Content Creators…I’d rather not.

The other day one of the Google founders talked about the opportunities for ‘content creators’ in regards to using their You Tube service. (Of course, it’s always about the possibilities that await you IF you use this or that of a companies’ tools and products and platforms and…) And while my first reaction is to agree that the possibilities of global distribution are unparalleled, something about the way he said ‘content creators’ unnerved me. Made me want to wash my hands…or make sure I never have that on an ID tag at an event.

Content Creators…Logically I can understand that. And I ‘get it’, as the kids say…Wait. I’m too old to know what the kids say. Plus I’d just be texting this or Tweeting it if I knew. Anyway, I’m probably as likely as anyone to be defined as a content creator. Work across mediums, work across genres, work across platforms..check, check, check.

But I didn’t like to hear myself called that. And I’m not sure why.

Maybe it’s my 20th century ego. Maybe it’s delusions of grandeur. Maybe I’m just too neurotic. But maybe it’s another use of language to separate humans from what they do. To abstract it to another degree. After all, maybe a ‘content creator’ is more likely to let Google take their ‘content’ and use it to build Google’s business, while a ‘writer’ might expect to be paid by said company for that activity.

I don’t have an answer to this dilemma. Not sure I can competently recite the question. But there is something unnerving to the description and the casualness with which it is championed.

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Illustrator’s Day in November in Los Angeles

I will be speaking in Los Angeles for the SCBWI sponsored Illustrator’s Day in November. But I won’t be speaking about illustrating. I’ll be sharing my favorite under-10-minute cookie recipes.

OK. That’s not true. While I WILL be speaking at the SCBWI’s Illustrator’s Day and I do have favorite under-10-minute cookie recipes, I will not be combining said activities. Instead I will be talking about iPad Apps and what they offer illustrators and writers. Not just from a ‘sell your book as an app’ POV but from a marketing POV and some technical information about the process. I’ll be sharing the stage with one of the developers who helped me create the Cave Bear and Duck App for the iPad, which has enjoyed a steady pace of downloads over the past year. That’s probably because it’s FREE for the iPad so go get it. I mean it’s one thing for me to say it’s the BEST free iPad read-along comic book app ever. But quite another for Walter Jenorjustky to say it. And he did. “It’s the best free read-along comic book iPad app ever.” – Walter Jenorjustky *.

But THERE will be two great illustrators speaking. Peter Reynolds and Dan Krall. I’ve never met Peter but I have visited his bookstore in Massachusetts. He got like a hundred bucks off me when I stopped there…But Dan Krall used to knock books out of my hands in the hall in Jr. High. Maybe that was a different Dan Krall? Well, I think it’s him. I hope he demands my lunch money ’cause jokes on him – I’ll have no lunch money on me. Dad said just ignore him and he’ll stop trying to take my lunch money and in time maybe he will also stop drawing so darn well…

Anyway, see you in November in LA for Illustrator’s Day!

* – Walter Jenorjustky is a quiet person who mainly does reviews of my work when I ask him. For this he receives several Oreo Cookies. He lives beside the Willamette River near West Linn in a small house that’s inviting and not-so-inviting at the same time. He does not have an iPad but often pretends he can use a large flat stone as one.

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Guest Blogger – Policeman Michael from Make Way for Duckings

My guest blogger today is Policeman Michael from Make Way for Ducklings. Everyone knows about his actions that one spring day. But he has a few things to clear up.

I’ve never been asked to be on one of these bloggers before. So I appreciate the invitation.

First off, I only play a small part in that story. And I still say I did the same thing anyone else would. I’m not a hero. Just doing my job. Sometimes I’m asked not so nice, didn’t you have anything better to do? Like stopping the guy who broke my car window and took my laptop on Charles Street? I remind all you e-readers that the occurrences in that book took place in 1941! There were no laptops to steal. It was a different time. It wasn’t all rush, rush, rush. The world war was building and people needed to understand that the little things were still important.

Also, I would like to clarify: Only three times did I stop mid-day traffic. By far the most celebrated was when I did so for those ducks. But I also stopped traffic for a crazed squirrel and one additional time for a couple from Topeka. They were really lost. Thought they were in Philadelphia. And I really need to give a nod to Clancy. He sent a car that day and I always appreciated him doing that.He wasn’t the most easy going guy, but working at headquarters wasn’t an easy going job. Still isn’t I suppose.

Now it’s back to my favorite chair beside the pool. Florida is lovely this time of year, as long as you can escape into air conditioning! Thanks for letting me talk to your readers today. You do have readers right? I mean, how do you even know? Oh well, these computers are all a mess to me. But my granddaughter bought me an iPad, now that I love.

Michael

With thanks to Robert McCloskey. Make Way For Ducklings is still one of my favorites. The copy I have was given to me in 1973 for my birthday (the writing is still on the inside flap). And here it is, still on my shelf all these years later.

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Now with 80% less complaining!

Here’s an interview I did with the talented and very busy Ben Clanton. It’s about Earthling! and other stuff. It’s posted on his excellent blog, which he doesn’t stop doing just because it’s summer…Thanks. Make me feel like a lazy bum. I don’t think it went on long enough for me to whine too much. But in that second paragraph when I lay it on the line and list all the current picture book writer/illustrators I think are overrated…maybe that’s too much.

And thanks for cleaning up the language in the interview Ben. BTW. I don’t actually list picture book writer/illustrators I think are overrated, but I thought that might get more click-throughs.

And Earthling! is reviewed today on This Kid Reviews Books along with a Lewis Trondheim book. I LOVE Lewis Trondheim. Being in the same review space is super-cool. He’s definitely my favorite cartoonist working right now. Amazing work. I’ve mentioned him on this blog before. Back to summer.

 

 

 

 

 

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Blog this…

When I decided to start writing this blog regularly I was told I should demonstrate expertise in a subject area. Even if I don’t have one? I asked my friend who seemed to have a lot of answers.

Especially if you don’t have one, they answered.

Recently someone emailed me pointing out that this blog is called Illustration. But that I don’t talk about illustration that much and that I almost never do How To posts.

True enough. I think I may have misnamed this blog. (see #2 below)

Things I am expert in:

1- Hearing our cat vomit. That sound can wake me from the deepest slumber

2- Questioning if I made the right decision about whatever I am making a decision about

3- Nervous stomach issues

4- Selecting good black teas

5- Drawing as I draw, writing as I write

6- Wasting time on the internet

7- Taking the dogs for walks

8- Blog posts with lists

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Mark Fearing: brought to you by a non-marketing non-visionary.

The Oogieloves are coming soon and I think we may need medical attention because of it. At least shots. This is the cover from the trailers page at Apple.com for the ‘film’. I drew a circle around something I had not seen before on a film promotion.

What amazed me was the header : ”From the marketing visionary who brought you Teletubbies, Thomas the Take Engine and Eloise.”

Really? The marketing visionary?

Look, I’m not trying to pick a fight with marketing people. Every third person now works in marketing in this country and that’s fine. But does that statement really help sell the experience at all? Is it fair? I mean, it doesn’t say From The Creators Of…or From the Director of, or By the Writer of, or even From the People Who Brought You…I’m not sure exactly WHAT it means.

Do people say, “Hey! Have you seen what that new film by that marketing visionary?”

“Yeah! I loved his last marketing/movie. It was truly visionary!”

Is this the ultimate result of films, TV series, Video games/entertainment being nothing but marketing vehicles? Having no creative leader involved to take credit for any of the titles listed? No writer, creator, director? No art director? It was all the grand vision of the marketing visionary?

I mean, wasn’t Eloise a rather successful BOOK before said marketing visionary ‘brought it to us’?

Am I being weirded-out about this for no reason?

You can watch the trailer here.

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Picture books on the iPad, again…

A page from the enhanced Cave Bear and Duck comic book available for the iPad.

I’ve received emails about my post last week about how my daughter doesn’t like the iPad for bedtime books. I mentioned in the post that it’s not meant as a scientific examination of electronic books on children. It was just an observation.

And I have nothing against the iPad for books. I put out an enhanced comic book for the iPad. I really love the iPad for comics and have read a half-dozen books on it now. But it is not particularly wonderful for picture books. And my daughter has picked up on that and brought it to my attention.

But she really loves the iPad in general and it’s been a good device for her. Easy to use and there is a good selection of entertainment titles that have some educational value beyond the suspect ‘eye-hand-coordination’ that are an often touted benefit of video games.

I think various enhanced books for the iPad are really cool. But in some specific instances, the electronic book experience doesn’t offer an advantage.

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iPad games

I did the character designs and some of the animation for the Transamerica Retirement Services Stash and Dash game which is now available in the Apple App Store for free. You can also play it on Facebook. It’s a savings game where the little piggy bank has to gather falling coins and stay away from the trolls who take away your savings.

Fun for everyone, especially if you can avoid focusing on the savings for retirement portion of the game…Savings for retirement? What does that mean?

EDIT. March, 19.

Some folks have asked me what I meant by the last line of this post. For a lot of people who work for a company, full-time, they don’t realize that for us freelancers, we don’t really have much in retirement options. So I don’t have a retirement plan. No one matches anything and I get to pay my full SS, no employer pays half for me. I spent the better part of my professional life working for large companies. I had retirement plans. I paid into various things and the companies matched to some degree. But once you are freelancing, it’s a different world. I suspect a lot of people working for companies full-time don’t realize this. So, what I meant was, quite truthfully, I don’t have retirement savings. I figure with my diet, I won’t make 60 anyway. Pass the sour cream please.

 

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You say ebook, I say interactive-book-like-experiences.

Scholastic has released an ebook application for the iPad. Some are enhanced books, featuring interactive elements. The Storia App is a free download.

I think this makes sense as kids begin to use a tablet more and more as part of school and home. If I am going to be reading my textbooks on an iPad, I might as well also be reading my favorite book on it. What’s interesting is that this app bypasses iBooks completely. It’s what you would call a storefront and a library app. You can by from within the app and it stores your books for reading.

If you download it now, it looks like you get a few free ebooks to try out as well. Prices range up to $9.99 a title. I haven’t tried it out yet, but it’s on my to-do list for the weekend.

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Spam in my Blog email.

I enjoy reading the emails that the Spam filter catches here on my WordPress Blog. There is a fair share of crazy ramblings in a language I do not speak or read. I think it’s Klingon. The occasional rant from a Libertarian. Some offers to win ‘millions’ in a ‘blog contest’….and the ones that read, “Your blog posting was quite helpful. I thank you for your patient sharing of useful information. I will share with all my friends.”

And I think…wow. That is one response that this blog would never rightfully get. No wonder it’s easy for the Spam filter to pick out.

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