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Samantha Cotterill is the award-winning picture book author and illustrator featuring an incredibly vast lineup of books for children of all ages. Samantha has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal for her wonderful art contributions.

She has also written and illustrated a book series for kids (entitled “Little Senses”) that appeals to children all over the world that are on the Autism spectrum and/or often challenged with sensory issues. One such book from that series, “This Beach Is Loud!” was chosen for Dolly Parton's 2020, ‘21 and ‘22 esteemed book list for The Imagination Library. Over one million copies have been distributed nationwide through this magnificent program.

Samantha Cotterill’s creative prowess first caught my attention through her more recent works showcasing her dimensional interpretative design skills revealed in each and every page. Hand constructed with meticulous detail, these hybrid dioramic/illustrative portrayals literally POP OFF of the page and grab your attention, immersing you deep into the story! I can attest that it certainly worked on me!

Join me as I take this wonderful opportunity to speak candidly with Samantha regarding her illustration/ writing career and unique trajectory taken to get there! We chat about her past and present projects as well as her most fascinating creative process for building her absolutely stunning dioramic worlds!

To Follow Samantha: Website: https://www.samanthacotterill.com/ 3 Point Perspective Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SVSLearn School of Visual Storytelling: https://www.svslearn.com/

To share any comments or hate mail please feel free to reach me here: togotooner@gmail.com
To comment about my sloppy wardrobe, send all complaints here: togotooner@gmail.com

I'm always open to guest suggestions. Send me their web address or links to their work. I love all art but especially have a fondness for Children's books, 2D animation and Funny All Ages Comics.
Funny or generally silly or sweet genre only, please.

As always, thanks for listening.
Me

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With a worldwide newspaper distribution of 400+, my guest today, none other than the esteemed cartoonist, writer and illustrator, Bob Weber Jr. is likely best known for his award-winning syndicated comic strip and brain puzzler panel ….. "Slylock Fox."

Bob's ingenious cast of hilarious characters coupled with his wonderful art style are captured in a daily, panel sized brain puzzler format which continues to attract fans of all different ages!! The comic has an incredibly broad appeal reaching audiences from around the globe.

Slylock Fox has also earned the Parent's Choice Approval Commendation by the Parent's Choice Foundation, the first comic strip to receive this honor.

Join me in this episode of "What's Your Story?" as I chat with the legendary cartoonist Bob Weber Jr. about his background, his career, the birth of Slylock Fox along with a peak behind his creative process…

To Follow Bob:
Twitter X: @Slylockfox
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slylockfoxcomic/
Website: https://www.slylockfox.com/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SlylockFox/
King Features Syndicate: https://comicskingdom.com/slylock-fox-and-comics-for-kids

Purchase Bob's Books and Merch:
https://www.slylockfox.com/store/
Amazon

To share any comments or hate mail please feel free to reach me here: togotooner@gmail.com
To comment about my sloppy wardrobe, send all complaints here: togotooner@gmail.com
To send me your financial support, contact me IMMEDIATELY here:
togotooner@gmail.com

I'm always open to guest suggestions. Send me their web address or links to their work.
I love all art but especially have a fondness for Children's books, 2D animation and Funny All Ages Comics.
Funny or generally silly or sweet genre only, please.

As always, thanks for listening.
Me

Send us a text

Andy Runton’s cute little Owly character found his way home before my very eyes while perusing online sometime in the very early 2000’s and I couldn’t help but smile as Owly's deceptively simplistic shape design immediately appealed to all of my senses. In a sea of overdone and worn-out superhero types littering both print and digital platforms, Owly was a breath of fresh air! After digging deeper into the book series, I soon realized that the stories behind the cute little bird were indeed as charming as the art.

Cuteness and a good story will always prevail in my eyes, but add to it, a good lesson nestled somewhere between the text and the art and now you have my undivided attention. Andy Runton accomplishes this trifecta with great skill and craftsmanship. His ability to weave charm, kindness, life lessons with an equally wonderful story into a fun adventure makes it abundantly clear why he has earned countless awards and praises across the children’s book industry.

As is the case of many of my legendary and talented creative guests, Runton’s career trajectory was not without its challenges and roadblocks but just like the other successful talents, he persevered and never let anything prevent him from reaching his professional goals.

Join me today in this season finale special episode with the Eisner Award winning author/illustrator Andy Runton about the early years, his career path to success and as well… his design process and preferred tools of the trade.

To Follow Andy:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owly/
Website: https://www.andyrunton.com/owly/
Represented by Barry Goldblatt

Purchase Andy's Books: Authored and/or Illustrated:
Scholastic Books
https://www.amazon.com/

To share any comments or hate mail please feel free to reach me here: togotooner@gmail.com
To comment about my sloppy wardrobe and appearance, send all complaints here: togotooner@gmail.com

I'm always open to future guest suggestions. Send me their web address or links to their work.
I love all art but especially have a fondness for Children's books, 2D animation and Funny All Ages Comics.
Funny or generally silly or sweet genre only, please.

Thanks for listening.
Me

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Raissa Figueroa’s beautiful illustrations first caught my attention while perusing online through my usual community outlets and immediately captivated me with her use of organic and luminescent colors weaved beautifully into her water-colored worlds of both land, sky and sea. Her ability to accentuate the environments depicted in her images with her stunning use of color serves as the perfect backdrop for her equally charming subject matter.

It did not take long after looking at subsequent illustrations along with her portfolio of work, to fully understand the breadth of her talent. With illustration credits for such wonderful children’s books like “We Wait for the Sun”, “Oona”, “You Will Do Great Things”, “We are One”, “Like So” and her own authored and illustrated book, “What My Daddy Loves” it’s no wonder Raissa has gained the worldwide attention she justly deserves.

Join me today as I chat with the Corretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor winner Raissa Figueroa about her early years, career trajectory along with the design process she employs while creating her beautiful art.

To Follow Raissa:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rizzyfig/
Website: https://rizzyfig,com
Represented by Natascha Morris natascha@thetobiasagency.com / The Tobias Literary Agency

Purchase Raissa's Books: Authored and/or Illustrated:
https://www.warwicks.com/search/author/%22Figueroa%2C%20Raissa%22
Purchase Raissa's Prints:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/rizzyfig?section_id=24764092

To share any comments or hate mail please feel free to reach me here: togotooner@gmail.com
To comment about my sloppy wardrobe, send all complaints here: togotooner@gmail.com

I'm always open to future guest suggestions. Send me their web address or links to their work.
I love all art but especially have a fondness for Children's books, 2D animation and Funny All Ages Comics.
Funny or generally silly or sweet genre only, please.

Thanks for listening.
Me

Send us a text

I discovered Paige Keiser’s wonderful children's book/spot illustrations while perusing online through the usual popular community social outlets and I was immediately attracted to the wonderfully “soft and breezy” style of her watercolor strokes and subject matter. She struck such a perfect balance between simplicity and detail which is not as simple as it may seem. As I looked deeper into her portfolio of work, I was struck by her trademark soft and expressive style… which translated seamlessly into an equally wonderful children’s book entitled, “A Friend for Bently”.

Join me as I talk with Paige about her illustration and book authoring journey and learn precisely what it means to have determination, perseverance and discipline… and how to leverage that to help you get to where you want to be; to where YOUR HEART wants to be.

It is with great excitement that I present to you the latest chapter of "What's Your Story?" with guest and rising star, Paige Keiser!

To Follow Paige:
Twitter X: @PaigeKysr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paige.keiser/
Website: https://www.paigekeiser.com/
Represented by Anne Armstrong @annebrightart / Bright Agency @brightagencyus

Purchase Paige's Books: Authored and/or Illustrated:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Paige-Keiser/author


To share any comments or hate mail please feel free to reach me here: phillipswys@gmail.com
To comment about my sloppy wardrobe, send all complaints here: phillipswys@gmail.com

I'm always open to guest suggestions. Send me their web address or links to their work.
I love all art but especially have a fondness for Children's books, 2D animation and Funny All Ages Comics.
Funny or generally silly or sweet genre only, please.

Thanks for listening.
Me

Send us a text

I first was introduced to Rob Renzetti’s magnificent work through my son Wyatt while preparing him to get in the car and head out to school one morning..... and of course..... struggling to pull him away from a cartoon that would not relinquish its mighty grip from his undivided attention; much to my dismay.

The show turned out to be “My Life as a Teenage Robot”, and soon at had a grip on me and when we finally managed to pull away and get on the road, we begged for a bit of XJ-9’s super powers to perhaps provide us with the ability to navigate the skies above the streets and beat the ring of that dreaded morning school bell!

Rob’s 2D animated masterpiece was just the beginning for my son and I… as we soon discovered that his personal stamp would appear on several other wonderful animated shows such as “2 Stupid Dogs”, “Mina and the Count”, Gravity Falls and Kid Cosmic.

I had the distinct pleasure to talk with Rob back in 2009 (available here) where he shared in detail about his start from a youngster… up through to his established career as a Professional Animator/Creator/Director and Producer. Although time did not permit us to dive deep into his writing career during that episode, fast forward to 2023 and we are just a couple of weeks removed from his latest authored and published book release, “The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things”. Today we are going to focus on this delightfully twisted horror fantasy as well as his process for transferring such a wonderfully twisted adventure from mind to print and everywhere in-between.

To Follow Rob:
Twitter: @RobRenzetti
Website: https://robrenzetti.com/
The Book: The Horrible bag of Terrible Things
The Newsletter (Sign Up for Bonus Content and Rob's latest Updates)

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I first discovered Anna's work through social media where illustrations shared from her recent authored illustrated Children's book entitled, "The Friendly Mammoth" first appeared. My love for the Woolly Mammoth and appreciation for great story telling coupled with the beautiful artwork contained within the pages of the book immediately drew me in! After reading through the entire book and diving deeper into Anna's other works, it was obvious to me that I needed and WANTED to interview this rising star in the picture book industry.

Her passion for nature, wildlife and the environment for which we all inhabit together is front and center in her work and her soft and silky style of art is as beautiful to look at as it is soothing to the soul. Anna's skills as a writer/storyteller are stellar. She has a mastery of weaving an ecological and environmental focus with wonderfully engaging story lines replete with life lessons. She writes without resorting to pushing overbearing messages that might risk superseding the charm of the story. The balance between a wonderful story and beautiful art is perfection. The bottom line to what makes a children's book great is how the children respond to it. The results are in,...Anna Terreros-Martin is a HIT! I'm not surprised one bit,

It is with great pleasure that I present to you my latest chapter of "What's Your Story?" with guest and rising star, Anna Terreros-Martin!

To Follow Anna:
Twitter: @anna_terreros
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaterreros/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@annas_doodles.uk
Website: https://annaterrerosmartin.co.uk/

The Reading Zone: Anna Reads "The Friendly Mammoth"
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtXyMl0dmwI
David Fickling Books: https://www.davidficklingbooks.com/index.php

Purchase Anna's Books: Authored and/or Illustrated:
https://www.amazon.com/Books-Anna-Terreros-Martin/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AAnna+Terreros+Martin

https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/the-friendly-mammoth-anna-terreros-martin

Purchase Original Art and Neat Merch from Anna:
Anna's Shop

To share any comments or hate mail please feel free to reach me here: phillipswys@gmail.com
To comment about my sloppy wardrobe, send all complaints here: phillipswys@gmail.com

I'm always open to guest suggestions. Send me their web address or links to their work.
I love all art but especially have a fondness for Children's books, 2D animation and Comics.
Funny or generally silly or sweet genre only, please.

Thanks for listening.
Me

Send us a text

It was with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to chat with my recent guest and a rising star in the world of Children's Book Illustration, . . . Alice McKinley! I may think of her as a rising star but with several illustration credits already to her name, she is quickly reaching star status amongst the Children's book inner circles.

Her wonderfully crafted art and talent for storytelling take center stage with "Nine Lives Newton" and it is a joy to read and consume with each and every page turn. You might think that Newton is an obvious story that revolves around a cat with its nine lives. Well, you would be wrong with that assumption! Newton just so happens to be a Bassett Hound! Sounds like crazy fun . . . and trust me when I tell you that it's just the beginning! With "Nine Lives Newton" already taking the market by storm, Alice is poised to follow that up with a book about a boy and a Dodo Bird; actually lots and lots of Dodo birds!

Join me as I talk in-depth about her career thus far as an illustrator and some lessons learned during her successful journey. She also shares her very unique perspective regarding some of the creative challenges and joys that are often associated with the art of illustration.

To Follow Alice:
Instagram: @mckalice
Twitter: @Armckinley1

Pickled Ink Agency:
Portfolio: http://www.pickledink.com/alice-mckinley.html
Bio: http://www.pickledink.com/alice-mckinley-biography.html

Books:
House of Clouds: https://www.amazon.com/House-Of-Clouds/dp/1781129061
Bones and Biscuits: https://www.amazon.com/Bones-and-Biscuits/dp/1444956124/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bones+and+biscuits+letters+from+a+dog+named+Bobs&qid=1612453671&sr=8-1
Jack's Secret Summer: https://www.amazon.com/Jacks-Secret-Summer/dp/1444952978/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Nine Lives Newton: https://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Newton-Alice-McKinley/dp/1471181189/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Nine+Lives+Newton&qid=1612454232&s=books&sr=1-1

To SEE Alice talk about Nine Lives Newton: ("Draw Along with A Lenton" Show)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li8tdRB028c

To share any comments or hate mail please feel free to reach me here: phillipswys@gmail.com
To comment about my sloppy wardrobe, send all complaints here: phillipswys@gmail.com

I'm always open to guest suggestions. Send me their web address or links to their work.
I love all art but especially have a fondness for Children's books, 2D animation and Comics.
Funny genre only, please.

Thanks for listening.