Tag Archives: illustrator

Don, Guest Interview, In-Person, Tom, WOWI Session

Anna Cosper – Illustrator, Book Designer, Frolicker

Have you been frolicking enough? We started this interview with a question from her website. Anna Cosper helped produce and publish the most recent edition of a familiar Whidbey favorite, Hometown Heroes*. That’s enough of an accomplishment, as well as a great introduction to dozens of the island’s heroes. But she also is a book illustrator, who sells commissioned illustrations and paintings; a book formatter, a frequently requested skill; and a fan of artistic expression in the literary arts, but also in dance, and puppetry. A very Whidbey resume.

She took a long route to get to Whidbey Island, including the Netherlands, Myanmar, Thailand, and Botswana. Those stories alone could probably be enough for hours of presentations and talks. She even did a puppetry tour down the West Coast of the US –  by bicycle. Add that to the list of topics she can talk about from personal experience.

We didn’t talk about all of that; but much of it. Most of the hour-ish conversation was about balancing personal art projects with helping others with theirs (for a fee, as appropriate). She understands that every artist, every author, has choices to make because she has had to make those choices, too.

We also talked about Whidbey’s art community and how uncommon it is, and how that can be appealing enough to draw some people here to live, or work, or simply to visit.

Set aside a bit more than an hour to hear laughter, know that blushing was involved, and listen in as we touch of the rise of AI and its influence on the arts.

Oh yeah, and frolicking – that was the first thing she answered. (To be alerted about the release of her series of cards and other frolicking products sign up at annacosper.com/artforall.) And, remember, at its core, everything is memoir. Sounds like a good bumper sticker.

Writing on Whidbey Island (WOWI) episode 42 – Anna Cosper – Illustrator, Book Designer, Frolicker

Contact

  • Book websites: HometownHeroes2.org * and OnWingsOfWonder.com
  • Professional Website – AnnaCosper.com
  • Instagram – @annamakesbooks

* 100% of all proceeds go to either the South Whidbey Schools Foundation, WAIF animal shelter, or Island Senior Resources.

Don, Guest Interview, In-Person, Tom, WOWI Session

Luke Kruger-Howard – Graphic Novelist and Ambassador for Cartooning

white board art Coupeville Library
Random white board art not by Luke Kruger_Howard — although similarly fun to discover!

Graphic novelist. There’s a term that can be mis-understood. Is that a novelist who is graphic? No. Luke Kruger-Howard is a graphic novelist from the cartoonist side of things. He considers himself an ambassador for cartooning. Cartooning stretches from doodles to Dilbert to the other end of the spectrum like anime and Maus. There’s a lot out there.

Luke talked about realities of being printed in the New Yorker, and what to do when their response is a rejection letter. Some of his work is single-panel, but much of it is longer form, hence, graphic novelist. He’s also modern enough that he doesn’t limit himself to the boundaries of a page. Hello, infinite scrolling online. Regardless he continues to have “a romantic relationship with the printed page.”

Creating the art is one thing, actually many things; but he also taught cartooning and book-making at the Center for Cartoon Studies. His move to Whidbey now means he gets to teach things like potty-training to two small humans, a temporary gig. While he is here he is interested in getting involved in art-making classes for kids. Hello, Whidbey’s schools and art organizations.

Throw in some philosophical work regarding the impact of money on creativity – and this description will fall short of the breadth and depth of Luke in this one hour conversation. Imagine if we talked for two.

Writing on Whidbey Island (WOWI) episode 43 – Luke Kruger-Howard, graphic novelist and ambassador for cartooning

Contact

flying ace author writer jeep QR Code book cover art
There are flying aces, and then there are author aces…
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The Show Must Go ON!

200314_quarantineCONTRARY to my recent WOWI blog post saying that Tom and I may need to put a hold on the show, we’re devising an idea how we could go forward during the Cornonavirus quarantine!

This past Monday I rigged-up my gear and met Tom in a video chat — our intention being to record a 1-off WOWI episode — both to see how using this medium might work and to discuss how how being in quarantine affects writers.  Frankly, going into this … I didn’t expect much — and yet, what came out of it was an intriguing show running over an hour long!

“How do the adjustments we are making and disruptions we are dealing with make for opportunities, affect work and art later on, what is yet to come for the world of the day-job worker?”

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The “Yellow Jack” or “Lima” signal flag is flown on ships in harbor to indicate that a vessel is under quarantine.

On Wednesday I e-met with Tom again with two purposes in mind.  One was to test an improved set-up with my gear — which produced technological success.  The other was to further discuss continuing the show from QuarantineVille.  Our aim at this point is to try and host 1 to 2 guests each month over video chat — and we each have a few authors in mind to ask.

If you are Whidbey Island writer/author, editor, bookstore owner, graphic artist or illustrator, marketing guru — or whatever as long as your work is part of the publishing industry — and you think you’d be a fit for a WOWI episode … PLEASE CONTACT US!

We’ll talk with you soon! ~ Don

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