Giuseppe Castellano talks to author and conceptual illustrator, Daniel Liévano, about the job of an editorial illustrator; how he connects philosophy and illustration; how illustrators are “traitors”; and more…By Author and Conceptual Illustrator

This episode is sponsored by Agency Access. Giuseppe Castellano talks to Naomi Kirsten, Senior Editor at Chronicle Books, about what it means to create children’s books with heart and a “felt sense”; what role “the market” and “trends” play in her acquisition process; why the term “kid-friendly” has no place in kids’ books; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Antonia Markiet, retired Editorial Director for HarperCollins Children’s Books, about her early days as an editor at Harper & Row; what illustrators should do if they want to be great; why Maurice Sendak’s newest book, Ten Little Rabbits, was published more than a decade after his passing; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to the Morgan Library and Museum’s Robert H. Taylor Curator and Department Head for Literary and Historical Manuscripts, Philip Palmer, about the behind-the-scenes decisions that went into curating Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature; what he learned about Potter that he didn’t know before; how Potter doesn’t have just one leg…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Skye Kelly-Barrett, Founder & Agent at Roar, about the psychology of parting ways with an illustrator; what “visual voice” is and isn’t; how illustration (and illustration work) is everywhere; and more.By Founder & Agent at Roar

Giuseppe Castellano talks to multi-disciplinary artist, performer, and renowned children’s book author, Hervé Tullet, about the beginning of his children’s book career; how a children’s book illustrator’s creativity comes from within, and not from a bookstore; why you have to act like an adult, if you want to create books for children; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to the author and illustrator of your favorite children’s books, Bob Shea, about how a logo and Lane Smith helped him launch his children’s book career; what ADHD is and isn’t, especially for creatives (or loved ones); what illustrators should let go to enjoy being an illustrator; and more.…

This episode is sponsored by Agency Access. Giuseppe Castellano talks to cartoonist, author, and presenter, Scott McCloud, about the very real problem of poor visual communication in our society; what comics are and could be; why living in a phenomenal world isn’t as great as it sounds; and more.By Cartoonist, Author, and Presenter

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, Yas Imamura, about how establishing a stationary shop led her to a children’s book career; why it is a mistake to paint all publishers with the same brush; why it’s a good idea for artists to create in different ways; and more.By Award-winning Illustrator

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning children’s book creator and co-founder of The Good Ship Illustration, Helen Stephens, about the rules she ignored in the early days of her career; why “have fun” might be the most no-nonsense piece of advice illustrators will ever hear; why an illustrator’s work should not be called “imaginative”; and more…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Nathaniel Mell, Founder and CEO of Felt+Fat, about the founding of his Philadelphia-based ceramic design studio; what “working hard” really means for artists; why demand for hand-made art and craft is as hot as ever; and more.By Founder and CEO of Felt+Fat

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Artist and Caldecott Honor-winner, Mary GrandPré, about why she got into and out of a career in illustration; what she likes most about her art for Harry Potter; why it’s important for artists to keep exploring; and more.By Artist and Caldecott Honor-winner

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Paper Cut and Silhouette Artist and Award-winning Illustrator, Janelle Washington, about the unexpected, multi-award winning beginning of her children’s book career; why she literary bleeds for her art; what she’s learned, through cut paper, about mental health; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Holly Hoover, Art Director at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, about what she looks for in an illustrator’s portfolio; why an illustrator would decline a publisher’s book offer; how to have a positive art director/illustrator relationship; and more.By Art Director at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Sara Frazetta, co-founder of Frazetta Girls, and granddaughter of Frank Frazetta, about her relationship with her grandpa; what Frazetta influenced, and who influenced him; what illustrators today can learn from Frazetta; and more.By Co-founder of Frazetta Girls, and granddaughter of Frank Frazetta

Giuseppe Castellano talks to New Yorker Writer, Cartoonist, and Visual Journalist, Liza Donnelly, about her early days as a cartoonist; what James Thurber has meant to her, personally and professionally; how illustration—cartoons or otherwise—is the greatest form of communication; and more.By New Yorker Writer, Cartoonist, and Visual Journalist

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Erica Rand Silverman, Senior Literary Agent at Stimola Literary Studio, about what she expects from a creative for a positive working relationship; and what it means to approach one’s art from a place of play. She also answers questions from podcast patrons about creating a book dummy; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Stephanie Alexander-Jinks, co-owner and agent at The Artworks Illustration Agency, about Stephanie’s transition from illustrator to agent; what stands out to her—positively and negatively—in portfolios; what illustrators can do to increase their chances for success; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and author, Craig Frazier, about Craig’s newest monograph, Drawn, and what he hopes the book can do for illustrators; how our time is precious—especially with the ones we love; what illustrators can do that AI and its prompters can never do; and more.By Illustrator and Author

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and author, Don Tate, about the reasons Black children’s book illustrators, historically, chose to or had to illustrate representationally; why physical fitness is vital for active creativity; why illustrators don’t have to draw every day; and more.By Illustrator and Author

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Vanessa Dina, Design Director at Chronicle Books, about some of Chronicle’s historical milestones, including how the iconic glasses logo came to be; how she finds and works with illustrators; why emailing art directors is easier than some illustrators think; and more.By Design Director at Chronicle Books

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Stephanie Plunkett, Chief Curator at The Norman Rockwell Museum, Annie Lionni, granddaughter of Leo Lionni, Leonard Marcus, children’s book historian, and Steven Heller, design historian, about how and why they curated Between Worlds: The Art and Design of Leo Lionni; what Lionni was like outside of his work; what creat…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Janine Le, founder and agent at Janine Le Literary Agency, about how she became a literary agent; how the process of querying agents is far from ideal; what illustrators should do if they’re struggling to find an agent; and more.By Founder and Agent at Janine Le Literary Agency

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author, Matthew Cordell, about why it took some persuading for Matthew to embark on a career in children’s books; why he was thinking about his father on the night of his Caldecott acceptance speech; why it’s okay if your illustrations are a little rough around the edges; and more…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, Tony DiTerlizzi about how Dungeons & Dragons helped him along his journey as a professional creative; how other artists and illustrators guided his visual voice; why—no matter what challenge you face—you have to keep rolling the dice; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Manchester’s best known illustrator, Stanley Chow, about how fan art and Myspace helped kickstart his career; what challenges illustrators can face when raising a family; what it feels like to have your work criticized by a future President; and more.By Manchester’s Best Known Illustrator

Giuseppe Castellano talks to cartoonist, Julia Wertz about why illustrators should take themselves, but not their work, a little less seriously; why quitting isn’t necessarily a bad thing; why now is the time to spend less time on social media; and more.By Cartoonist

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Medalist and Sibert Honoree, Jason Chin about the life and work of Trina Schart Hyman, and how she mentored Jason; how trusting others—and yourself—is vital for illustrators; why it’s a good idea for any creative to branch out and risk a little failure; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Paige Braddock, Chief Creative Officer at Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, about the life and work of Charles Schulz, and what he was like as her mentor; what Schulz would have likely said about efforts today to ban and censor children’s books; why illustrators should be more detail-oriented; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning, Hall of Fame illustrator, Brad Holland about the early days of Brad’s fifty-plus-year career; how he found bits and pieces of himself, artistically speaking; how he helped bring about the modern-day approach to editorial illustration; why his days as a supervisor at Hallmark taught him that “everything tu…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator and author, Fred Blunt about why being “cartoony” is a good thing; how illustrators can know their style—cartoony or not—is theirs; what we can learn about the life and work of the great Ronald Searle; and more.By Award-winning Illustrator and Author

Giuseppe Castellano talks to cartoonist and illustrator, Robb Mommaerts, about why he still feels like an imposter; why illustrators should think a little less when creating art; how illustrators can draw things they’re too afraid to draw; and more.By Cartoonist and Illustrator

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Emma Cheng, medical doctor turned illustrator, about why she transitioned from tending to patients to… painting tendons; what similarities doctors and illustrators share (including one that might make you sick); what illustrators can do to feel better; and more.By Medical Doctor & Illustrator

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Dr. Rose Roberto, part-time lecturer and librarian at Bishop Grosseteste University, and Tamsin Rosewell, illustrator and bookseller about the removal of Kate Greenaway’s name from The Kate Greenaway Medal; why this renaming should alarm you; what you can do to bring back Kate Greenaway; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to cartoonist, educator, and podcaster, Dan Berry about Dan’s podcast, “Make It Then Tell Everybody”, and why he chose to end it; how confidence is most certainly key to being an illustrator; what illustrators have that AI “prompt-smiths” don’t have (hint: ownership); and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to New York Times best-selling artist and author, Rachel Ignotofsky about how she set up shop in the children’s book world; why you should probably stop breaking promises to yourself; how AI is “thought-labor abridged” and what illustrators can do to stay ahead of it; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Darren Di Lieto, Creative Director at Hireillo, about the founding and early years of Hireillo; why marketing for illustrators involves a million degrees of nuance; how there is no silver bullet to finding an easy path to being an illustrator; and more.By Creative Director at Hireillo

Giuseppe Castellano talks to New York Times best-selling and two-time Caldecott Honor award-winning illustrator, Brian Pinkney about what it was like growing up—and creating art—with his father, Jerry Pinkney; why illustrators don’t have to be just one thing, or make pictures in just one way; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Kate Tardif, founder of Sullivan Moore, about why she’s looking to grow her boutique agency… in a big way; how illustrators (whether they like it or not) are content creators; why it is not the end of the world for illustrators if they are dropped by their agent; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Emmy Award-winning illustrator and graphic novelist, Dawud Anyabwile about the origin story of Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline, and how it was a family affair; why it’s important to protect your intellectual property (if and when you can); what advice he has for discouraged illustrators; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Emily Harris, Associate Art Director at Lerner Publishing Group, about how illustrators can know what art directors want (spoiler: they can’t); how she finds illustrators for the myriad books she art directs; and what myths need to stop spreading about being—and creating art as—a children’s book illustrator; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Briana Mukodiri Uchendu about why having no one to disappoint helped her begin her children’s book career; why the multi-honor-winning picture book, The Talk, was a “rollercoaster of emotions” for Briana; at what point do you feel like your art (and you) are enough; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Freya Blackwood about her rule-breaking approach to picture book art; how asymmetry and imperfection are keys to an effective illustration portfolio; when it’s time to end your attempt at being an illustrator; and more.By Illustrator

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Mirko Ilić, about how procrastination can help in one’s creative process; what role sacrifice plays in defining, and achieving, success as an illustrator; how the key to creative growth lies in both one’s future and past; and more.By Illustrator

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Jay Cooper (New York Times Best-Selling Illustrator and Executive Creative Director at Serino Coyne) and Jim Hoover (Senior Art Director at Penguin Random House) about the making of The Last Comics on Earth; what children’s publishing hasn’t fully figured out yet with graphic novels (hint: money, time, reviews); what se…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Alyssa Walker, Design Director at WIRED, about her approach to editorial design, and how illustration fits into that approach; what hierarchy form and function follow with editorial illustration; why, if certain failsafes are put in place (and that’s a big if), illustrators may not need to worry about AI; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Ellen Keiter, Chief Curator of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, about the life and work of Eric Carle, and the origin story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar; why the curation of illustration may look very different in the very near future; what illustrators should start doing today if they want their work to be …

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Vicki Willden-Lebrecht, CEO and Founder of The Bright Agency, about the founding of Bright, and whether or not it’s “too big”; why illustrators should be less precious about their work; and other topics. Vicki also answers questions from patrons of the podcast about portfolios, book-banning, AI, and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Rick Richter, Literary Agent and Senior Partner at Aevitas Creative Management, about the early days of Rick’s publishing career, including the co-founding of Candlewick; what made the late, great Ian Falconer so special; why providing comparison titles (or comp titles) when querying agents is a waste of time; and more.…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Janine Vangool, publisher, editor, and designer of UPPERCASE magazine about the origins and vision of UPPERCASE; why going your own way as a creative is usually the right way; why you should take a walk and a breath before you respond to a rejection; and more.By Publisher, Editor, and Designer of UPPERCASE