1. What initially drew you to comics and visual storytelling?
As a kid, I was short and immensely shy. I would sit and draw every day as a way of communicating. I would draw comics about my day or what was bothering me and deal with life that way. When I discovered Peanuts, I realized other people were doing that as well.
2. What do comics allow you to do as a storyteller?
So many things. I get to dream up worlds, express ideas, entertain, and, hopefully, give a kid out there the thought that someone else draw to express their feelings.
3. Big Monster Mayhem fan over here — any particular inspiration you’d like to share about developing this book?
I had done my first book, Cosmic Commandos, and I had an idea for a sequel. When I was a kid, I loved Kaiju movies. I also had issues making friends, so for some reason, the two ideas kinda gelled in my head and Zoe was born.
4. Any recent or upcoming work you’d like to share about?
With Brad Meltzer, we do a series of biographies for kids which deal more with the qualities and values that made certain historic figures heroic. We just came out with I Am I.M. Pei and I Am Dolly Parton. In September we dip into fiction with I Am Superman and I Am Batman. Then in January we have I Am John Lewis and I Am Temple Grandin.
Then next summer I have my own picture book called A Little Emotional.
5. Any message for young creators?
When I was little, I assumed fully-formed talent was a thing. It’s not. If you want to be creative in any field, you need to work at it. Every day. And you have to love it. Do that thing every day and always push your boundaries to do harder and harder things. That’s how you get better. If you love doing something, do it every with purpose, one day you will be great at it. You have to be willing to work at it for years, but it’ll be worth it.
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