The submission window for the 2021–2022 SCBWI WWA Mentorship Program is open, and we’re sharing interviews with each of our magnificent mentors to help prospective mentees get to know them better. Learn more about the mentorship program, including how to apply, here. Deadline: July 30!
Craig Orback is an award-winning children’s book illustrator in Everett, WA. He received his B.F.A. in illustration from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 1998 and has illustrated more than 20 book titles including Born to Draw Comics: The Story of Charles Schulz and the Creation of Peanuts, Gifts From the Enemy, and The Can Man. He also illustrates for the educational market and children’s magazines. Clients include Henry Holt Books/Macmillan, Little Brown, Scholastic, Simon and Schuster, McGraw Hill, Boy’s Life, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Lerner Publishing, Lee & Low Books, and Highlights for Kids. He has been teaching children’s-book illustration for 20 years. Visit Craig’s website at www.craigorback.com, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
I like to mentor because . . .
I have been teaching the craft of children’s-book illustration for 20 years and enjoy inspiring others as well as myself. It may sound like a cliché but I feel like I learn just as much as the students do in my classes by reviewing their work. While I am not a member of a critique group myself, I find the sharing of ideas with students and helping make their work better also helps me look at my work with fresh eyes.
What can a mentee expect from your mentorship?
I am bringing 20 years’ experience of illustrating kids’ books to any mentorship and really no question is off the table! I will tailor my critiques to fit whatever project the mentee would like to work on, whether it’s individual illustrations for a portfolio or a full dummy book of their story for possible publication. Whether they are working on picture books, chapter books, middle grade or young-adult covers I am excited to work on all types of projects. I have experience creating thumbnails, storyboards, and dummy books, and exploring different styles and mediums, and will guide mentors to finding their own appropriate path based on their own interests.
What qualities would your ideal mentee have?
Self-motivation, and an openness to take constructive criticism. Being open to criticism of my work was something I struggled with early in my career, but it really is one of the keys to success.
What are you working on these days?
I am finishing up work on a picture-book biography on filmmaker Steven Spielberg written by Gene Barretta and based on my own idea. It will be published in fall, 2022 by Little Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books. I am also working with the fantastic literary agent Alyssa Eisner Henken, who sold the smash book Wonder and who I just signed with, on a couple of different picture-book ideas that we plan on sending out on submission soon.
What do you listen to when you create?
While working on this Steven Spielberg picture-book biography I’ve been listening to the wonderful scores of his films by John Williams. Truly inspiring! They’ve brought me to tears many times. I also listen to lots of podcasts. When working in a solitary environment it’s nice to hear other voices, thoughts, and ideas floating around.
What are your favorite Steven Spielberg movies?
Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jurassic Park, Empire of the Sun, Lincoln, the list goes on and on. . . .
What books did you love when you were a child or teen?
I enjoyed reading that Little House book series with illustrations by Garth Williams. I also received a couple of N.C. Wyeth–illustrated Scribner Illustrated Classics, like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe, and I’ve been a huge fan of his work ever since.
What are you reading?
I am reading lots of picture books to my seven-year-old son! I also make regular visits to my favorite bookstore, Third Place Books, to check out the latest picture books and other children’s books and occasionally pick up a few great inspiring finds! Our local library is also essential for keeping my son entertained and myself informed on the latest books.
Who inspires you and why?
What inspires are trips to the bookstore to see these beautiful art-filled packages out on display. It helps in keeping me motivated on my own solitary projects. There are so many talented authors and illustrators out there! Also I find it incredibly inspiring to travel to the locations where the stories are set. For my Charles Schulz biography, Born to Draw Comics, I traveled to Saint Paul, Minnesota, to visit the actual places from his childhood, and I have visited Phoenix, Arizona, where Steven Spielberg grew up and filmed his first movies as a teen. Also very inspiring were the two different trips I took to the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California. The first trip was to research for the book and meet the author Ginger Wadsworth, and the second trip was to speak with Ginger to museum patrons about our published book. Also in that second trip we got to view Schulz’s actual studio and all of its historic contents, which was simply amazing! I also got to chat with his widow, Jean Schulz, who was very kind and generous with her time. Nothing beats researching these places in person!
Brought to you by Suma Subramaniam and Jenny Tynes, SCBWI WWA Mentorship Program, and Dolores Andral, Pen & Story