Beyond the pages: Things you might not know illustrating Curious George.
Little did I know that applying for a ‘Need an Illustrator’ job posting in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe would turn into an unforgettable life experience. The ad didn’t specify what needed to be illustrated, adding an element of mystery to the opportunity. It all became clear as I walked into the office and noticed Curious George products on the shelves and illustrations on the walls.
The art director welcomed me warmly and then handed me a piece of watercolor paper with a pencil outline of Curious George on it. Paraphrasing a bit, the art director said, "Paint this in that room, and we’ll talk afterward." This was going to be the interview — a painting challenge.
As I approached the room, I noticed several others already immersed in the painting challenge around a large table. I took my seat, grabbed a brush and some paint, reviewed the instructions, and got to work.
That was it — I got the job! My painting skills stood out as the best in the group, and I was hired on the spot.
Books I illustrated
I’ve illustrated a total of five books, and each one was crafted by hand, without any computer assistance. The five books are:
- Curious George Feeds the Animals
- Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon
- Curious George's Dream
- Curious George Makes Pancakes
- Curious George Pop-Up Storybook House
We used style guides for Curious George.
Style guides are essential for ensuring consistency in our drawings and paintings, especially since multiple illustrators and animators are collaborating on the books.
We did use computers for the CD ROM games that came later after the books. Notice my notes in the bottom left corner for quick key shortcuts I was learning.
TMWTYH
We always had a great time adding litte things to the illustrations that made us all smile. For example the monogrammed bag "TMWTYH" which means The Man With The Yellow Hat. He was George's friend but he never had an offical name in any of the books. View it in the book, on page 3 of Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon.
Need more animals, in a book about animals
We rarely had to make any changes after the final artwork was completed. In Curious George Feeds the Animals we did get one... add more animals. We incorporated birds, snails, and squirrels throughout the book. Adding these animals was straightforward; we simply removed some of the paint with water and drew them in.
Don't forget the spot illustrations
The first batch of hardcover books featured an elegant cover jacket with inside flaps. Just when we thought we were finished, we realized that spot illustrations were needed for those inside flaps. Although it was a last-minute rush, we managed to complete it on time without any issues.
Alfred Hitchcock makes a cameo
So why would Alfred Hitchcock be in a Curious George book? In Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon there is a scene where George lands (or gently crashes) the balloon into some trees behind the heads of Mount Rushmore. We didn’t know what the back of Mount Rushmore looked like and needed photo references. Remember, this was the late '90s, and web resources were limited compared to today. I shared an office with a co-worker and he had the idea to go watch North By Northwest (1959) by Alfred Hitchcock. Sure enough, there was the scene, and that’s what we used as inspiration for the book’s illustrations. This is why Alfred Hitchcock got the cameo and can be seen on page 5 of Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon.
Final art was bigger than you think
The books were printed at 8" x 8", but we created all the artwork at 200% scale. This means the final artwork dimensions were 16" x 16" for a single page and 16" x 32" for a double page. I vividly remember those double pages sprawling across my entire desk from end to end.
George wakes up from his drean
In the book Curious George's Dream, pages 20-21 and pages 22-23 align perfectly when superimposed on each other. Page 20-21 George is still dreaming and in page 22-23 he wakes up safe in the living room.
Margret Rey gets a cameo
Margret Rey, the writer, and her husband H.A. Rey, the illustrator, are the original creators of Curious George. You can find her cameo, walking a dog in Curious George's Dream page 21.
After the books
The five books I worked on were completed in less than a year. Afterward, we transitioned to creating computer games featuring George. This marked the end of the era of pencils and brushes for me, as it was my last hand-crafted illustration project before everything moved to digital.
I was so delighted to work on these books, and I hope Marget and H.A. Rey would approve... I think they would.
