The Illustration Department Podcast

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 like about Substack, how it can benefit illustrators creatively and financially; and more.To learn more about Jason and Adam, visit jasonchatfield.com and adamming.com.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Austin Kleon, Wendy MacNaughton, and Asher Perlman If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Jill Pratzon, founder of Pratzon Art Restoration, Illustrator, and Graphic Novelist, about what it takes to restore and conserve the art of Winsor McCay, George Herriman, and other giants of illustration; what she learns about artists’ lives through examining their art; what the key to being an illustrator is, beyond talent and skill; and more.To learn more about Jill, visit jillpratzon.com.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Norman Rockwell, Steven Guarnaccia, Minerva Durham, Dave Passalacqua, Henrik Drescher, Fred Taraba, Harry Beckhoff, Edwin Austin Abbey, Frank Brangwyn, Dean Cornwell, William Merritt Chase, James Montgomery Flagg, Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Jessie Willcox Smith, J.C. Leyendecker, E.M. Jackson, Haddon Sundblom, Howard Pyle, Henriette Pyle, Neysa McMein, Vernon Grant, Victor Juhasz, Charles Addams, John Held Jr., Austin Briggs, Heinrich Kley, Ralph Steadman, Jules Feiffer, Bob McGuiness, and Lorraine Fox If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.To learn more about Erica, visit stimolaliterarystudio.com.To learn more about Stimola Live, visit stimolalive.com. If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 in a museum tomorrow; and more.To learn more about Ellen and The Carle, visit carlemuseum.org.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Leo Lionni, Arnold Lobel, Susanne Suba, Leonard Weisgard, Virginia Lee Burton, Remy Charlip, Kuniko Craft, and Ekua Holmes If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and author, Steve Light about the early years of Steve’s illustration career; why drawing should be like breathing; what it means to be a stylophile; why a little bit of tenacity can take us a long way toward our goals; and more.To learn more about Steve, visit stevelightart.com.Steve’s favorite pen is a Montblanc 149. He also recommends the “fude” nib. To learn more about the “fude” nib, visit janinescribbles.com/tag/fude-nib/.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Dave Passalacqua, Květa Pacovská, Marcus Pfister, Shel Silverstein, Ben Shahn, Andy Warhol, and Mozelle Thompson If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, author, and educator, Shadra Strickland about what led her to becoming a picture book maker—despite the naysayers; why realism in illustration is not an out-of-fashion style; what artists need to remember about being artists; and more.To learn more about Shadra, visit jumpin.shadrastrickland.com.Shadra has work on display from her book, Bird, in the “Imprinted: Illustrating Race” show at the Norman Rockwell Museum. To learn more, visit nrm.org.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Thomas Vroman, Roald Dahl, Jonathan Bean, Lauren Castillo, Taeeun Yoo, Paul Hoppe, Patricia Polacco, Pat Cummings, Tom Feelings, Jerry Pinkney, Bryan Collier, Keith Henry Brown, Greg Christie, Kadir Nelson, Floyd Cooper, and Chris Myers If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Giuseppe Castellano talks to Olivia Verdugo, Art Director at The Barnes Foundation about her role at the Barnes, and the circuitous route she took to get there; what illustrators can learn from Dr. Barnes’ idiosyncratic, holistic approach to art collection; why graphic designers are both poets and engineers; what five guiding principles helped Olivia find her creative path; and more.To learn more about Olivia, visit oliviasverdugo.design.To learn more about The Barnes Foundation, visit barnesfoundation.org. If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Roy Freeman—scientist, artist, author, publisher, and son of Don Freeman—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about Don’s life before Corduroy; how Roy found peace with the difficult relationship he had with his father; what advice Don would share with illustrators were he alive today; and more.To learn more about Roy and Don Freeman, visit donfreeman.info.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Al Hirschfeld, Jackson Pollack, David Edward Byrd; Beauford Delaney, and Beatrix PotterRoy and Giuseppe talk about a short documentary of Don, his wife Lydia, and their working relationship. If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

D.B. Dowd—Professor of Art and American Culture Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, and faculty director of the D.B. Dowd Modern Graphic History Library—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the definition of illustration; whether illustration is or is not art; what advice he has for any illustrator looking to find their “style”; and so much more.To learn more about D.B., visit dbdowd.com.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Gustave Doré, Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Mead Schaeffer, Haddon Sundblom, Jim McMullan, Marshall Arisman, Bernie Fuchs, and Robert Weaver If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daniel Abraham—Attorney at Law—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his career protecting the rights of artists.He shares how he and his small team reversed a 1986 tax law that destroyed an artists’s ability to deduct expenses; how gatekeepers attempt to separate artists from their art; why illustrators need to know the difference between “specs and terms”; how illustrators can protect—and make money from—their “authorship”; and so much more.To learn more about Daniel, copyright law, and the services he provides for artists, visit legaleasel.com. To email Daniel, click here.Artists mentioned in this episode include: Bill Mauldin, Herb Block, Keith Haring, and Kenny SharfDaniel shared a lot of information about protecting your art. He was kind enough to provide his advice in writing—including links. From Daniel:The link for the Copyright Office website in general is: copyright.govThe link for registering copyrights is: copyright.gov/registrationThe direct link for logging into the ECO—the online registration system—is: eco.copyright.gov. To register works on the ECO site, one must first provide a username and password. I recommend that people also take a look at the Copyright Office circulars for guidance in the registration process. The link to the Copyright Office circulars is: copyright.gov/circs.To repeat what I probably touched on, but did not go into detail on, in our conversation, it is possible to register up to 10 unpublished works as a “collection” (NOT a “collective work!”—To get INDIVIDUAL coverage of unpublished material, the works MUST be a “collection”!), but works, once published, must GENERALLY be registered individually, which can get expensive. It is better to register works when they are still UNpublished. One CANNOT mix published and unpublished work in a registration.There are TWO major exceptions regarding group registration of PUBLISHED work:It is possible to register up to one year’s worth of work done for periodicals—on a single registration form—for a single fee, using the GR/CP (Group Registration of Contributions to Periodicals) option. However, if one is doing a quantity of work for periodicals—print, online, or both—it is WISER to register one’s periodical work QUARTERLY, since that means each quarter’s registrations will have been made within the magic “Three-Months-of-First Legitimate-Publication” grace period, within which work infringed before registration is deemed registered prior to infringement, which preserves the best legal remedies.If an artist has done a lot of work for a single item—the illustrations for a book, a graphic novel, or an advertising supplement that’s inserted in a newspaper—the artist can register ALL those images, and have them individually covered, provided that the works were all published at the same time and the artist is the sole author of the multiple images being registered.All this may sound confusing, but it really is not. Briefly:A copyright CANNOT be enforced if it is not registered.Unless registration is done PRIOR to infringement, the artist loses the right to claim statutory damages and attorney’s fees, and is limited to claiming provable actual damages.Up to ten unpublished works may be registered as a “collection.” Work is “unpublished” if it is registered prior to publication, even if it is “going to be published” in a few days.If unpublished work is infringed before it is registered, the artist loses the right to claim statutory damages and attorney’s fees for that infringement.If a work is registered within three months of first legitimate publication, but after infringement, the artist may still claim statutory damages and attorney’s fees as if it had been registered prior to the infringement.The effective date of the registration relates back to when the Copyright Office logged in the application, even if the actual registration does not issue until months later. If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Founder & Managing Director of The Jacky Winter Group, Jeremy Wortsman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he founded an illustration agency in 2007 out of his back bedroom; what he looks for when looking through a thousand portfolios a week; what illustrators can do to make sure that an art director’s “dart” lands on them; how illustration can help us find the good in troubled times; and more.And… he answers the question: Who exactly is Jacky Winter?To learn more about Jeremy and The Jacky Winter Group, visit jackywinter.com.Jeremy mentioned a podcast that he hosts. You can listen to it here. If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The President of Delaware College of Art and Design, Jean Dahlgren, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about what sparked her lifelong interest in art education; why she’s tired of the “myth” of the “starving artist”; and how the Delaware College of Art and Design prepares future artists.They also praise the Delaware, and the city of Wilmington—the rightful birthplace of the Golden Age of Illustration.Here are a few of the illustrators they mentioned: Linda Kitson, Howard Pyle, Frank Schoonover, Elizabeth Shippen Green, Jessie Wilcox Smith, and Violet OakleyUpdate: DCAD is no longer open. Visit dcad.edu. If you find value in this podcast, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, or a supporter on Patreon. On either platform, you will gain access to bonus episodes we call “Extra Credit”—among other perks and benefits. | Visit illustrationdept.com for offerings like mentorships and portfolio reviews, testimonials, our alumni showcase, and more. | Music for the podcast was created by Oatmello. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.