Axel Scheffler | Interview Special

Axel Scheffler | Interview Special

From Ghibliotheque - A Podcast About Animation and Studio Ghibli by Michael Leader, Jake Cunningham & Steph Watts

December 22, 2025 · 27 min

About this episode

Michael interviews illustrator Axel Scheffler about his work and adaptations for television.

With the animated short The Scarecrow's Wedding premiering on the BBC on Christmas Day, Michael speaks with illustrator Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo, Stick Man, The Snail and the Whale) about creating picture books for children, seeing his work adapted for television, and his fruitful ongoing partnership with writer Julia Donaldson. Whilst we're in the Christmas spirit... Did you know, we have a new book out? It's called The Animation Atlas and it is a journey through the world of animation, visiting 30 countries over 30 chapters and highlighting key films and filmmakers along every stop of the journey. It's a perfect stocking filler, we promise. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and bonus conversations in our Library Cafe series. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram, or drop us an email at ghibliotheque@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Michael

Guest: Axel Scheffler

Topics covered

  • animation
  • children's books
  • illustration
  • television adaptation

Keywords

  • The Scarecrow's Wedding
  • The Gruffalo
  • Stick Man
  • The Snail and the Whale
  • Julia Donaldson

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Animation Atlas

Books & works: Interview Special, The Scarecrow's Wedding, The Animation Atlas, Library Cafe

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