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What was your favorite book growing up?
I discoverd the public library when I was eight years old, and I began reading as many books as I could carry home.
I have a vivid memory of a book titled Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars. From that moment on I was hooked on science fiction
and practically memorized that category of the juvenile card file.
When did you create your first pop-up? What was it?
I made a three-dimensional stylezed antizue typewriter that unfolded from flat panels for
a second-year design course at Art Center. It wasn't a true pop-up but with a few simple
modifications it could have been. I don't recall ever being aware of pop-up books until I met Tor Lokvig around 1970. |
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How do you choose the subjects for your pop-ups?
For the first twenty years as a designer of pop-up books I worked on a mostly free-lance basis with Intervisual Books in Los Angles.
The books that I designed were assigned by Art Directors at IBI. After that I began to create my own early learning concept books because
I had been saving up ideas for those for years. I am now beginning to branch out into other kinds of subjects. I look for subjects that I'm
attracted to and that I think will be enhanced by a three-dimensional or mechanical treatment.
Have you always been a book illustrator?
Not at all. During those years as a freelance graphics designer I was involved in a wide variety of design and illustration work. I
produced designs for a stained glass studio, themed resturants graphics, aerospace publications, and toys, among others.
Do you have a pop-up role model?
In the beginning of my career Jan Pienkowski and David Pelham were my role models.
Are there other artists in your family?
Yes, I have a younger brother who's a graphic designer and one sister who is an interior designer. I also have a nepehew in
college who is a promising artist.
Who are your favorite children's book artists?
For pure artistry I love the work of Lisbeth Zwerger and Ed Young. I like the graphic wit of Bruno Munari's children's books. I also
admire Richard Scarry. He was brilliant at communicating with children.
What is the most difficult pop you have ever attempted?
That would probably be the Green page in Color Surprises. I'm pretty happy with the effect and the fact that I got it to work reliably. "Pop-ups" as opposed
to various other movable mechanisms are actually very easy to engineer. Its those invisible inside-the-page linkages that are really challenging.
Cats and dogs often appear in your pop-ups. Do you have any animals of your own?
I like to use cats and dogs in my concept books because they are so familiar to kids. My wife and I spend a lot of time catering to Bosco,
a Chocolate Labrador Retriever mix. He is a true wonder-dog and quite a Frisbee athlete. I haven't featured
him in a book yet though.
You usually use black and white backgrounds for your pop-ups. Is there a reason?
Yes, there are several reasons that I use alternating white and black pages in my books. The first is that these books have
very few pages, and the sharp contract clearly separates the pages and therefore the numbers, colors, or whatever concept I'm presenting. Second
a black or white background increases the impact of color and enhances the surprise hidden on each page. I also like the simplicity of the
uncluttered background. It doesn't compete for the child's attention.
A common theme in your work is early learning concepts. How do youkeep your books fresh and exciting when
covering some of the same subject matter?
I'm continually learning. I try to imagine what a child would find appealing. Kids never run out of discoveries.
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