Evolution of the MEANWHILE cover


Original hand-printed version of this "insane choose-your-own-adventure masterpiece"
—Scott McCloud


About MEANWHILE


Chocolate or Vanilla? This simple choice is all it takes to get started with Meanwhile, the wildly inventive creation of comics mastermind Jason Shiga, of whom Scott McCloud said “Crazy + Genius = Shiga.” Jimmy, whose every move is under your control, finds himself in a mad scientist’s lab, where he’s given a choice between three amazing objects: a mind-reading device, a time-travel machine, or the Killitron 3000 (which is as ominous as it sounds). Down each of these paths there are puzzles, mysterious clues, and shocking revelations. It’s up to the reader to lead Jimmy to success or disaster.

Meanwhile is a wholly original story of invention, discovery, and saving the world, told through a system of tabs that take you forward, backward, upside down, and right side up again. Each read creates a new adventure!


I first met Jason Shiga in a large ABRAMS conference room in the summer of 2008. At this point I was familiar with Jason's work on Bookhunter and had just finished his first original hand-copied version of Meanwhile. (pictured above). It was and is unlike any graphic novel I had ever seen. Jason graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in pure mathematics. "I have a pretty analytical mind, so I think solving a puzzle is about the most exciting thing a reader can experience," he told us. The amount of work and thought that went into this book is staggering. Time online said that Meanwhile is funny, disturbing, thoughtful, deconstructed, and cleverly put together. So I knew that I had a lot to live up to to help make this book look amazing.

Editor Maggie Lehrman made this dummy below in the style of Meanwhile to give to Jason at our meeting.






Meanwhile's cover would be unlike other book designs that I have worked on purely because there wasn't one story to follow and base the cover on. So we needed to come up with an overall theme to represent all 3,856 stories. ( Jason actually counted all of them. May I remind you that he is a math major) Jason's original cover was in black and white and had elements that we liked, but it wasn't quite to the place that we wanted. So . . . first step, Jason took some time and worked up various cover ideas to begin discussion.

Stage 1


There were several things we found very intriguing about these comps but again, none felt right. After talking with ABRAMS ComicArts executive editor Charles Kochman about these comps, he kept coming back to one overall theme of Meanwhile, "search or struggle to find home." Going forward this would become our mantra.

Stage 2

"Search or struggle to find home"

These comps show the response to our mantra as well as a the idea that the title type could be an extension of the interior tubes. In these first couple comps the type begins to take form.

Stage 3

After sitting on the cover for a week to reflect, we began to realize that we needed and iconic image of the main character to introduce him. Of course the word iconic is always in the back of my mind as the end goal for a cover. So we worked up these comps to help further along the idea of finding home as well as integrating the type into the art.

With both of these sketches I tried using the idea of panels and tubes from the interior extending from the Meanwhile type to create a story to show the main character's search for home.


I let the above sketches sit on my bulletin board for a few weeks. I knew that there was an idea there but it wasn't completely realized yet. I knew that I need to tie in the ideas of the interior into the cover. At this point we began to receive in final art for the interior. Jason's art help me become inspired. I poured over all the color layouts and began to cut out certain panels that helped tell our story of a search for home.



Stage 4

Below are Jason's responses to the above comp

Above he is riding a giant squid



I think we are on to something here.

At this point we felt that we were headed in the right direction as far as the idea and composition. A few more elements needed our attention. Color, type and size of the main figure didn't seem right yet.

Stage 5

1st color Shiga version


Stage 6

Final color

Stage 7

Adding a back cover and spine that match the "look and feel" of the front cover as well as the entire world of the book.




Behind Jason Shiga is a layout map of the entire Meanwhile book.



Meanwhile
Pick Any Path. 3,856 Story Possibilities.
Meanwhile
see larger photo		Authors: By Jason Shiga
Imprint: Amulet Books
ISBN: 0-8109-8423-7
EAN: 9780810984233
Availability: In Stock
Publishing Date: 3/1/2010
Trim Size: 7 1/2 x 9
Page Count: 80
Cover: Hardcover
Illustrations: Tabbed pages; full-color illustrations throughout

February Bulletin Board

Starting at the top left: Michael Buckley's NERDS: M is for Momma's Boy the second book in the NERDS series, Barry Deutsch's Graphic Novel Hereville, David Clement Davies novel Scream of the White Bears, and the final book in David Ward's trilogy Beyond the Mask, Second row: Laura Numeroff teams up with Dan Andreasen for Otis & Sydney and the Best Birthday Ever, Kim Gordon writes Misty Gordon and the Pirate Ghosts with cover art by Gregg Call, then The WIMPY KID Movie Diary, followed by Lisa Greenwald's second novel Sweet Treat and Secret Crushes, Third Row: a sketch I made for an online banner ad for MEANWHILE a 'chose your own adventure' graphic novel by Jason Shiga and final George Bates and Nancy Raines Day's long awaited On a Windy Night picture book. All these books are due out in 2010.

Visualizing the Rise and Fall of European Empires



This is mainly an experimentation with soft bodies using toxi's verlet springs.
The data refers to the evolution of the top 4 maritime empires of the XIX and XX centuries by extent. The visual emphasis is on their decline.

More on that project mondeguinho.com/master/visual-experiment ations/visualizing-empires

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary book goes behind the scenes to humorously chronicle the making of the film.

“When I decided to work with Twentieth Century Fox to bring Diary of a Wimpy Kid to life as a live-action movie, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Jeff Kinney. “I was fascinated by the filmmaking process, and I thought my readers might be as wide-eyed and interested as I was. In The Wimpy Kid Move Diary, I’ve tried to tell the story of how a movie gets made in a way that will entertain and inform kids.”

In chapters covering “The Pitch” and “Casting” to “The Table Read” and “Test Screenings,” Kinney combines images from the film with his own iconic cartoons to deliver an informative yet funny companion for fans.

“Jeff has a genuine devotion to his incredible fan base,” said Charles Kochman, Executive Editor at Abrams. “By taking his audience with him behind the scenes, Jeff will help young readers enjoy the experience of seeing their favorite book make the transition to a major motion picture using the same words-and-pictures approach that has made the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books an international success.”


The Strange Case of Origami Yoda—Sneak Peak


THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA


With every galley given out Tom Angleberger author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda has made a Origami Yoda for each book. I forsee big things for this 'strange' book.


About the book
In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.

About the author
Applying for a job as a newspaper artist, Tom Angleberger was mistakenly assigned to cover local government meetings. Fifteen years and countless town council meetings later, he is still writing instead of drawing, currently as a columnist for the Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia. He began work on his first book while in middle school. Tom is married to author-illustrator Cece Bell. They live in Christianburg, Virginia.

Authors: By Tom Angleberger
Imprint: Amulet Books
ISBN: 0-8109-8425-3
EAN: 9780810984257
Availability: Prepublication
Publishing Date: 4/1/2010
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4
Page Count: 160
Cover: Hardcover
Illustrations: Through out

Tweet of the Day

My 10 year old cousin Grace has just started a book review blog. This morning she texted to tell me she reviewed Lauren Myracle's LUV YA BUNCHES. As I opend the link and the morning sleep fell from my eyes I read this jem of an opening line, "My cousin, Chad W. Beckerman, is an art director. He's not famous or anything, but he designs covers for books. " Amazing! hahaha!

It should be noted that I art directed Luv Ya Bunches But in fact Maria Middleton was the designer for the book. Ya have to fact check I don't care if you are only 10. Gawd!

Scenes from my Bulletin Board•December


This month's bulletin board features a rough jacket layout for Erica Perl and Julia Denos's DOTTY. Below that is the cover layout for Andrea Beaty and Dan Santat's ATTACK OF THE FLUFFY BUNNIES which features comics by Dan Santat. Below is a spread from DOTTY.
Back up top we have a Spot Uv Layer ( that drove me nutso) for the Jacket of THE FIZZY WHIZ KID by Maiya Williams. Below we have the paperback version of William Sleator's TEST. Below that is one another jacket layout this time for QUACKENSTEIN Hatches a Family by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Brian T. Jones. Back up top are Christine Norrie's character sketches for Lauren Myracle's new Luv Ya Bunches book. Next to that is a piece of Kelly Murphy's art for OVER AT THE CASTLE. Just below that is a spread from OTIS & SYDNEY and the Best Birthday Ever by Laura Numeroff and Dan Andreasen. Lastly we have a sketch for the upcoming novel HEART OF A SAMURAI.

Where have I been the last couple of months?

September
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
(Visiting the set of the upcoming movie DIARY OF A WIMPY KID . . . more photos to come)






October
ROME, ITALY



CINQUE TERRE, ITALY





FLORENCE, ITALY


VENICE, ITALY


November
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
(Panel Speaker at the SCBWI Los Angeles Illustrators conference.)

Adam McCauley and I



Reviewing portfolios



PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
(NCTE)

Amy Bates talks to Tamar Brazis about her latest book BEAR IN THE AIR

Lee Bennett Hopkins

Daniel Kirk Signs Elf Realm and Library Mouse

Brian Selznick signs Tamar Brazis

Cicada Summer—Hardcover vs Paperback

Hardcover
John Hendrix


Paperback
Amy June Bates


ABOUT THE BOOK
Eleven-year-old Lily has a passion for Nancy Drew stories and a secret she is keeping from those she loves. When summer brings lying, stealing, sneaky Tinny Bridges to town, Lily must be on her guard with this perceptive newcomer, or risk having her secret revealed. But Tinny won’t leave Lily alone. She takes candy from the general store and blames Lily. She tries to steal Lily’s friends and even her father’s affection. Then Tinny goes missing, and only watchful, mystery-loving Lily has any idea what happened to her. But for Lily, finding Tinny means confronting her hidden past.

Best Book Covers of 2009 Vote ALL IN A DAY!

Best Book Covers of 2009
Click Image to go to AMAZON's Voting page

I just found out that ALL IN A DAY was nominated as one of the best covers of 2009
VOTE for it ! Please . . .

It's in the Children's Section of course.

Thanks!

Yes, we know everyone's always told you: "Don't judge a book by its cover." But now's your chance: go ahead and judge. It's okay.


A post from the past. A Nikki McClure interview

/cwdesigner/2009/02/nikki-mcclure-interview-1.html




FANTASTIC NEWS

ALL IN A DAY
by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Nikki McClure
(Abrams Books for Young Readers; ISBN 9780810983212; March 2009)
is shortlisted for the 2010 PNBA Book Awards, which will be announced
in early January!!!

“This lovely book illuminates all the possibilities a day offers—the opportunities and chances that won't ever come again—and also delivers a gentle message of good stewardship of our planet. Newbery Medal winner Cynthia Rylant's poetic text, alongside Nikki McClure's stunning, meticulously crafted cut-paper art, makes this picture book not only timeless but appealing to all ages, from one to one hundred.”

Click on the link for more information and the full list:
http://www.pnba.org/AwardShortlist2010.htm



Music Video Monday—The Tallest Man on Earth

Secret Garden Video Series: The Tallest Man on Earth from hoovesontheturf on Vimeo.



The Tallest Man On Earth is in fact a handsome little Swede. Kristian Matsson records catchy, heartfelt folk under the altitudinous pseudonym. His first release, a self-titled EP, was released in 2006. His first full length, 2008’s Shallow Grave, is "ungoddamnbelievable". Below, check out the track “Pistol Dreams” from the album. Again and again. http://awwhellnah.com/


On another note I have been missing in action from blogging lately but I promise after Turkey day I will have all new material. New Interviews, New bulletin boards, New evolution of a cover entries. But right now I must prepare myself for a food enduced coma. See you all soon.