May 1, 2020

Event date: –

The Center for Cartoon Studies graduate Andrew Arnold ’07 started up HarperAlley, a new graphic novel imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books. He is also working on his debut picture book, What’s the Matter, Marlo?, coming out in the January of 2021 from Roaring Brook Press. From 2016 to 2019, he was the art director at First Second Books, where he art directed and designed books. Since graduating from The Center for Cartoon Studies, he has collaborated with James Sturm and CCS graduate Alexis Frederick-Frost on the Adventures in Cartooning series. They’re currently developing the eighth book in that series, tentatively titled Build a World.

He gave the following interview with Angela Boyle ′16.

What is entailed (briefly) in getting a new imprint started?

Establishing HarperAlley’s identity and message has been my primary focus since I started the job in February. This includes creating a logo, developing a mission statement, and working with our marketing and publicity teams to build solid strategies to get the word out. It’s a lot of nuts-and-bolts groundwork that sets the foundation for things to come. I’m also actively seeking and acquiring new graphic novels to build our list, so I spend a lot of my days talking to agents about potential projects and traveling to conventions around the country to meet with new cartoonists. HarperCollins began acquiring and publishing graphic novels before my arrival, so I’m also working with the editorial staff on ways to shape and evolve our program.

What did you learn at CCS that has helped you in creating a new imprint?

A lot of what I learned at CCS has applied to my career, but I think the most important lesson has been the value of patience. I was a member of CCS’s inaugural class, and we experienced some growing pains back then. There were a lot of conversations happening between the faculty and students regarding curriculum, and it took a long time to arrive at creative solutions that made everyone happy. It wasn’t always easy, but it’s not supposed to be easy when you’re starting something new. I can’t help but notice how much that first year at CCS parallels my first year with HarperAlley—both of these periods were all about laying down a foundation, working through challenges, thinking creatively, and persevering.

What has your process been for writing and drawing What’s the Matter, Marlo?

The process for Marlo was pretty long (which, again, speaks to the value of patience), but I will try to describe it quickly! It started with a doodle of a boy with scribbles above his head. I really liked that doodle, so I kept drawing it over and over again, each time in different poses. As his poses changed, so did the scribbles. For whatever reason, I would draw them bigger and bigger, and before long, I thought this little progression could make for a fun story. I explored one idea after another and draft after draft before landing on something that I felt showed promise. I shared that draft with my agent, Judy Hansen, who shared it with Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and my boss at the time, Jen Besser. Jen shared it with her editorial team, and while they thought it showed potential, they decided to pass on it. I was pretty devastated, but after a few weeks I dove back in and started to revise. I explored several more drafts and shared them with trusted colleagues, who all provided invaluable feedback. Once the story was sorted out and both Judy and I felt good about it, I again shared it with Jen. This time, she made an offer. My initial plan was to sketch the book in Procreate on the iPad and render the final art by hand, but I really enjoyed the flexibility of working on a tablet. Balancing a full-time job (especially a start-up) while working on a book was tricky, so being able to take the iPad with me everywhere I went was essential.

What do you enjoy most about each side of the publication process: creator and publisher?

I enjoy working in team environments, which is why I love being on the publishing side. I get to work with so many talented people, and I really do learn something new every day. I also enjoy being able to collaborate and joke around with my colleagues; there’s something to be said about making daily human connections. On the flip side, I love working on my own stuff because it gives me the opportunity to create something from the very beginning. It’s a more personal experience for me, and I find that if I go a few days without writing or drawing, I get cranky. 

How do you manage your personal work and your day job?

I wake up VERY early. I find that I’m most productive in the morning. That doesn’t mean I don’t work when I get home, but I’m pretty selective about what I do after a long day. When it comes to writing, it’s always better for me to do that in the morning while my brain is fresh. I find inking and coloring a bit more therapeutic and can do those things after I get home. I also devote a portion of my weekend to working on my personal projects.

What was your favorite book to work on while you were at First Second?

That’s such a tough question—I have so many favorites! Working on Jen Wang’s The Prince and the Dressmaker was an amazing experience. It was the first book I designed at First Second, and sometimes I found myself getting choked up as I worked on it. It’s such an honest, tender, sincere story and Jen’s artwork is incredibly beautiful. I also loved working with Vera Brosgol. Designing her Caldecott Honor Book Leave Me Alone was a real honor for me. Vera’s an incredible talent: she’s an amazing storyteller no matter the format (comics, picture books, animation), and I learned a lot from working on her books. Of course, working with cartoonists like Gene Luen Yang, Ben Hatke, Tillie Walden ′16, Ryan Andrews, Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, Box Brown, Hope Larson, Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham, and Lisa Brown (I know that’s a lot, but I’m STILL leaving so many out!) were incredible experiences that I’ll never forget.

You can find Andrew online on Facebook, Twitter (@AAoftheBK), and Instagram (@andyru12).

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