The Illustration Department Podcast

Jan 20 2025 293 ep. 53 mins 1.2k
The Illustration Department Podcast artwork

Giuseppe Castellano talks to folks in illustration, graphic design, publishing, animation, and other creative fields about the ups and downs of their careers.

  Arts  Education
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Asia Orlando

Jan 20 2025 45 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to visual artist and illustrator, Asia Orlando, about why she turned away from interior design and architecture to become an illustrator; how one can leverage their past experiences, good and bad, to help define their present; why persistence really is the key to an illustration practice; and more.

Brett Bean

Jan 13 2025 48 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to comic book artist, character designer, and author, Brett Bean, about why Brett wishes he had his own book on drawing when he was starting out; why adjectives and verbs come before nouns with character design; what it means to keep your goals and dreams in your own hands; and more.

Dan Chudzinski

Jan 06 2025 51 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Dan Chudzinski, Director of Curation and Exhibitions at The Mazza Museum, about what being a curator literally and occupationally means; why artists should make art, not excuses; what the masters’ fingerprints and clothing can teach us; and more.

Chris Haughton

Dec 30 2024 76 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to award-winning illustrator and author, Chris Haughton, about the unfortunate difference between information and fact; what oral culture’s four R’s are, and why they matter for children‘s book creators; what advice Aristotle has for illustrators, and more.

Paul O. Zelinsky

Dec 23 2024 63 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator, Paul O. Zelinsky, about what his former Yale professor, Maurice Sendak, thought about social media; why he’s aways wondering at point he can get away with not being good enough; where illustrators can find validation (hint: it’s not in an award); and more.

Christopher Denise

Dec 16 2024 55 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Caldecott Honor-winning, New York Times best-selling illustrator and author, Christopher Denise, about why “show, don’t tell” is advice children’s book creators should avoid; how an anthropomorphized animal can look more like a mascot, and why that’s bad; how no illustrator working today knows, entirely, what they’re doing; and more.

Lisa Maltby

Dec 09 2024 52 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to illustrator and designer, Lisa Maltby, about why freelance creatives should know the difference between constant and consistent; how illustrators, designers, and other creatives, can negotiate fees with clients; why the only artist, the only person, you should be comparing yourself to is yourself; and more.

Frank Cammuso

Dec 02 2024 48 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to author, cartoonist, and educator, Frank Cammuso, about Frank’s approach to pacing with panels, and why it’s one of the most beautiful things about comics; how Steve Ditko does not get the credit he rightfully deserves; what you can learn from a good tomato sauce recipe about making comics; and more.

Jules Feiffer

Nov 25 2024 46 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, Jules Feiffer, about the early years of his life and career; how Maurice Sendak and William Steig changed his approach to illustration; why failure is not to be feared; and more.

Peter Brown

Nov 18 2024 53 mins  
Giuseppe Castellano talks to #1 New York Times best-selling illustrator and author, Peter Brown, about what it’s like getting “The Caldecott Call”; how an illustrator can struggle with knowing if their illustration is good and done; why Roz from The Wild Robot is more than a wild robot; and more.