Author and illustrator, Mark Crilley, has created a wide range of fascinating artwork and books over the years.
He has written over 50+ books and graphic novels. And he has over 3 million subscribers on his Youtube channel where he teaches people how to draw.
Let’s hear directly from one of Detroit’s legendary creators, Mr. Mark Crilley:
1.) Bio and background?
I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where I was fascinated with drawing from my very earliest years.
I’m very grateful that I grew up in Detroit, where the diversity of cultures—and the enthusiastic blending of them– is celebrated wholeheartedly. Great art comes from open mindedness and compassion, two traits that are never in short supply here in southeast Michigan.
I continued honing my skills throughout elementary school and high school, and when I became an art major at Kalamazoo College in 1984, I had the good fortune to study under the great children’s book writer and illustrator David Small. A few years later, while teaching English in Japan, I challenged myself to create a comic book, one page per week. That story, Akiko on the Planet Smoo, was eventually published upon my return to Michigan, and it led to a career in comics that has continued to this day.
2.) You went to Hampton Elementary, the one at 7 mile and Livernois, is that correct? And Gesu at Livernois and McNichols? Where did you live during this time?
I lived just a few blocks north of Gesu, on a street called Muirland.
3.) When, how, why did you get into drawing/illustrating/creating?
It really was so early in life that I don’t have memories of the very start. By the time I was in kindergarten it was clear that I was fascinated by the process of drawing, almost to the point of obsession.
4.) Do you have a preferred medium to work in?
I use different media for different purposes, so it’s hard to choose one as “preferred.” But I think the combination of watercolor, ink and colored pencil is one that feels very natural to me.
5.) What are your favorite pens, pencils, notepads, etc?
I’ve always used a common Dixon Ticonderoga as my go-to graphite pencil. Then the Pigma Micron 08 is the ink pen I’m most used to. For paper, I always go with Strathmore smooth surface Bristol. But I’d like to add that I’m a big believer in everyone finding their own preferred materials, and that young artists especially should not think they can “buy” their way into artistic skill by way of purchasing a bunch of art supplies. It’s the months and years of steady drawing practice that really makes the difference.
6.) How would you describe your art style?
For the lion’s share of my projects, I’ve used a cartoony style of some sort. I’ve done realistic and even photorealistic work as well, but that’s certainly not what I’m known for, I don’ t think.
7.) What are the most important and significant aspects about what you’re doing?
As a graphic novelist, I think I’ve developed my own methods of storytelling over the years that people can recognize as a “signature Crilley” approach. The interplay between speech bubbles and art is super important to me, and I do my best to use them in a cinematic way.
8.) What was the big turning point for your career? Was it when Akiko was published in 1995?
Well, that was really the launch of my career. Prior to that I had never been published and was technically a former English teacher, really. I suppose the big turning point was a few years later when Entertainment Weekly put me on their “It List.” That brought me to the attention of Random House Children’s Books, which led to me having a career in the mainstream publishing world.
9.) If you were to put in order your top 3-5 works that you’ve done, what would they be?
It changes but right now I’d say it’s the Akiko comic series, the Akiko young reader novels, Mastering Manga (an instructional art book series), The Drawing Lesson, and Lost in Taiwan.
10.) Who are some of your personal favorite illustrators? Authors? Books? Genres? Other misc?
I love classic illustrators like E. H. Shepard and Normal Rockwell. When it comes to reading, I almost always go for nonfiction. I’ve greatly enjoyed the published diaries of Michael Palin, for example.
11.) Hobbies and interests?
I think the most significant interest in my life outside of writing and drawing is learning to speak Chinese and Japanese. Being able to communicate in a foreign language really is a life-changing thing.
12.) What upcoming projects are you currently working on?
Right now I’m creating the first of a 2-book graphic novel series about a girl who has such a vivid imagination that she is divides her time between the humble American town she’s living in and the swords-and-sorcery fantasy world where she would rather be. It’s kind of a full circle project for me, since it brings me back to the humorous young reader vibe of Akiko.
