The Illustration Department Podcast

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Véronique Sweet, Art Director for Crown Picture Books and Little Golden Books at Penguin Random House, about what she looks for in an illustrator’s portfolio; how Little …

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Vanessa Robles, Director of Production for Penguin Young Readers, about a production team’s role in bringing a book to life; why the number sixteen is important in book p…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Whitney Sherman, illustrator, designer, and founding director of the MFA in Illustration Practice program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, about how she began he…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, writer, and creator of Introvert Drawing Club on Substack, Beth Spencer, about what she’s learned from Introvert Drawing Club; why we should always use human…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to renowned designer and art director, Paul Buckley, about what it takes to be a good art director; why illustrators and designers should aim for distinction; how depression…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, illustrator, and character designer, Matthew Forsythe, about the many forms a picture book can take—from morality books to “fantastic binomials”; how to make sens…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Maria Middleton, Senior Art Director at Candlewick Press, about the role of an art director within the collaborative inner-workings of children’s publishing; what she loo…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning cartoonist, author, and comedian, Jason Chatfield, and award-winning illustrator and creator of Ten Minute Artist, Adam Ming, about what they like and don’t…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to children’s book illustrator and character designer, Toshiki Nakamura, about the all-important three months before and after a picture book’s publication; what his approac…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to comics creator, writer, and educator, Ali Fitzgerald, about where art and art education intersect with social justice; what we can learn from the life and work of Käthe K…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to cartoonist and author, Grant Snider, about how he aligns his creative life; what similarities there are between illustration and Grant’s work in orthodontics; why artists…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Terry Brown, former director of The Society of Illustrators, about his time at the Society; what’s behind the Society’s disparity between men and women award-winners; how…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Sam Viviano, award-winning cartoonist, and former art director of MAD Magazine, about his membership in MAD’s usual gang of idiots; what the careers of Norman Mingo and J…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Genevieve Bormes, Deputy Covers Editor for The New Yorker, about how she oversees the magazine’s covers; what real and scary questions artists ask themselves; what lesson…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to author and long-time New Yorker cartoonist, Michael Maslin, about the reasons why Michael chronicles the history of cartooning; what differentiates a cartoonist and an il…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Mary Ann Naples, the COO & Publisher of Publishers Marketplace, about what it means (and why it’s hard) for publishers to sell books to book-sellers; what value PM brings…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author, Brian Selznick, about Brian’s approach to illustration; what’s wrong about the “tap into your inner child” advice for writ…

Giuseppe Castellano talks to The Bancroft Brothers about how they approach character design; which lesser-known animation greats deserve more love; what it means to animate from the heart; and more.

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Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and character designer, Nicholas Kole, about how being stubbornly buoyant has helped his creative career; what “feeling” has to do with character design; why …

Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator, Sol Cotti, about how a little shamelessness can go a long way in establishing an illustration practice; why illustrators should generate ideas …