I wrote this at Cleveland College of Art & Design in Middlesbrough (1987-8) when I was studying for my Foundation Certificate. I made this book dummy as part of my response to a textiles module. The brief was to buy a whole fish from a fishmonger’s, which would serve as inspiration for the duration of the project. We had to draw and ‘get to know’ the fish – we kept them in the college fridge in between classes. The studio was ripe by the end of the module.
Starsky was executed in pencil crayons and inkpen (very 1980s – everyone wanted to be Raymond Briggs back then). I was a strict vegetarian at the time, and, although I eat fish now, I’ve never really fancied trout.
As a published picture book author, I would say to my young student-self:
- Not bad for a first try at making a story book, but:
- Avoid rhyming text for a first book; it makes translation of co-editions tricky, but if you must:
- Try using a thesaurus to avoid lazy rhyming stanzas.
- Learn some grammar and how to spell ‘fly’ and ’embedded’.
- Fish don’t ‘shout’ – they scream silently (in the same way an uprooted flower does). They don’t laugh either. Mainly, they glug.
- Think about page turns – who was lurking on the bank? Make the reader want to turn the page to find out. Same goes for the very last line – it would be more dramatic if it had a page to itself at the end.
- Don’t simply illustrate the words, drop some words and let the pictures do the talking, too.
- Try for a more imaginative title – publishers aren’t keen on ‘Sammy the Squirrel’-type titles. How about Massacre in the River Tees* instead?
I got an good mark for that module, and the tutor tried to persuade me to apply for Textile Design at degree level, instead of Graphic Design. I don’t think textiles would have been my thing. Too stinky.
*joking, of course
Frank’s face showing through the water is brilliant!
Thanks. Horrible Frank! I suppose he only wanted some supper.
I love how expressive your fish are. And I just love your comments to your younger self – you really had me laughing! “Fish don’t ‘shout’ – they scream silently” 😀 That is both horrible and so funny at the same time!
Thanks Letizia!