In this special episode, our host Shawna JC Tenney takes the guest seat to teach us how she wrote, illustrated and sold her first picture book Brunhilda’s Backwards Day.

Chris Oatley, our Executive Producer, interviews Shawna about:

• The amazing, emotional power of picture books.
• Why you might turn down paid work for time on your personal project.
• How Shawna’s book inspired more artistic growth than years of professional work.
• How she draws story ideas from her hilarious childhood (Shawna actually sings during this part!)
• Why grown-up kids make great picture book creators.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Shawna’s Website

Brunhilda’s Backwards Day (Shawna’s Affiliate Link)

Will Terry

Cory Godbey

Blythe Russo

Sleeping Beauty by Mercer Mayer  (Shawna’s Affiliate Link)

John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith  (Shawna’s Affiliate Link)

Music by Ryan Keith and Wes Cepin 

LEARN MORE ::

Interview with Noah Klocek

Interview with Jake Parker

What To Do When Your Dream Seems Far Away :: Paper Wings #10

Portfolio Review: Values, Edges and Staging with Shawna JC Tenney

The Showcase: Will Your Personal Project Make Money? (Part 4)

Painting Drama

When Disney announced that JJ Abrams would direct Star Wars Episode VII, Prescott Harvey responded with an animated open letter called 4 Rules To Make Star Wars Great Again.

It resonated with millions of fans who were disappointed by George Lucas’ prequel trilogy and skeptical about Disney’s involvement.

The film went viral and JJ got the message.

Impressed, JJ invited Prescott to pitch a feature film concept at his company Bad Robot Productions.

Today, Prescott shares the story of how he prepared for his first feature film pitch, what he did right, what he did wrong and the new opportunities that followed…

AWESOME LINKS ::

Prescott on ArtCast #70

PrescottHarvey.com

Pre-Order In Beta

The Storytellers’ Summit

Music by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien

Molly Idle is the Author and Illustrator of many acclaimed picture books. In 2014, she won a Caldecott Honor Award for her book Flora and the Flamingo.

Today we talk about the discoveries and challenges revealed along her journey from animation to a career in kidlit:

• The transition from Dreamworks to picture books.
• The importance of creative community.
• The unique advantages of traditional media.
• Making the most of your relationship with publishers.
• How struggles are actually opportunities…

AWESOME LINKS ::

Molly’s Website

Flora and the Flamingo (Shawna’s Amazon Affiliate Link)

Zombelina (Shawna’s Amazon Affiliate Link)

2014 Caldecott Medal and Honor Books

Interview with Kristyn Crow, author of Zombelina

Brunhilda’s Backwards Day (Shawna’s Amazon Affiliate Link)

Music by Ryan Keith and Wes Cepin 

LeUyen Pham‘s versatile illustrations can be found in over 80 books, including picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels.

In this episode, Uyen talks about leaving her high-paying animation job for full-time freelance, how and when to say “No” to potential clients and how she finds the kind of work she wants…

Plus: Uncommon versatility and working with celebrities!

AWESOME LINKS ::

LeUyen’s Website

LeUyen’s Facebook Page

The Princess In Black

Freckleface The Musical

Vampirina Ballerina TV Show

Music by Ryan Keith and Wes Cepin