I absolutely love mashup concepts in picture books!  How about Kaiju + Haiku + picture book + comic style illustrations? Brilliant!

George McClements is a director for character art for Walt Disney Consumer Products with a must-see collection of cryptozoology tattoos (Bigfoot, kraken, kaijus). He has worked on developing products for such films as Dinosaur, Flubber, and Inspector Gadget. His first book, Jake Gander, Storyville Detective, was published in 2002, followed by half a dozen more, including Night of the Veggie Monster, which was featured on Rachael Ray; and Dinosaur Woods, which was chosen by Indie booksellers for the Summer 2010 Indie Kids’ Next List as well as being named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year and a CCBC Choice. He lives in Glendale, California, with his wife and two sons, who influence many of George’s books. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Instagram.

HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! is both written and illustrated by George.  It’s a story told only through haiku (even the book blurbs!) about a kaiju (aka, a Godzilla-type monster, if you’re not sure what that is).  Unfortunately this Kaiju is sick.  He heads into town to try and find some help for feeling crummy.  The solution is as creative as the concept (no spoilers given).  The illustrations fit the concept just as perfectly.  They are a combination of mixed media collage that is really appealing.  (I swear I see watercolor and colored pencil in the mix!)

Welcome George!

Me: Can you share about your journey? When did you start creating art and/or writing?  How did that bring you to where you are now as an author-illustrator of this book? 

George: I’ve always drawn. I remember as a kid creating my own Flintstones and Bugs Bunny comics (totally unlicensed) to share with my family. I loved animation of all sorts and wanted to become an animator (which I did!). My animation journey started in New Jersey, where I attended school. Moved to New York where I animated for years to eventually land in sunny California, where I now reside.

I started writing in California. I had longer stories I wanted to tell and I felt like Children’s books would be a fantastic (and easy) way to tell them.

I was so wrong. Children’s books only look easy because most don’t see the years (yes, years) of work and re-working that goes into them. I found that out very quickly. My first book, Jake Gander: Storyville Detective came out in 2001. It was such a journey, but I became hooked on writing and illustrating!

Me: I love this mashup of poetry and monsters.  It’s such a fun and brilliant concept!  What gave you the idea for this book?

George: I came up with the initial concept (which was really just the title) during a run on the street in my neighborhood. I turned around quickly and headed back to my house, ran into my room and scribbled the words…Haiku Kaiju Ah-Choo on a post-it, and headed back out to finish my run. The title really laid it all out (kind of). It gave me the structure of writing and the main character (it doesn’t hurt that I absolutely love giant monster movies).

Me: Looking at your previous publications, I can see where the Kaiju came from, but not the haiku.  Are you a poet?  What gave you the idea to make everything for the book (including the book blurbs and jacket cover) into haiku?  Was it hard to write the entire story this way?  Were there many revisions to make it work?

George: I am no poet, at least in the classical sense. I learned how to write haikus in sixth grade (at Woodward Elementary PA). I loved counting out the syllables on my fingers (I still do) and they’re short enough to make me feel like I’ve accomplished something.

I wanted everything that the reader sees (outside of the title and description page) to be a haiku. I thought (once again) that this format would be so easy to write! I was so sadly mistaken. This book went through about four iterations. All I can say that I am so thankful for my extremely patient editor.

Me: What did your illustration process for this book look like?  Are you a traditional or a digital artist?  Or did you use a blend of both for this book?

George: The illustrations are done traditionally. I like the feel of the paper, cutting, painting, inking, gluing…it’s like the illustration is telling me what it wants to be. (Far out, man!) I sketch it all out first, lay it on my floor to see if its all working, then I start picking out papers and colors. I also like having the finished work to share after the process.

Me:  What is one thing that surprised you in the creation of this book, writing or illustrating?

George: I was surprised how much this story evolved during its creation. The Kaiju altered designs, new characters were added and taken out, so many haikus were written! It was so much work but so worth it.

Me: Any advice for other new picture book writers and/or illustrators?

George: I know this may sound lame but it’s true…just sit down and write(or draw)! If you wait for the perfect time, or the special materials, or acquiring more skills…you’ll never get anything done (trust me, I know this from personal experience)! Creating is hard! It takes time, dedication and perseverance. You’ll come across creative blocks but you have to push through! It will be worth it in the end.

Me: Any other projects we can look forward to seeing from you in the future?

George: I always have three or four ideas percolating at any given time. The one I’m very excited about is a chapter book idea. I’ve never done one before, so everything is new (and challenging) but it keeps me growing and isn’t that what we all should be doing?

Absolutely!  Thank you for stopping by my blog today George.

Dear readers, HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! was released into the world yesterday.  If you haven’t yet had a chance to read it, you have to check it out.  It’s an epic mashup that is sure to attract many young readers to its pages.  You won’t want to miss it!