Meet the Illustrator: Mike Herrod

You may know Mike Herrod as the author of picture books such as Doggie Dreams and Hiccup!, or as the wonderfully clever artist behind our series of Brightly Comics. He’s also the illustrator of Why Did the Farmer Cross the Road?, a brand-new picture book written by Brooke Herter James that is a fun, original take on the knock-knock joke. Featuring a farm-full of critters who get into trouble at the local fair and the farmer who must round them up, this new read will hook young readers with its hilarious and adorable depictions of animals on carnival rides.

In this installment of Meet the Illustrator, we chatted with Mike about the horror movie that first got him drawing, the fictional character he would most want to hang out with, and the illustrated book he’s loving right now.

What first made you excited about art?

Well, the first time I remember feeling really excited about making art was a bit unusual. I’m the youngest child in my family, with two brothers who are much older, and that meant I watched scary movies far younger than other kids. One of those movies was “Silence of the Lambs.” There’s a scene where Jodie Foster’s character meets Hannibal Lecter in prison and he has these amazing pictures he’s drawn from memory of Paris, and, of course, lambs. I remember looking at the screen thinking, “Wow, that dude can draw! I want to do that!” So I started carrying around a sketchbook and filling it with pictures. I’m relieved to say that the spirit of Hannibal Lecter hasn’t carried over into my children’s illustrations, but the sketchbook habit stuck with me.

When I was little, I was also obsessed with the comic strip “Peanuts.” I walked around with a Snoopy stuffed animal, ate Peanuts snow cones, and read every strip I could get my hands on. When I was old enough, I started copying the characters and eventually tried to make my own comics. Charles Schulz was an amazing talent; every panel he made was a work of art. But what stayed with me, I think, was the distinctiveness of his characters. You felt that you knew them intimately. I’m still moved by the quiet thoughtfulness of my favorite character, Linus, who was sweet, resilient, and philosophical. Even 30 years after first reading those strips, his qualities resonate with me, and “Linus” was the name my wife and I picked for our first son.

What’s your favorite thing to draw at the moment?

My favorite things to draw at the moment are cats. Even though I have a cat, they weren’t in my pictures for a while. But there’s something special about a cat that allows you to stylize it, put it in any type of clothing (or make it play a banjo), and still make clear to everyone that it’s a cat.

Which illustration from your latest book did you especially enjoy creating?

My favorite spread to draw from Why Did the Farmer Cross the Road? is the series of panels where the animals make it to the fair and jump onto the rides. It took a lot of sketches to get those images right, but figuring out how a cow would fit into a Ferris wheel and how sheep would ride a slip-and-slide was a ton of fun.

farmer-cow-pig

farmer-sheep-chickens

Which characters from your books would you like to spend time with?

The character from any of my books that I’d like to spend time with would be Jake from Doggie Dreams. Jake has a very active imagination and when he falls asleep he has wild fantasies, like becoming a rock star or conquering dragons. He would have a lot of fun stories to share. But he’d also be pretty chill to hang out with because, well, he sleeps all the time.

jake

Can you draw us a self-portrait?

Here I am walking around with my little doppelgängers and my much-needed morning cup of coffee…

self-portrait

What illustrated book have you read recently and been wowed by?

The book I’ve been wowed by recently was Ada Twist, Scientist, written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts. The book is a blast as a read-aloud, but it’s the illustrations that really take the cake. David Roberts really has too much talent for one person, and should share some with us regular humans. The paintings are immaculate, the character designs are sensational, and every picture is an artistic feat that also makes you laugh. His illustrations of the children in the classroom are so unique and fully realized that you would probably recognize them if you met them on the street. Mind blowing stuff, really.

Why do you think art is important for kids? What can grown-ups do to encourage kids to engage with art?

Art is important for kids because, simply put, it’s fun. It’s a way to let your imagination run wild, and create things that make you and other people happy. Kids are under pressure these days to learn hard skills at a young age. In contrast, art is an outlet that allows you to be spontaneous and free. We can all benefit from more spontaneous expression in our lives.

I don’t think grown-ups should encourage art exactly; I think they should make art. And music. And stories. If they do, children will follow along. When you’re an adult, it’s very hard to try new things that you’re not “good” at. Some people laugh about the adult coloring book craze, but to me it makes a lot of sense. There’s a natural desire in adults to make art, but people are afraid to start because they’re afraid of judgment. So the coloring book gives adults a safe space to make a picture that won’t turn out “wrong.” The next step would be to make people draw the outlines, too — like in a sketchbook!