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Who is Jeff Mack?Hi, I'm Jeff Mack. I grew up in Syracuse, NY where I spent most of my time drawing comic books and building haunted houses in the basement.
Since 2003, I've written and/or illustrated more than forty picture books, chapter books, and early readers, including the Clueless McGee series, Good News Bad News, Hush Little Polar Bear, Duck in the Fridge, and the Mr. Monkey series. Some of my books have been awarded Junior Library Guild Selections, New York Public Library Best Books of the Year, Bank Street Books of the Year, and various state awards including the Colorado Bell and three Texas 2x2 awards. I have also illustrated many books for other authors, including James Howe's Bunnicula and Friends series and Eve Bunting's Hurry! Hurry!. Now I live in Massachusetts. I travel both nationally and internationally to visit schools and libraries where I share my passion for creating books with young readers, writers and artists. |
20 Questions with Jeff Mack
During my school visits, students often ask me lots of interesting questions.
Here are some answers to twenty of my favorites:
Here are some answers to twenty of my favorites:
1. How old were you when you started drawing?I’m not exactly sure. Probably three or four. But maybe younger
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2. Did you always want to make books for a living?
Yes, but I also planned to invent pinball machines, haunted houses, miniature golf courses, and robots that served free cups of tomato soup.
3. What influenced you most when you were a kid?
Anything scary or gross. I drew lots of monsters with bugs on them. Later, I drew superhero comics. Actually, I liked the villains more than the heroes.
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4. Were you a good artist as a kid?
I think my drawing skills were pretty average, but I was intense and persistent. I didn’t stop trying until I got my drawings to look the way I wanted. I continued to practice long after most of my friends had quit.
6. How did your teachers influence you?I was lucky to have many teachers who paid attention to me and supported my interests. My second grade teacher encouraged me to make comics. My fourth grade teacher encouraged me to write gross monster poems. In eighth grade, my art teacher stayed after school to help me paint a dinosaur mural. In college, my drawing teacher and I shared a strange sense of humor.
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7. Where do you get your ideas?
A lot of my ideas come from things I see kids doing or hear them talking about. I also write about things that happened to me when I was a kid. If I’m stuck for an idea, I make a list of problems, fears, or surprising situations. Then I write about the one that seems most interesting at the time. Sometimes the story goes nowhere, but often it gets me thinking about an even better story idea.
8. Which was your toughest book to illustrate?
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9. Which was your toughest book to write?
Hippo and Rabbit in Three Short Tales was very difficult to write. Saying something important in a short and simple way is a great challenge.
Then again, Clueless McGee was also very difficult for me because it is so long and complicated. Here are a few pictures I drew for the cover:
10. Which of your books is your favorite?Each time I finish making a book, it feels like my favorite.
Then I make another one. |
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11. What do you enjoy more: writing books or illustrating books?
It depends. Sometimes I’m in the mood to write, especially after I spend a lot of time drawing. Then again, if I’ve just finished writing 250 pages, I’ll probably feel more like drawing.
Even when I’m illustrating, I’m still telling a story. My book Good News Bad News has only four words in it, so most of that story is told through the pictures.
Even when I’m illustrating, I’m still telling a story. My book Good News Bad News has only four words in it, so most of that story is told through the pictures.
12. What’s your favorite part about making a book?
I love the sketching part. That’s when my imagination feels the most active, and I’m discovering lots of different possibilities. When I’m sketching, I feel like I can do whatever I want to.
Here are some early sketches for Good News Bad News:
Here are some early sketches for Good News Bad News:
13. What materials do you use?I use whatever materials will help me create the feeling I want. Sometimes I make my pictures with acrylic paint on watercolor paper.
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Sometimes I use a computer with a screen that I can draw on.
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And sometimes I combine paint with the computer and all kinds of collage materials.
I like to experiment. One time, I got bubble gum stuck in my scanner! |
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14. Where do you work?
I can work almost anywhere. I’ve written stories on trains and airplanes, in bakeries and copy shops. I’ve painted at the kitchen table, on the living room floor and out in the backyard.
Mostly I work in my messy studio. When faced with the choice to clean my studio or start working on a new book, can you guess which one I usually choose?
Mostly I work in my messy studio. When faced with the choice to clean my studio or start working on a new book, can you guess which one I usually choose?
15. Why do you work in different styles?I write different types of stories, and each story has a different feeling. So I choose a style of drawing or painting that matches the feeling of the story.
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16. How long does it take to make a book?
Some books take me months to write. Some take years. And some take minutes.
I wrote all the words for Hush Little Polar Bear while sitting in a restaurant waiting for my editor. But I wrote many other versions of the story over a period of three years before that.
I wrote all the words for Hush Little Polar Bear while sitting in a restaurant waiting for my editor. But I wrote many other versions of the story over a period of three years before that.
Take a look at how this page changed as I worked on it.
17. Do you have any hobbies?I like to go for hikes with my dog, McGee.
I also like to read, listen to weird music, go out to dinner with my friends, and play the trumpet. But not all at once. |
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18. Do you have a favorite kids’ author?
Yes. William Steig. I find his work funny, clever, and sincere. He made some great comics for adults too.
19. Do you have any advice for writers?Write about things that bring up strong feelings in you. Write about things that make you laugh or cry.
Make lots of mistakes! Sometimes they can lead you to an even better idea that you hadn’t thought of before. While you’re writing, don’t stop to re-read your work. It will interrupt your flow of ideas. Just keep writing. |
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20. How about advice for illustrators?
Trust yourself and draw what you love!
Let your drawings reflect your personality. Maybe you naturally draw straight lines. Maybe you are a squiggly-line-drawer. Any style can be great!
Don’t erase too much or your drawing could lose its lively character.
Don’t strive for perfection. Instead, make something unique: a drawing that only you can make.
Let your drawings reflect your personality. Maybe you naturally draw straight lines. Maybe you are a squiggly-line-drawer. Any style can be great!
Don’t erase too much or your drawing could lose its lively character.
Don’t strive for perfection. Instead, make something unique: a drawing that only you can make.
