyZangwow: Silverstien

JimmyZangwow: Sendak

JimmyZangwow: :0

WriterBabe: GA?

JimmyZangwow: i do like some of the contemporary creators out there

now...but i am a HUGE fan of "The Golden Age" of childresn books, and picture

books from the 30-40s

JimmyZangwow: ga

CGaley: (Tony, is that an "awed" emoticon?)

WriterBabe: Good influences!

JimmyZangwow: no a typo- should have been :)

JimmyZangwow: ga

CGaley: (thanks)

WriterBabe: Last question from me, then time for audience participation.

JimmyZangwow: k

WriterBabe: What working relationship, if any, do you have with writers?

Would you like more or less collaboration? GA

JimmyZangwow: hmmm- i think it depends- people are soo different in their

approach to WHY they do this. I would pursue a workin realationship with a

writer if i knew we were on the same wavelength

WriterBabe: GA?

JimmyZangwow: if it is just the cover of a book, that is just a single

image- so there is less attachment. doing an entire book requires more from

you, so there are times i would like to ask the writer just what are you

thinkg for this scene

JimmyZangwow: but i think a mutual respect is really the key thing here

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: Have you done that--asked the writer? GA

WriterBabe: A couple of times illustrators have contacted me about spreads,

and it's been a treat. GA

JimmyZangwow: i have- when i illustrated DINOSAUR SUMMER, i worked pretty

closely to the write Greg Bear

JimmyZangwow: sometimes we agreed. sometimes we didn't

JimmyZangwow: so it's good to have the editor as a mediator :)

JimmyZangwow: ga

RoxyanneY: ?

WriterBabe: Thanks, Tony.

JimmyZangwow: np

WriterBabe: Now, folks, it's your turn.

WriterBabe: Betsy, you are first in line.

TheBrandon: ?

FrancoBe: What's your work schedule like?

JimmyZangwow: hi betsy! i work in HUGE clumps of time

JimmyZangwow: i am looking foward to my first weekend off in MONTHES

JimmyZangwow: if i am rockin on a job, or the deadline is fast approaching,

the 12 hour days are the norm

JimmyZangwow: but i love it- so that is what keeps me goin

JimmyZangwow: you have to remember- i usually have about 1 year to complete

my written/illustrated books- how i use that time is up to me, so therein

lies the time management challenge

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: Roxy, you're next.

RoxyanneY: Your art is a bit on the wild side. Are there any subjects you

won't do? Also, for how do you know if something you've done is too "out

there"? ga

JimmyZangwow: hi roxy

JimmyZangwow: hmmm- i only hope to further go out there as possible- in

fact, some of the manuscripts i have written are pretty wild...we've just

been slowly building a road to those projects

JimmyZangwow: when I did TED, a lot of people were like "what the hell is

that thing"? thats the response i want

JimmyZangwow: use your imagination- kids have no problem realizing these

kinds of things- i know i sure didn't when i was young

RoxyanneY: Sort of the Douglas Addams of picturebook art?

JimmyZangwow: ga

JimmyZangwow: yup

RoxyanneY: Thanks! GA

WriterBabe: TheBrandon, your turn.

TheBrandon: Hi, Tony. Did you develop a separate portfolio from your gaming

work when you started looking for work in the children's field?

WriterBabe: (Queue's empty, folks)

JimmyZangwow: yup - i sure did T, even tho i had some success in gaming, it

didn't help me in childrens...i had to start at square one

TheBrandon: ?

DLubar: ?

JimmyZangwow: which i was ready to do...so i did an entire port of

unpublished sample pieces and started working for CRICKET and SPIDER mag to

get my name out there

JimmyZangwow: in fact , we are working to add a lot of those early pieces to

my website soon

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: Neat!

WriterBabe: Continue, Brandon.

TheBrandon: David can ask his question first

DLubar: Do you do a school talk? What's it like?

JimmyZangwow: i have done school talks- elementary and high are the 2

schools i have done frequently

JimmyZangwow: they are xany. fun. disturbing. educational. people don't give

kids enough credit

JimmyZangwow: i love the responses and i love reading to them

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: Tony illustrated a collection of frog stories edited by Nancy

Springer called RIBBITING TALES. David has a story in it. Good work, you

two!

WriterBabe: Go ahead now, TheBrandon.

JimmyZangwow: ladies and gents- LUBAR

JimmyZangwow: ooo! ahhhhhh!

TheBrandon: How did you market your children's illustration - drop offs?

Appointments? Mailings? Website?

JimmyZangwow: heh heh- honest answer?

TheBrandon: yep

JimmyZangwow: moved to NYC

TheBrandon: thbbbbbbbbbbbbb

WriterBabe: LOLOL

TheBrandon: sorry ;)

JimmyZangwow: i called a lot of different workin illustrators-heard the

horror stories of drop offs non returned calls, etc

JimmyZangwow: so i figured if i was gonna make it happen, i might as well do

it right. if i was gonna be turned away, at least i could get a crit as to

why they were not interested

JimmyZangwow: and eventually after numerous phone calls and appointments, i

met an editor who "got me" he knew where i was coming from

JimmyZangwow: and loved the "out there" quality of my work :)

CGaley: Tony, do you pitch ideas to a favorite editor?

JimmyZangwow: its tough answer i know...but i really wantede this badly- i

do know if i couldn't have lived ehre, i would have at least visited and made

appointments regularly

RoxyanneY: ?

JimmyZangwow: i do pitch ideas- kevin is the editor who took the big chance

with me on JIMMY ZANGWOW. so i am very loyal to him

CGaley: Kevin Lewis?

JimmyZangwow: kevin lewis

CGaley: Yep, he's great!

JimmyZangwow: the one

JimmyZangwow: and only

CGaley: Yes, he's a good one to be loyal to!

CGaley: ga

WriterBabe: Does he pitch ideas to you, Tony? GA

JimmyZangwow: god bless him he is a great guy and really helped make this

kid's dreams come true.

JimmyZangwow: he has pitched ideas to me- and I have turned some down and

done some

SMiles1012: !

JimmyZangwow: based solely on if the project "felt right" to do

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: He's also a writer himself, which makes him understanding, I

think.

WriterBabe: SMiles, is it a comment on the conversation? If so, we'll take

it before Roxy's question.

SMiles1012: Just wanted to say that I enjoyed Jimmy's adventure & my sister

is a collage Prof who teaches Edu. & used your book in a class

JimmyZangwow: he is- a much different writer than i- but his heart is so

into books, i mean he worked for Books of Wonder before he was editor- that

says something about his passion

JimmyZangwow: thanks SMiles- did it go over okay?

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: SMiles? You can answer.

SMiles1012: you welcome :-)

WriterBabe: Did the book go over well in your sister's class, SMiles? GA

SMiles1012: yes They liked it

WriterBabe: :-)

JimmyZangwow: good- happy to hear it- i hope that all practiced their

belches out loud for a final grade

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: Roxy, you're next.

SMiles1012: Pis 7 all

RoxyanneY: What sort of books do you read to keep you fantasy juices

flowing? Do you have a favorite author? Do you go on artist-day-out type

things to refresh, get a new perspective? Where are we most likely to find

you with your sketchbook

RoxyanneY: on your day off?

RoxyanneY: GA

JimmyZangwow: okay - lets attack this one-by-one:

RoxyanneY: (I guess that's really more like a half dozen questions, but they

were flowing. :)

JimmyZangwow: I just reread a bunch of Ed Gorey books- LOVE Gashleycrumb

tinies

JimmyZangwow: and i finally read all the H Potter stuff

JimmyZangwow: I like to reread books that i liked as a kid - to try and see

why i liked them

JimmyZangwow: Roald Dahl, Lewis Carrol, Ed lear...

JimmyZangwow: i don't have a fav author- but i have some top books that i

hold dear: Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Butter Battle book,

Watership Down

JimmyZangwow: as for the art refresher: I usually go life drawing every

other week if i can

JimmyZangwow: either from nude models or i go to the park to draw trees,

animals in zoos, museums, etc

JimmyZangwow: and thats just what lives on my block

JimmyZangwow: my sketchbooks are full of these types of doodles along with

fragmented ideas written out, sketches for characters in upcoming projects,

etc

JimmyZangwow: ga

TheBrandon: ?

JimmyZangwow: btw- TED started out as a character in a sketchbook

WriterBabe: TheBrandon, fire away.

TheBrandon: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

JimmyZangwow: I was playing with a warped ABC book

JimmyZangwow: hopefully doing what i am doing now- just getting paid more!

JimmyZangwow: :)

TheBrandon: ?

JimmyZangwow: seriously Teresa, I have so many stories i wanna do, i hope i

can get them all done

RoxyanneY: ?

JimmyZangwow: ga

TheBrandon: Is there any news on the movie option on Ted?

JimmyZangwow: no official news yet

JimmyZangwow: the producers were workin on a press release last i spoke with

them, about a week before the tragedy

JimmyZangwow: ga

JimmyZangwow: sorry i have to keep kinda tight-lipped about it

TheBrandon: That's ok

JimmyZangwow: but it was optioned by the folks who did SHREK, so it is in

good hands

WriterBabe: Other questions, Teresa?

WriterBabe: Whoohoo, Tony!

TheBrandon: I think it is Roxy's turn

RoxyanneY: Do you see yourself teaming up with someone like Tim Burton to do

movies? Theresa and I are on the same wavelength there, I think. ga

JimmyZangwow: ga

JimmyZangwow: I love tims early stuff- a lot of gorey/suess in there

JimmyZangwow: he seems so much more...how should i say it.."hollywood" with

his latest ventures. In fact i heard he was gonna remake "Willy Wonka" why?

RoxyanneY: (Oh no!)

WriterBabe: Uh oh.

JimmyZangwow: so i dunno if there was a missed window there- but there are

so many up an comers that are ready to kick some serious butt

JimmyZangwow: its just like findng the perfect editor:)

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: The queue's empty, so I'll ask a question.

JimmyZangwow: shoot

WriterBabe: Humor is a prime element in your stories and illustrations.

JimmyZangwow: oh yes

WriterBabe: Can you give us some tips on writing and drawing funny? GA

Neely f: ^*^^*^* 7 MINUTE WARNING *^*^**^*

JimmyZangwow: boy that is tough- i was always a class clown in school. i

used jokes to help me fit in. i think i can still tap into that for writing

now. but i try to test it on kids when i've the oppurtunity

JimmyZangwow: and they always come up with funnier stuff than i can

JimmyZangwow: as for the art, i have always liked caricature so that plays

into my work big-time

JimmyZangwow: funny story as an example of kids ideas:

JimmyZangwow: a friend was telling me that his son didn't want to go to bed

JimmyZangwow: when he asked why, his son said "because my pajamas will

explode"

JimmyZangwow: see - you cant make thatup- thats genius

JimmyZangwow: ga

WriterBabe: LOL

TheBrandon: ?

CGaley: LOL!

WriterBabe: Teresa, last question.

TheBrandon: I'd like to hear about your work on Unfinished Tales. (I'm quite

green with envy)

JimmyZangwow: ooo- the cover for tolkien

Neely f: @#@##@ 4 MINUTE WARNING ##@#@#@

JimmyZangwow: there is a little story there, but not too much to tell:

TheBrandon: It isn't out yet, is it?

JimmyZangwow: I was at San Diego Comicon a few years back and was showing my

work to the Art Director for Delrey, he told me he loved my work

JimmyZangwow: BUT

JimmyZangwow: it was kinda jokey, less serious, more playful than the stuff

they generally used

JimmyZangwow: but he said "If we ever repackage Tolkien, I'll be sure to

call you"

JimmyZangwow: yeah right! i thought

JimmyZangwow: 3 years later i get the phone call- i was blown away to say

the least...quite an honor

TheBrandon: Indeed!

JimmyZangwow: ga

JimmyZangwow: lets squeeze in one more

WriterBabe: Excellent!

WriterBabe: Well, there are no more, actually. But it would be great if you

left us with some final words of wisdom, Tony. GA

JimmyZangwow: brush your teeth after each meal

WriterBabe: Ha!

CGaley: LOL Thanks, TONY!

Maria90290: wonderfully witty!!! thanks!!!

Neely f: Ahh geez. Do I have to?

JimmyZangwow: try to create something that gives a little piece of

happiness- that makes people smile

JimmyZangwow: and remember- these are books first and foremost for kids

JimmyZangwow: imagination is a wonderful thing-

JimmyZangwow: thank you all

CGaley: YES, for kids! Good point!

JimmyZangwow: and GOODNIGHT

WriterBabe: Great words of wisdom!

JimmyZangwow: don't forget to tip your waitress

WriterBabe: Thank you so much, Tony, for being a terrific guest!

MudderGG: Thank you, Tony.

Neely f: <><><><> CLAPPING ><><><><>

DLubar: Well done, Tony.

WriterBabe: Applause, applause!

JimmyZangwow: anytime

RoxyanneY: Excellent workshop!

FrancoBe: great job!

TheBrandon: Thanks, Tony

JimmyZangwow: remember lots more q&a at me site:

JimmyZangwow: www.diterlizzi.com

WriterBabe: Yes, go to Tony's website!

JimmyZangwow: and you can always email me from there

SMiles1012: () () ()) () () ()

CGaley: Thanks TONY!

JimmyZangwow: good luck

BrendaHB: Welcome, Novel Workshoppers! :)

WriterBabe: The novelists are here, so we must go. See you next week when

our guest will be Betsy Franco, anthologist.

MudderGG: Hello, Brenda

Neely f: And now we turn over the microphone to the NOVELISTS.

Jo Lady A: Hi Brenda *s*

WriterBabe: Night!

Neely f: Night all.

CGaley: Goodnight, everybody!

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