art smarts

Chris Chechner, Art Director for Pockets
Interview by Agy Wilson

POCKETS is a non-denominational devotional magazine for children. They use both full-color and black-and-white illustrations. Recently, I was fortunate to cyber-interview POCKET's art director Chris Chechner for Kid Mag Writers. He was personable and forthcoming. I hope this guides you all in your submissions process.

KMW: With all the submissions you receive, what really grabs your attention? What are the most common mistake(s) illustrators make?
CC: The two things that most grab my attention are a unique and interesting style and, most importantly, good drawing skills. I believe that the heart of good illustration is good drawing ability. Anyone can learn to dazzle with paint or pixels, but if there isn't good drawing as a basis, then the illustration really isn't very good.

I'm assuming that you're asking about what are the most common mistakes made in submitting work. I would say that would be sending samples that aren't the illustrator's best work; sending something that the illustrator thinks will "be good enough." A friend of mine once told me that the best an art director can expect from an illustrator is the worst piece in the illustrator's portfolio. It's important to show only those pieces that are your very best work. When I look at an illustrator's samples, if there are a number of strong pieces and one weak piece, I won't hire that illustrator because I may get that weak piece for my assignment. I only want to get top-quality work.

KMW: Does networking (meeting with the artist in person or recommends from other illustrators) hold any weight? Or is it solely based on the artwork?
CC: I guess meeting an illustrator or getting a recommendation piques my attention and causes me to give someone a less casual review, but it all comes down to the quality of the work. If the work's not right, I'll say so to someone's face just as easily as in a letter.

KMW: Who makes the choice of illustrator for assignment? Editor, Art Director, or a combination?
CC: Generally, I make the decision and the editors have approval rights. We've worked together long enough that we know each other's tastes pretty well, but there are times we disagree. There is one illustrator that they love and that I'm not that crazy about and one that I love and they're not sold on, but we compromise well.

KMW: Do you use more digital work (what's the balance against traditional)? Will the trend shift more to digital (within the industry), in your opinion?
CC: We would love to have everything digital and cut out all scanning costs, but at the present, we're probably 70% traditional and 30% digital. I think it will shift more and more to digital, but I would hate to see watercolor and oil techniques disappear.

KMW: How specific should one's portfolio be? For instance if someone has cats and kids in the imagery, does the AD extrapolate that the artist is capable of dogs and kids? Or should there be examples of EVERYTHING the artist enjoys/is capable of rendering?
CC: I think it's important for a portfolio to reflect what the artist's interest and style are. At the same time, it's also important for the artist to give the AD a true picture of the diversity the artist is capable of. As an example, I get lots of samples of anthropomorphized animals. If someone does cats and snakes and birds, I can pretty much assume that person can do dogs or other animals not shown, but it's more of a leap to assume that the illustrator can handle kids and adults. I generally want to see samples of kids and adults in action. It doesn't follow that an illustrator can draw people just because he or she can do great anthropomorphized animals.

KMW: Traditional wisdom has magazines being a great leapfrog into the world of book publishing. Do you find that to be true? For instance, working with your (wonderful) magazine, would that help breaking into the trade market, and how?
CC: I don't know if working for POCKETS would be a stepping stone into book publishing, but I would think that logic would say that the practice and the development of skill could only help. Some of our illustrators have gone on to do work in books, like Jan Brett, Jenny B Harris, and Stephanie Britt.

KMW: What's the best way to get noticed -- mailer, website, sourcebook, combinations? Do you like or dislike being e-mailed samples? How often should samples be submitted? Do you prefer postcards or "packets" as sample work?
CC: The best way to get noticed is to send money... or chocolate. Seriously, I'm most likely to look at mailed samples. I will look at emailed samples, but there are times I get over 100 emails a day, so I tend to overlook emails rather than snail mail. Postcards are okay, but I'd rather see a number of pieces of work, so I can get a better idea of an illustrator's scope. I don't mind getting mailings sent monthly or so. That helps keep the illustrator's name and work in the front of my brain. If you don't send a SASE, you won't get a reply. The best thing an illustrator can do is to make the reply process as easy as possible for me. If I get a packet with a return postcard with replies to check off, I'm much more likely to do it right then and send it back. Also, leave space for me to add comments. Don't expect a critique (that's not my responsibility), but sometimes I will write in a useful comment. And if I say I'm not interested, please don't keep sending me work.

KMW: How many new illustrators do you use as opposed to established illustrators? Is already being established (having publication in magazines and/or the trade market) a positive or negative in getting hired? About what percentage of work submitted do you consider up to par to your publishing standards?
CC: I try to use one new illustrator per issue of the magazine, but by that, I mean new to me. It may be an established illustrator or someone who's never been published. I'm not too picky about an illustrator's track record. I just want my illustrators to be able to do good work, know the technical end of what they do, and act in a professional manner. Work must be in on time and the illustrator must be flexible, able to deal with changes and corrections.

I receive on the average, one sample a day. Of that, about 70% is inappropriate style-wise, for the magazine. Of the rest, maybe 50% is good enough. And of that 50%, maybe 25% of that is something that I feel compelled to use. That comes out to about 8% of the total.

KMW: What are the contract terms for working with POCKETS, work-for-hire, first rights?
CC: We buy first time rights to artwork, reserving the right to reprint with a 25% payment. We hold the copyright, but the artist owns the art and can use it for whatever he or she wants. We return the original art to the illustrator (not in a very timely manner, but we do return it.) Digital art, by its nature, doesn't need to be returned. Deadlines generally run almost 30 days for sketches and about the same for final art. I'd be glad to furnish anyone with our illustrators' guidelines.

KMW: If you wouldn't mind, could you demystify the process of choosing, assigning and working with an illustrator?
CC: I don't think anyone can demystify the process. I'm sure the process is different for each AD. I had no training in working with illustrators. I was trained as a graphic designer and illustrator, but I was never prepared to buy illustration. I suppose my approach is rather subjective; I know what I like, I see styles that hit me, I look for good drawing ability, and through years of practice, I know who is easier to work with. When I assign work, I try to make the process easy for me and the illustrator, I try to have open communication, and try to be flexible to the problems that will invariably arise. There's no magic system. I love working with illustrators. I can give the illustrator an idea and see it come back to me as I envisioned it, only better because it's been interpreted by the illustrator and created in that person's style. I'm having great fun!

Agy Wilson is a founding member of Yellapalooza, a crit group for writers/illustrators. You can find some of her work in CWIM 2004, KidCornerNews, and Mistletoe Madness, Blooming Tree Press, 2004. Currently she is working on a couple of her own projects, fending for her furred and feathered friends, two children and husband in Windham, Maine.

This page last updated on 01 February 2005