| Jarrett Krosoczka | Interview with Jarrett Krosoczka, November 2006 |
Alex and Slug are best friends. They do everything together--morning, noon, and night.
But does being best friends mean you have to be together every second? Slug seems to think so! Alex tries to get some alone time--at the dentist, at the library, even playing sick--but Slug won't give him a moment to spare. Before long, Alex explodes--and Slug's feelings are bruised. Friendship isn't always easy! It's time for Alex and Slug to figure out the meaning of "sorry"--and to learn that some folks are friends forever.
Cheerful and energetic Cowgirl is determined to help Momma whenever and wherever she can—whether she’s finding a lost checkbook at the bank, mailing letters at the post office, or toting laundry to the dry cleaners. But while Cowgirl is always an eager helper, the results are often eyebrow-raising! At the end of a busy day, when Cowgirl’s helpfulness begins to backfire, it’s Momma who helps Cowgirl, letting her know that trying is just as important as helping. Giddy Up Cowgirl is a story that every parent and child can relate to . . . and learn from!
Ages 4-7 ORDER HERE
But meanwhile, back at the barn . . .
They are Punk Farm and tonight they're ready to ROCK!
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ETC: What do you enjoy most about writing and illustrating books for children?
Krosoczka: I also love that I am able to share my talents and entertain so many young readers. There have been times when I have received photos of homemade birthday cakes with my characters on it. And that just blows my mind - what an honor! ETC: A slug is a pretty unusual animal to pick to star in a picture book. What made you choose something so slimey and rotund for your latest picture book My Buddy, Slug rather than, say, a cute, fluffy puppy? Krosoczka: My Buddy, Slug was initially conceived nine years ago while I was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design. It started as a free-writing assignment in a class where we were writing and illustrating picture books. I began writing in this kid's voice and he was complaining about a slug. It really just came out of nowhere and then the story evolved from there. Slug became this overbearing, overly excited character and the fact that he was a slug only enhanced that feeling the reader would have of being both annoyed and endeared by him. I don't think that would have worked as well with any other animal. ETC: Your website www.studiojjk.com is literally chocked full of fun things for kids, like video games based upon your picture book characters, your sketch book and a blog. Do you have any information that would be helpful for parents and teachers? There are definitely a lot on there for parents and teachers as well. In the sketchbook section, I give detailed narratives on how some books came into being. That is definitely intended to be a teaching tool that teachers and parents could use with their kids. I also have coloring pages and iron-on T-shirt designs that adults and kids could work on together. I really view my website as a place where readers can get bonus materials based on my books, much in the way DVD's provide behind the scenes materials for movies. I also have "Easter Eggs" on my site (hidden extras). If you click around, you might just find books and comics that I made when I was a kid. If you're lucky enough - you'll even find the most embarrassing photo of me ever taken - my dreaded 9th grade student ID photo. But good luck! Few have uncovered it…. ETC: You've created punk rock farm animals, bubble bath pirates and a monkey boy, to name a few of your wildly imaginative characters. Do you have a favorite? Krosoczka: I really don't have one that is my absolute favorite. But some do stand out. Slug was a character that I had for years and Monkey Boy was my first published book, so I'm partial to both of them. Baghead and Punk Farm are both really weird, out there stories. And I had fun with Annie Was Warned, because it was a spooky book. See, there I go, going on and on about each one. That really is a tough question. I'm certainly always most excited to read the newest book at readings, so right now I'm really behind My Buddy, Slug. ETC: Punk Farm has just recently been tapped by DreamWorks Animation to develop as a feature film - congratulations! How did Hollywood find out about these punked out farm animals and when will we be able to see it in theaters? Krosoczka: Thanks! It's certainly been a big year for me, with the movie news, releasing two books (My Buddy, Slug and Giddy Up, Cowgirl) and preparing for some exciting, new projects. The film option happened when an independent movie producer, Kevin Messick, read Punk Farm to his two young sons, logged onto punkfarm.com, and saw the potential for a movie. Kevin contacted me about the possibility of pitching an adaptation to movie studios and it was clear that he understood the heart of the story. He attached screenwriter Jim Hecht (Ice Age 2) and DreamWorks Animation was amped about the project. When they announced that the film was in the works, it was on the cover of Variety! Every now and again I pinch myself, just to make sure all of this is for real. ETC: What can we expect to see from you next? Krosoczka: You can expect more picture books and some graphic novels. I'm halfway through the paintings forPunk Farm on Tour and that will be out in October 2007. The animals load up their instruments in an old van and take their show on the road, traveling across the US of A. I'm having so much fun with it. It's bigger than Punk Farm 1 and I'm able to further explore the personalities of the band members. And after that, I'll be working on Lunch Lady. It's a graphic novel series about a lunch lady who fights crime and knows karate. It's going to be very different from my books, but a return to comic books for me. I grew up writing in the comic book format and I'm very excited to get back that genre. ETC: And after that? Krosoczka: I have a bunch of ideas that are jockeying for position, but there is no telling which will be next. One thing is for sure though - they're all getting more and more bizarre! |
I love that I can be a professional daydreamer. My imagination is my full time job and I'm very grateful for that! There are days when I wake up and I just think to myself, "Today, I'm going to paint farm animals playing punk rock." It doesn't get much better than that, especially for a guy who drew relentlessly as a kid.