The Illustration Department Podcast
Episodes
Judy Schachner
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator and writer, Judy Schachner, about how having an imagination saved her life—especially during ...
Barbara McClintock
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giuseppe Castellano talks to best-selling illustrator and author, Barbara McClintock, about how Maurice Sendak—literally—helped her begin her chil...
Patrick Spaziante
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and comic book artist, Patrick Spaziante, about his career—from his early days at Archie Comics to becoming...
Kellee Riley
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Kellee Riley, about how she became a copy artist for Holly Hobby, Dora the Explorer, and other properties; w...
Olivia Street Verdugo
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Angela Navarra
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Art Director and Illustrator, Angela Navarra, about her role as Art Director at Callisto Media; how she finds illustrator...
Jane Dyer
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator, Jane Dyer, about the early days of her decades-long career; how believing in yourself is difficult, but nece...
Emily Arnold McCully
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Caldecott-winning illustrator and author, Emily Arnold McCully, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her 55-year career; how she felt discouraged enough...
Richard Michelson
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Michelson, owner and founder of R. Michelson Galleries, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the founding of his gallery (thanks to a ping-pong ...
Barry Moser
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bookwright, Barry Moser, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the early years of his career—from teenage minister to renowned artist; what similaritie...
Mark Summers
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scratchboard artist, Mark Summers, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the mistakes Mark made early in his Hall of Fame illustration career; how playin...
Tim Mendola
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Mendola—President of Mendola Artists and Rapp Art—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about Tim’s first experiences as agent; what best business pr...
Daniel Miyares
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and author, Daniel Miyares, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about what being a first generation American means to him, and how he unpacks it ...
Mary Azarian
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author, Mary Azarian, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her career—and how much of it came from “randomne...
Flavia Zorrilla Drago
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and author, Flavia Zorilla Drago, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about creating art outside of one‘s culture; how artists are being placed...
Lane Smith
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Caldecott-winning illustrator and author, Lane Smith, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he went from illustrating an album cover for Oingo Boingo...
Melissa Iwai
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and author, Melissa Iwai, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the meandering journey that led her to becoming an illustrator and author—w...
Christopher A. Brown
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher A. Brown—Special Collections Curator for the Children’s Literature Research Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia—talks to ...
Lauren Flower-Kim
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Marketing Consultant, Lauren Flower-Kim, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her career as a marketing leader at both Random House and HarperCollins; w...
Roy Freeman
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Roy Freeman—scientist, artist, author, publisher, and son of Don Freeman—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about Don’s life before Corduroy; how Roy ...
Guy Billout
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Editorial illustrator, and picture book author, Guy Billout talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how his experiences during WWII and 9/11 are connected;...
Karen Katz
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Karen Katz talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the life choice that sparked her prolific career as a children’s book creator; why working in one styl...
Traci Todd
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author and long-time children’s book editor, Traci Todd, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the editorial process—from her experiences as the head...
Richard Solomon
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Artist Representative, Richard Solomon, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his forty-year career as an illustration agent; why he has never asked an i...
John Hendrix
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, Author, and Professor, John Hendrix, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the lessons he learned from the early days of his illustration ca...
Shaun Tan
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Artist and writer, Shaun Tan, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how dinosaurs helped him become an artist (and combat bullies); why 95% of the art he...
Dave McMahon
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dave McMahon, Director of Learner and Teacher Experience Design at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the role of an Experi...
Vesper Stamper
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and author, Vesper Stamper, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how her beloved grandfather guided her early steps into illustration; why i...
Mela Bolinao
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mela Bolinao, Art Agent and Owner of MB Artists, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the precarious steps she took to becoming an agent; why she’s al...
Ren Renwick
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ren Renwick, CEO of the Association of Illustrators, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how illustrators can gain—or in some cases, reclaim—good m...
Ben Zhu
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Zhu—founder of Gallery Nucleus, illustrator, and author—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about COVID19’s affect on Gallery Nucleus; the ups and ...
Liz Frances
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Liz Frances, Publisher and Founder of Street Noise Books, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about why she started a publishing company during a pandemic; h...
Giselle Potter
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, Giselle Potter, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how an embarrassing trip to the New Yorker launched her career; how she finds stabilit...
Laura Roode
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Roode—Executive Art Director at Little Simon and Simon Spotlight, imprints of Simon & Schuster—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she an...
Kirk Benshoff
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kirk Benshoff, Art Director at First Second (an imprint of Macmillan Publishers), talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the graphic novel boom; how he an...
Ariel Schrag
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cartoonist and Writer, Ariel Schrag, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her first steps—starting in high school—as a comics creator; how the curre...
David Macaulay
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Caldecott-winning illustrator and author, David Macaulay, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his first steps in publishing—from rejections to Caldec...
Kay Fraser
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kay Fraser, Senior Art Director at Capstone, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her path to becoming an art director—from Buenos Aires to Minnesota;...
Darryl Cheng
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Darryl Cheng—author of The New Plant Parent and creator of House Plant Journal—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about being a plant parent; how he app...
Ellen Kokontis
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Kokontis—Art Director at Cottage Door Press—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the circuitous route she took to becoming a children’s book...
Rashin Kheiriyeh
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and Author, Rashin Kheiriyeh, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she became an illustrator—with help from her mother and the Iranian...
Janna Morishima
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Janna Morishima, Illustration and Literary Agent & Founder of Kids Comics Unite, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she co-founded Graphix—Schol...
Sari Levy-Schorr
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sari Levy-Schorr, President and Owner of Levy Creative Management, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she transitioned from being an illustration ...
The 100th Episode
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is our 100th Episode! To celebrate, Giuseppe Castellano has compiled short highlights from episodes 51 to 99.If this is the first time you’ve l...
Uri Shulevitz
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Caldecott-winning Artist & Writer, Uri Shulevitz, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he went from fleeing the Nazi’s in 1939, to publishing his ...
D.B. Dowd
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Henrik Drescher
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Visual Artist, Henrik Drescher, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the early days of Henrik’s career in New York City; how artists can stoke the fir...
Victor Juhasz
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Victor Juhasz—award-winning illustrator, satirist, and visual reporter—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about working “in the old school” as an il...
Barbara Nessim
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Barbara Nessim—Illustrator, Fine Artist, and Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame inductee—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the early days of he...
Dinalie Dabarera
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and Author, Dinalie Dabarera, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she went from querying agents, to getting an agent, to receiving a tw...
Chris Sickels
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Sickels, also known as Red Nose Studio, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he built his illustration career, from farm to drawing table; why...
Andrew Fairclough
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Fairclough—illustrator, designer, and founder of True Grit Texture Supply—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the early days of his career a...
Frances Jetter
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and Printmaker, Frances Jetter, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she wandered from photographing inmates at Rykers Island to startin...
David Soman
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, Author, and Educator, David Soman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how David got his first picture book job—despite not having a sin...
Matthew Carlson
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew Carlson—Design Director at Adobe Creative Cloud—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his role at Adobe, and how they responded to COVID-19; ...
Greg Manchess
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned Painter and Author, Greg Manchess, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the turbulent beginning of his artistic journey; why his 2017 groundbre...
Christine von der Linn
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Christine von der Linn—Director of Illustration Art at Swann Auction Galleries—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she values traditional and d...
Daniel Abraham
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
David Borgenicht
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Borgenicht—Owner and CEO of Quirk Books—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the founding, management, and future of Quirk Books; how his team...
Luke Flowers
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Flowers—illustrator, author, and self-described “creative cave-dweller”—talks to Giuseppe Castellano about why Jim Henson is a big part o...
Lindsay Nohl
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lindsay Nohl, illustrator, educator, and founder of Light Grey Art Lab, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the founding of her gallery; how she curate...
Julia Rosenfeld
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Julia Rosenfeld, Senior Designer at Penguin Young Readers Group, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the inner-workings of the children‘s book design...
Jane O’Connor
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jane O’Connor, children’s book author, and editor-at-large at Penguin Young Readers Group, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her 50-year career.S...
Kazu Kibuishi
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Author and Illustrator, Kazu Kibuishi, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the personal hardships and challenges he faced in becoming a graphic novelis...
John Cuneo
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning cartoonist, John Cuneo, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about John’s career before and after his “artistic crisis”. They discuss how ...
David Wiesner
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Wiesner, illustrator, author, and 3-time Caldecott Medal-winner, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the path that led him to wordless picture bo...
Debbie Bibo
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Debbie Bibo, the founder of Debbie Bibo Agency, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how and why she became a “picture book agent”; what she looks f...
James McMullan
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, Author, and Illustration Teacher, James McMullan, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his globe-trotting, but tragic, childhood; what his ...
Sergio Ruzzier
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and Author, Sergio Ruzzier, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he “broke into” children’s publishing; how Hieronymus Bosch, the ...
Martin Salisbury
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Salisbury, Author and Professor of Illustration at Cambridge School of Art in Anglia Ruskin University, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about what...
Ella Lupo
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Founder of Purple Rain Illustrators, Ella Lupo, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she became an agent; what it was like being an illustration age...
Heather Campbell Coyle
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chief Curator and Curator of American Art at the Delaware Art Museum, Heather Campbell Coyle, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about examining and preserv...
Amanda Burdan
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Curator of the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Amanda Burdan, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the Brandywine’s history, mission, and collection; ...
Rebecca Green
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator/author, and native “Michigander”, Rebecca Green, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her first steps as an illustrator; why you sometim...
Cory Godbey
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, Cory Godbey, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he balances illustration and parenthood; how personal projects—from sketchbook coll...
Joe Ciardiello
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and portraitist extraordinaire, Joe Ciardiello, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his first steps as an illustrator—with the help of M...
R.O. Blechman
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, graphic novelist, and filmmaker, R.O. Blechman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about why he became an artist despite not loving to draw, an...
Anita Kunz
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and Artist, Anita Kunz, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how art saved her life; how she achieved an illustrious career in spite of “h...
Deborah Feingold
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Deborah Feingold talks to Giuseppe Castellano about her 40-year career as a photographer; what it was like taking photographs of major figures in musi...
Jeremy Wortsman
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Founder & Managing Director of The Jacky Winter Group, Jeremy Wortsman, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he founded an illustration agency in 20...
James Burns
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President, and Managing Agent, for the Bright Agency, James Burns, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the role of an artist rep; how COVID-19 has...
Dian Holton
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Senior Deputy Art Director at AARP, Dian Holton, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she went from Army kid to Design Leader; what she thinks are t...
David Edward Byrd
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, David Edward Byrd, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about his 50-year career in illustration. David takes us on a journey that begins in Clev...
Nancy Stahl
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, and forerunner of the digital illustration age, Nancy Stahl, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she started her illustration career i...
Noah Klocek
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Art Director at Pixar, Noah Klocek, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how a childhood without a television led to simultaneous careers in feature fil...
Shawna J.C. Tenney
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Author and illustrator, Shawna J.C. Tenney, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about getting into illustration thanks to a scheduling snafu in high school; ...
The 1-year Anniversary Episode
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since June 18, 2019, Giuseppe Castellano has talked to leaders, legends, and luminaries in illustration, graphic design, publishing, animation, and ot...
Rudy Gutierrez
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Educator, and multi-award-winning artist, Rudy Gutierrez, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he’s “lived many dreams” over a 40-year career ...
Johnny Temple
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Publisher of Akashic Books, Johnny Temple, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he went from touring with Rage Against The Machine to launching a so...
Claudia Z. Bedrick
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Co-founder, Publisher, Art Director, and Editor of Enchanted Lion Books, Claudia Z. Bedrick, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how she—and her fami...
Angharad Kowal Stannus
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Founder of Kowal Stannus Agency, Angharad Kowal Stannus, chats with Giuseppe Castellano about how the publishing industry will look post-COVID-19; why...
Hilary Knight
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and writer, Hilary Knight, chats with Giuseppe Castellano about his life and work as an illustrator; his service for the U.S. Navy during ...
Kelly Light
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Author and Illustrator, Kelly Light, returns to the podcast! She chats with Giuseppe Castellano about how life has changed for Kelly since our first c...
The 50th Episode
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is our 50th Episode! To celebrate, Giuseppe Castellano compiled short highlights from each guest. Through 49 episodes, illustrators, agents, art ...
Ânia Marcos
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator, Entrepreneur, and Podcast Producer-extraordinaire, Ânia Marcos, chats with Giuseppe Castellano about living and working in Portugal; how...
Ashley Bryan
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned children’s book author and illustrator, Ashley Bryan, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how—over almost 100 years—art has helped Ashle...
Dave McKean
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dave McKean talks to Giuseppe Castellano about being a writer, illustrator, filmmaker, and all around “creativo”; why he dislikes being called “...
Steve Simpson
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Illustrator and Graphic Designer, Steve Simpson, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about how he transitioned from animation and comics to illustration—an...
Anna Goodson
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President & Founder of Anna Goodson Illustration Agency, Anna Goodson, talks to Giuseppe Castellano about the founding and management of her world-ren...
Betsy Bird
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Betsy Bird (otherwise known as “Fuse8”), the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library, and former Youth Materials Specialist of t...