Meet the Illustrator:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
by the Brightly Editors
Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the author and illustrator behind the hilarious Lunch Lady graphic novel series. When he’s not thinking up wild plot twists involving a lunch lady who moonlights as a superhero, Jarrett writes and illustrates a wide variety of picture books and middle grade books, and hosts “The Book Report with JJK” on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live. In this Meet the Illustrator conversation, Jarrett shares his favorite childhood books, discusses the role that peers play in young artists’ lives, and offers one parental trick to help raise creative kids.
What first made you excited about art?
I just loved to draw as a kid. I drew all the time, wherever and whenever I could. And I loved reading comics. My love of comics led to both my love of reading and fine art.
What illustrated book from childhood has stayed with you over the years?
Books that excited me were Beverly Cleary’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, and James Howe’s Bunnicula. I also really loved reading comics — but those were definitely not welcomed in the classroom when I was a kid. How lucky kids are today to have both graphic novels and chapter books mingling on their classroom bookshelves!
What does your workspace look like?
We have a finished basement and I have compartmentalized my creative space. The largest room is my art room where I keep two drafting tables — one for clean media, like drawing, and one for messy media, like paints. I have another room for writing where I keep my ideas organized and surround myself with things that will inspire me — books, sketchbooks, robots and old toys. I have another room for administrative purposes … I learned it was just very uninspiring to keep a stack of bills on my drafting table.
What materials do you most like to use?
I like to paint with acrylics and draw with ink and brush. I also love playing around with digital brushes on my Surface. I’m a Mac guy through and through, but the SurfacePro runs full Photoshop, and I love drawing right on the screen.
What design resources would you recommend to young artists?
I was lucky to live near the Worcester Art Museum, where I took classes after school and on the weekends from 6th through 12thgrades. Museum or not, many cities and towns have some sort of art centers where young artists can have a similar experience. It was so important for me to be around peers who shared an enthusiasm for the arts.
How do you get your kids excited about art?
I think it’s all about having creativity be accessible. We keep sketchbooks around the house for our kids to grab and doodle at their whim. Just as we don’t want to be the in-between for them to access reading material (we keep our books on the bottom shelf), we keep writing tools and paper in an easy-to-access spot.
What have your kids taught you about books and reading?
I always preach to read the pictures. But there have been plenty of times where I am trying to zip through the story to bring on bedtime sooner, and my kids will always spot something in the illustration that I had never noticed before. The illustrations aren’t there to just be pretty pictures — they are as essential as the words when it comes to telling the story of the book.
What’s the best name for a color that you’ve ever heard?
Well I don’t know if it’s the best name, but discovering “Naples Yellow” was a life-changing experience when it appeared on a materials list for a painting class in college. I probably use that more than any one color in my paintings.
Want to spend a day in Jarrett’s shoes? Head over to Brightly’s Instagram, where he hosted a one-day Takeover!
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Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
Also available from: Comics Squad: Recess!
Also available from:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka has been passionate about storytelling through words and pictures since he was a kid. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Jarrett is a two-time winner of the Children’s Choice Book Award for the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year and is the author and/or illustrator of more than thirty books for young readers. His work includes several picture books, the Lunch Lady graphic novels, and Platypus Police Squad middle-grade novel series. Jarrett has given two TED Talks and is also the host of The Book Report with JJK on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live. His Punk Farm picture book and Lunch Lady series are both currently in development as feature films. Jarrett lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters, and their pugs.