Occasional Plum #3: Services Not Required

I often wonder what Jeeves does when Bertie is not in urgent need of his skills. I suspect it's something pleasant. Here he is out behind Anatole's kitchen catching up on his Spinoza.

I'll Be There

My second picture book with Ann Stott will be released sometime next week. I'll Be There is a companion book to Always and provided some interesting challenges. Not only was I returning to a style and feel I employed three years previously, I had to age the boy and his mother approximately the same amount of years. I'm not sure if that's been done in a picture book sequel before. Anyone?
Like Always, I'll Be There is a conversation between a mom and son. The boy is a bit more secure in this one. In fact, he proudly lists the things that he can do alone, without his mom's help. But he still needs to know that she'll be nearby, just in case. Always was almost entirely from the boy's perspective (the mom doesn't even appear until the end), but I'll Be There features the mom prominently. It's as much her story as his.

Ann Stott is a wonderful picture book author. She knows what to include and what to leave to the illustrator. My main task was to find a setting for this conversation. I added a stone wall that the boy climbs and wanders along just slightly ahead of his mom. It seemed like a nice visual metaphor and also gave me the opportunity for some business that showed the boy's independence and the mom's hesitant granting of that independence.

These last two images are "almost finished" versions of final illustrations. I liked this very limited color for the flashback images, but we all decided that a bit more color would warm everything up.

For a look back at some sketches for Always, click here.

Pigeon Sale!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, this little fella is on sale for $100 off the original price plus free shipping. Go to my Etsy shop for details. Sale ends Friday 3/18. Sláinte!

Tantrum

Occasional Plum #2: "The Big, Broad, Flexible Outlook"

Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and his long-suffering pal, James "Corky" Corcoran aka Laddie.

Ukridge is one of my favorite characters in the Wodehouse universe. Unlike Bertie Wooster and the Blandings Castle regulars, Ukridge and Corky are forever short of cash and their stories have a slightly desperate edge to them. For a fantastic introduction to Ukridge, I will point you over to Bully's blog. He sums it all up expertly and quotes extensively, including some gems from my favoritest favorite: Ukridge's Accident Syndicate.

Sketched with a Derwint Graphitint pencil, watercolor, and a bit of digital.

Don't Trust This Guy

Polychromos pencils & watercolor on Rives paper.

Panda in a Sweater

Occasional Plum #1

A domestic tiff (with complications) from Lord Emsworth Acts for the Best found in the short story collection, Blandings Castle by the incomparable P.G. Wodehouse. I'd say it's one of his funniest short stories but they're all funny, really.

The Occasional Plum

You shall find Mr. Wooster... an exceedingly pleasant and amiable young gentleman, but not intelligent. By no means intelligent. Mentally he is negligible — quite negligible.

(The Inimitable Jeeves)

Since I find myself (for the first time in years) not actively drawing a book at the moment, I thought I should concoct a little sketch challenge for myself. I'm going to start a series of drawings, paintings, and doodles inspired by the works of my favorite author, P.G. Wodehouse. I know I won't be able to follow a set schedule (for that, check out Bully's fantastically entertaining Wodehouse-A-Week posts), so I'm calling this series The Occasional Plum.

First up is of course Jeeves & Bertie. I'm not entirely satisfied with Jeeves here, but I reserve the right to re-examine, re-design, and re-draw these characters to my heart's delight.

I've thought about doing this Wodehouse project for years, but so far had only managed two entries. Let's hope I'll be able to stick with it this time. Right ho!

Hula hoopin'

Here's What Cooks

(two pages from Around the World dry in the late day sun)

Well, my next graphic novel Around the World is in the supremely capable hands of the design geniuses at Candlewick and it looks all set for its fall release date (actual date forthcoming). It will also coincide with the publication of the paperback edition of The Storm in the Barn which I've just learned will in fact be in color. Yay! I'll be out and about promoting Around the World this spring (TLA in Austin, BookExpo in NYC) and fall (bookstores, book festivals, and whoever will have me).

In March, keep an eye out for my latest picture book, I'll Be There by the wonderful Ann Stott. This one is a companion to Always and posed some very interesting challenges. More on that book soon.

At the moment, I'm hard at work writing the script for my third graphic novel. Again, I'll post more on that project as it progresses but I will say that it deals with summer days, vaudeville, and the young Buster Keaton. It has been a blast to research. So far, the writing hasn't been too torturous either. Here's the big board in the studio with the current project taking up a lot of space:

I'm also planning a new sketch project for this little ol' sometimes neglected blog. More on that soonest.

Movie Doodles: Silent Edition

Been spending some time watching Buster Keaton movies and sketching (all for an upcoming book which I'll talk more about soon). I'm starting at the beginning with the shorts he made with Roscoe Arbuckle. Great, funny stuff. If you were ever curious about what Coney Island was like in 1918, Arbuckle & Keaton, Vol 2 from Kino DVD is the place to go.

Norma Desmond was right. They really did have faces then.

First Board Book!

(Korean edition & printer proof for new board book)

I am extremely excited that my 2007 picture book Very Hairy Bear by the wonderful Alice Schertle will be available in a sturdy board book edition this fall! As the parent of a toddler, I have come to appreciate the genius of the board book format. I've been hoping for my own board book for a long while now. Thanks, Harcourt!

And here's an interior printer proof shot against the current snowy scene outside my studio...

A Bit Snoopy-ish

Movie Doodles

Happy Belated New Year! I've been enjoying some down-time since finishing Around the World in December, but everything is revving up now for an exciting 2011. I'll post more about this year's books and plans soon, but in the meantime here are some sketches I made while watching a movie on my laptop.

Since I have a toddler in the house, I like to refer to it as Kick-Bottom.

Etsy Shop is Now Open!

Although I've had the account for 2 years, I have finally opened the shutters on my Etsy shop. There are three original art pieces for sale now with more coming. Eventually, I will also be selling prints there.

Planet Ham on Etsy!

Cue REM song...

At last June's ALA conference, Gene Yang told me that I would never make the deadline for my next graphic novel, Around the World.

WELL, he was... right, actually. However, I did finish the the interior art last week. It's a wee bit past my deadline, but who's counting (besides Candlewick)?

The last of the three stories was the tale of Thomas Stevens, Wheelman (it will appear first in the book). Looking through my archives, I discovered that I failed to photograph any of the process for the Joshua Slocum section for the blog. I can assure you that I did finish that, too. Actually, it's all a little bit hazy. Graphic novels are like marathons and there are times when you get caught up in a blur of creativity. It is always best not to question the sanity of the endeavor, but to move forward each day.


I am very happy with the way the book has turned out and — for the most part — I did enjoy the process immensely. I'll be talking more about Around the World in the months leading up to its 2011 release. But for now, I shall rest... as soon as I finish the cover.

Collingswood Book Festival

Just a quick post to say that I'll be at the Collingswood Book Festival in NJ this Saturday (10/2) from 10-4. At 1 pm I'll be talking about all things Storm in the Barn and other than that, I'll be at my little table signing books and chatting. Stop by if you can.

Flora's Launch Party!

The official launch party for Flora's Very Windy Day at Children's Book World was a rousing success and loads of fun. The store was all decked out with a wall of books, balloons, and an eager crowd and Jeanne Birdsall was decked out in super-special heavy-duty red boots.

Jeanne and I chatted about how the book came to be and the collaborative nature of picture books. Then Jeanne riveted the crowd by reading a super-secret excerpt from the upcoming third Penderwicks novel. Speaking as a Penderwicks fanatic myself, it is going to be a looooooong wait until the book is published in May of 2011.

And to top it off, the good folks at CBW even had a delicious cake made. Thanks to everyone who came by and thanks to CBW for the grand send-off!

Flora's Very Windy Day Round-up!

I'm a bit tardy with this post, but I wanted to take a moment to trumpet the arrival of Flora's Very Windy Day by the incomparable Jeanne Birdsall. Flora was one of those books that was a joy to work on from start to finish. I jumped into this book after spending a year in the downtrodden Dust Bowl, so spending my days drawing two kids being tossed about in the wind was certainly a treat.

Speaking of treats, Jeanne Birdsall is joining me at the wonderful Children's Book World for the Official Flora Launch Party on Saturday, September 25th at 2 pm. Hope you can join us!

(An early sketch of Flora)

Reviews have been pretty glowing so far. Here are some clips:

As realistic as the mixed feelings it captures and as fanciful as a conversation with a rainbow, the first picture book by Birdsall, author of The Penderwicks (2005), blends homely and fantastic elements as naturally as a child at play... A fine picture book with a fierce, bold and (deep down) compassionate heroine.

- Booklist (STAR)

Phelan's illustrations are simply wonderful: His line floats and traces the air currents, his colors are subtle but strong and he captures Flora's multiple emotions and Crispin's silent toddlerness in every rosy-cheeked image. Emotionally true from cover to cover.

- Kirkus (STAR)

This gem of a book will resonate with older siblings everywhere.

- School Library Journal

...crisp and delightful...

- Publishers Weekly

And there's been some great reviews from the blogosphere including What We Read and What We Think and A Patchwork of Books!

Don't forget 9/25 at Children's Book World. Stop by and say hi to Jeanne and me!