1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: from My Heart Radio. One of my favorite parts of 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: any day is reading bedtime stories with my kids, and 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 1: I've come to treasure some of the books we read together. 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: It takes a special talent to combine words and pictures 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: that delight, inspire, and can be enjoyed again and again 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: and again. My guest today, Marla Frasie, is one of 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: those talents. She's an award winning children's book author and illustrator, 9 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: and she wrote a book that's been particularly important in 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: my life, Boss Baby, playing the business suit wearing hard 11 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: charging infant has been the role of a lifetime. Marla 12 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: Phrasie says she tackles serious topics in her work, such 13 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: as baby's birthday, cake, boxer shorts, boys, and roller coasters. 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: She's been honored twice with the Prestigious Call to Metal. 15 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: Among the books she's written and illustrated are A Couple 16 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: of Boys Have The Best Week Ever, Walk On and 17 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:12,559 Speaker 1: Santa Claus, The World's Number One Toy Expert. She's also 18 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: illustrated books by other authors such as All the World, 19 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,199 Speaker 1: The Seven Silly Eaters, Stars and The New York Times 20 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: best selling Clementine series. Marla Phrasey has always lived in 21 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, and she found her life's work early on. 22 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up 23 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: and write and illustrate children's books, and I always said 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: I was going to do it, And then I went 25 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: to art school. I went to Art Center College of 26 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: Design in Pasadena, and I majored in illustration. And while 27 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: I was there, I didn't really learn very much about 28 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: publishing because it's on the West coast. Most of publishing 29 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: is on the East Coast. At the time, no one 30 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: taught children's book illustration, and so while I had certain skills, 31 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: didn't really understand the component of writing stories with pictures. 32 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: And I started as an illustrator, and I wanted to 33 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: illustrate somebody else's manuscript. That was the easier path in 34 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: um for me than writing and illustrating, and I thought 35 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: I was ready, but as it turned out, I really 36 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: had to learn what that meant, like how to write 37 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: with pictures before I could get published. So that is 38 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: what took me a long time. But I think the 39 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: main components that really helped me kind of get to 40 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: that point of a wanting to do it, and then 41 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: you know, starting that path of trying to get published 42 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: was you know, I loved reading, I loved drawing, and 43 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: I love telling these stories. So it was kind of 44 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 1: like I always have done those those things. Just a 45 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: love of children's books throughout your own childhood was the 46 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: foundation of this, of this whole idea. I remember what 47 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: these books were like when I was a kid, and 48 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: there was some really strange ones that I remember, like 49 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: five of Chinese Brothers. Remember five Chinese brothers. I mean 50 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: there was some really odd story that stayed with me 51 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,839 Speaker 1: and beyond uh sus and things like that which everybody knows, 52 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: you know, go Dog Go and all that kind of stuff. 53 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: And I was loved all of that. I remember I 54 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: was in fifth grade when I became, you know, just addicted. 55 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: I just couldn't stop reading The Phantom Told Booth. I 56 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: was obsessed with Norton jer and The Phantom Told Booth 57 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: and that book just, I mean literally changed my life. 58 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: All this heavy literature when I was twelve and thirteen 59 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: years old and I just couldn't stop reading. I was 60 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: addicted to reading as as though I was a kid. 61 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: And these children's books that made this stamp on me. 62 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: I was obsessed with them. Now with you, you live 63 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: in the basic area that you would school, and you 64 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: haven't migrated very far from home, have you. I haven't. Actually, 65 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: I've always lived in southern California my whole life, so yeah, 66 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: somewhere around here when I grew up, Like the books 67 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: that imprinted on me were I was pretty young. Those 68 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: early books, like from when I was four or five six, 69 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: those are the ones that made me want to do this, 70 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: such as The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krause and Crockett Johnson, 71 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: Blueberries for Sale by Robert McClaskey, Harold, and The Purple 72 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: Crayon Where the Wild Things Are? Those classics were my 73 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: childhood books. And I was lucky enough to have access 74 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: to books. My mom had been an elementary school teacher, 75 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: so we had some of these books, and we had 76 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: a library in town and at my school as well, 77 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: so you know, I just always loved to read. I 78 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: was obsessed with Schultz as well. I mean, even when 79 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: we were kids watching those TV shows and all the 80 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: cartoon collection, the comic collections of Schultz. I studied those. 81 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: I loved you, poured over them, brilliant. But when you're 82 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: in school, and you go to art school to study 83 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: prior to going there at the college level, had you 84 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: been drawing for years and writing for years and and 85 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 1: and trying your hand at this? What were your attempts 86 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: prior to that, if any? Well a lot. Yeah, So 87 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: I at home. I would come home from school and 88 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: I would make little books, some of which were saved, 89 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: so I still have some of them, and they really 90 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: aren't exceptional in any way. Like I like, i'd like 91 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: to go when I talked to kids, show them because look, 92 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: you know, this is here's my beginnings. You can do 93 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: this too. But when I was about well, I was 94 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: in third grade, my best friend was in second grade, 95 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: and she knew I wanted to be a children's book illustrator. 96 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: So she said, her name is Lisa Gilden. We're still friends. 97 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: I'll write it, you illustrate it. Let's get started. If 98 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: this is what you want to do. It was almost like, 99 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: if if this is what you want to do, I'll 100 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: help you do it. So she wrote this book and 101 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: I did the pictures, and then are we showed it 102 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: to our teachers and they sent it to like the 103 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 1: California State Fair, and then we lost interest. In it, 104 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: we've you know, okay, it's somewhere, and then it won 105 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: some award so in the state fair. So our school 106 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: asked us if we would make another copy for the 107 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: school library. So we tried to remember what it is 108 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: that we had written in what I had drawn. We 109 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: made another copy. But then it was in the library. 110 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: So when we would go to our school elementary school 111 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: library was on the shelf. And that was a big 112 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: deal to me to walk into the school library and 113 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: see it with all the books that I love so much. 114 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: It was just right there in the library. I think 115 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: that really cemented it for me. I just wanted to 116 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: grow up and do that. Author and illustrator Marla Frasey. 117 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: If you love hearing about the lives of illustrators, be 118 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: sure to check out my conversation with New Yorker cartoonist 119 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: Rob's Chest. When she started submitting her work, she was 120 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: drawing very tiny, single paneled cartoons. I think in this 121 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: sort of logical but sort a slightly insane way, I thought, 122 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: if I just draw really small, nobody will get really 123 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: angry with me. It was in April of seven eight 124 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: I dropped off this portfolio of cartoons to the New Yorker. 125 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: I didn't know how many cartoons. Who was the editor then, 126 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: William Shaun. When I came back next week to pick 127 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: them up, there was a note from him to come 128 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: back and see him. Turned out I'd sold a cartoon 129 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: and he told me to come back every week. So 130 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: that's kind of what I've been doing. Here more of 131 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: my conversation with Rob's Chaste and Here's the Thing dot Org. 132 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: After the break, Marla Phrasie talks about what art school 133 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: really taught her. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to 134 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing. If you ask most adults, they'll say 135 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: they can't draw. But if you ask most children, they'll 136 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: say they're great at drawing and coloring. I know for me, 137 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, I was proud out of 138 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: my caricature of Groucho Marks I drew on my bedroom wall. 139 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: But I got discouraged when I saw how talented some 140 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: of my classmates were. For Marla Frasy, that moment when 141 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: someone decides they can't draw is a big loss. She 142 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: wishes more kids were encouraged to keep going. I feel 143 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: like it's not the child giving up as much as 144 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: usually I think either they're feeling like, somehow you did that. 145 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: These other friends of yours could draw better than you. 146 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,119 Speaker 1: I mean what you described about the Gratcho marks caricature. 147 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: Every illustrator has that feeling like, oh my god, that 148 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: drawing I did just happened. It's just right, and I 149 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: can't do that again. It's a miracle, right. I mean, 150 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: even after you know, drawing for as my job for 151 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: so long, I still have that feeling when I do 152 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: a particular sketch, I'll never be able to do that again. 153 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: How do I retain that energy or that freedom, or 154 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: you know, the spontaneity of that drawing. So that story 155 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: aside for a second. You know, I think a lot 156 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: of kids stop because they've heard some criticism about their drawing, 157 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: or they're comparing themselves. But I feel like most of 158 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: the people that go on to keep drawing do it 159 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: for the same reason. The kids just do what they do. 160 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: They're more relaxed and calmer through the process of drawing, 161 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: as maybe a kid that goes on to do music 162 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: is sort of a spe sports or whatever. But we 163 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: do all start drawing. I mean, we all start by drawing, 164 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: and we all start by grating pictures right. I was 165 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: labeled early as as a kid that drew at what 166 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: At what age did you know you had that gift? 167 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,839 Speaker 1: At what age did you begin even to see as 168 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,439 Speaker 1: we often do in the eyes of adults. Adults will 169 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,839 Speaker 1: look at you going wow. They're looking at each other 170 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: going wow, Yeah, when did that happen to you? Well? 171 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: I feel like I knew personally when I was a 172 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 1: kid a garden. Something was different about the way I 173 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: drew than my kindergarten colleagues. That's um. But we were 174 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: supposed to draw this garden outside, and then we came 175 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: in with our garden drawings and it was our little 176 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: vegetable garden, and all the drawings of both the other 177 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: kindergarteners were as if they were floating above the garden 178 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: looking down at it, which wasn't the way we could 179 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: see it. We couldn't fly, you know. I drew it 180 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: the way I saw it, which was from the ground level. 181 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: And I remember thinking this is different and weird, Like 182 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: why do they all think they could fly above the 183 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: vegetable garden to draw. I remember that that moment thinking 184 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: they're wrong. You know, if you're going to draw what 185 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: it looks like, that's not the way we saw it. 186 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,719 Speaker 1: So that was my first awareness that I think from 187 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,239 Speaker 1: looking at an outside control group, you know, like, oh, 188 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: I'm seeing this differently. I remember in third grade, we 189 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: were all painting at easels and we were supposed to 190 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: paint the person. We were in pairs, so we would 191 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: paint the kid and then we would switch roles and 192 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,839 Speaker 1: then they would paint us. So I was painting one 193 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: of my classmates and by accident, my brush went into 194 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: blue instead of whatever I was thinking was that I 195 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,319 Speaker 1: was painting her neck and it hit the blue by accident, 196 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: and and my brush made like this big blue kind 197 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 1: of mistake in my mind. And I remember my teacher 198 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: stood behind me and said, I'll be right back, and 199 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: came back in with like the I don't know if 200 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: it was another teacher, I can't remember, but brought some 201 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: other adult in and then they stood there and talked 202 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: about how I had used this cool color to like 203 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: paint the shadow under the neck of the and it 204 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: was a mistake. And I'm listening to them thinking, I mean, 205 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: now I know that they thought already I was sort 206 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: of the school artist, you know, the class artist or whatever. 207 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: It was a brilliant mistake. A brilliant mistake. Now, when 208 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: you go to art school for college to study art, 209 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: when you come in there, I'm assuming because you've been 210 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 1: doing this for so long since kindergarten and and and 211 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: people are recognizing you as you go along. What becomes 212 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: the purpose of art school, like a professional art school. 213 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: What did you lack that they taught you a lot? 214 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: Art Center College of Design. One of the things that 215 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: the school does this sort of inundates you as a 216 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: student with so much work. It is so grueling and 217 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: hard that you have to be nimble, fast. You have 218 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: to prioritize, you have to produce. You can't be a perfectionist, 219 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: you can't wait for inspiration. You just have to work. 220 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: And actually doing that was probably the most important part 221 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: of it. You just developed sort of a work ethic. 222 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: That's to me the most important thing. There was all 223 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 1: all these foundational classes like drawing and painting and color 224 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 1: and typography, design, you know, all kinds of foundational things 225 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: that also factored in, But I think the main component 226 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: was just being able to produce. And by that you 227 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: mean what being able to like, here's a problem, solve 228 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: it and do it fast, Give me an example. Well, 229 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: I was a commercial illustrator for a lot of years, 230 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: so when I left, it was like advertising a lot 231 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,199 Speaker 1: of editorial illustrations, so you know, you were doing all 232 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: kinds of our work. Yeah, toys and games and you 233 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: know T shirt design like um McDonald's happy Meals boxes. 234 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: I designed all the NFL team mascots for kids, so 235 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 1: like each team had a child version of their mascot 236 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 1: that was put onto T shirts and stuffed animals. So 237 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: I was working on a lot of jobs that you know, 238 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: I had nothing to do with children's books, but it 239 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: was a chot. So your first children's book, you right, 240 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: is what roller Coaster. It came out in two thousand one. 241 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,719 Speaker 1: So I had illustrated a number of books before that, 242 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: but that was the first I was the author and 243 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: illustrator of. You would illustrated other children's books. Other people 244 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,479 Speaker 1: were the authors of the book, and you do the illustrations. 245 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: Once the first one that was published that you illustrated, 246 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: it was called world Famous Muriel and the Magic Mystery. 247 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: It was what I thought was my foot in the door, 248 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: like it was hit. I had been out of school. 249 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: I've been working as an illustrator. I thought, great, I 250 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: have this first book, like, this is great, I'm finally 251 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: in And then after that came out, it was five 252 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: years to the second book. And that five year period 253 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: was real frustrating because I thought, I, you know, I 254 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: had broken into the field. And so my second book 255 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: was called That Cookery. And then right after that I 256 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: got the third book, which was called The Seven Silly 257 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: Eaters by Marianne Hoberman, and that book is still in print, 258 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: and that was really the book that was more at 259 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: the foot in the door. How do animated children's movies 260 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: come into your eyeline for the first time? Were you? 261 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: Were you aware of them? Did you did you watch them? 262 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: Did you enjoy them? Because for me, I'm going to 263 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: get to this after you answer this question. For me, 264 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: the portal into all that world with my kids has 265 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: led me to watch some films that have just been 266 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 1: staggeringly beautiful to me and wonderful to me. I mean, 267 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: there's some of these movies are really they're so brilliantly done. 268 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: What were animated films in your life? Did you? Were 269 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 1: you aware of them? And did you watch them? I did, 270 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: I'm you know, growing up in southern California. One of 271 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: my friends um in our neighborhood. Her father worked at 272 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: Disney and so somehow he had access to the films, 273 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: and every time she had a birthday, we were invited 274 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: over and he would show them in his house on 275 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: a Super eight movie projector, and so we'd be in 276 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: our pajamas and these movies at the time, I don't 277 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: know if you remember, but they were sort of vaulted 278 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: for maybe seven years at a time. I'm not sure 279 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: about the exact schedule, but let's say Cinderella would come out, 280 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: and then seven years later it would maybe be released again. 281 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: So like they would, they would come out and then 282 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: they would go away. But because of this access to 283 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: these films with this friend who was in the neighborhood, 284 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: we were seeing films that you know, maybe just wouldn't 285 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: have hit at the age that we were interested in seeing. 286 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: I mean, it was great, and I just remember how 287 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: magical it was to see them in that way. You know. 288 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: I also would see them when they would come out, 289 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: if possible, in the theater. So I grew up with 290 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: with that love of those movies that felt very personal 291 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: and I just loved seeing them. My dad would teach 292 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: what they used to call social studies, and his high 293 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: school class he taught American government and economics. He taught 294 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: a course called Contemporary Problems, and they would screen films 295 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: in the field outside in the school on the projector 296 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 1: on a screen. Then he'd bring the equipment home and 297 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 1: he'd bring the films in the cans of film to 298 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: the house and set it up on our backyard in 299 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: the summertime and showed By Bye Birdie in our backyard 300 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: with our neighbors. And we were never more popular. We 301 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: were never This really guess at the beginning of my 302 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,160 Speaker 1: brothers and our introduction to the power of the movie business. 303 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: Because we would watch Bye Bye Birdie. We probably watched 304 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: it like four time. We watch it like four nights 305 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: in a row. We had four screenings in my the theater, 306 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,479 Speaker 1: and we were We devoured all movies. We just couldn't 307 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,239 Speaker 1: get enough of movies. But with animated films, was there 308 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 1: ever a discussion before a Boss Baby of any of 309 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: your other books being made into animated features or animated programming. No, 310 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: that came out of nowhere for me. But when I 311 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: left Arts Center, I did work at Disney for a minute, 312 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: and I thought that was going to be my career, 313 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: like to work at Disney and do something in animation. 314 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: I lasted six weeks, as it turned out, because I 315 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: wasn't really trained and Disney animators typically know what they're 316 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: doing when they get there, but I didn't. So I 317 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: left six weeks after I got there, and then just 318 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: became a freelance illustrator who thought I wanted to do 319 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: children's books and that was sort of my path. But 320 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: I always loved it, and I have a lot of 321 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: books on animation, and I try and put a lot 322 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: of sequential kind of illustrations in all my books, like 323 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 1: it's it's sort of a a frozen animation, like each 324 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: page is still and you turn the page to see 325 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: the next bit of action. But I think of it 326 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 1: as animation. So when we heard boss Baby had been 327 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: you know, there was interest in optioning it, Like, I 328 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: was blown away. I had no idea that that was 329 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: you've gotten yourself into. Yeah, I mean I was very 330 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: I was like, wow, that's that was very exciting. But 331 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: I had no you know, I wasn't thinking about that. 332 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: I wonder for you, when Boss Baby comes out for 333 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 1: the first time, are you sitting there going, oh God, 334 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:19,880 Speaker 1: this is not what I had in mind at all. 335 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: You know, I had seen Boss Baby emerge, So between 336 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 1: the time it was optioned to the time I saw 337 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: it as a finished film, I had seen it over 338 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: those I think seven years, but I do remember seeing 339 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 1: it was probably about six finished and I was with 340 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: my agent. We were at DreamWorks and it was a 341 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 1: screening with a lot of like the people who had 342 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: worked on the film, and it was like the first 343 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,959 Speaker 1: time we were seeing anything from like a linear experience. 344 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: And afterwards I needed to sort of check myself out 345 00:19:58,080 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: of the world for a couple of hours. You know. 346 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: Everybody who knew me were like calling on my cell 347 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: wondering what I thought, like they wanted like an update, 348 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: and I just I had to kind of separate for 349 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: a while and just think about what it meant to 350 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: have something that was so personal to me that came 351 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 1: out of my head that was like my baby, and 352 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: was now this other thing that was related, but it 353 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: was different, and I had already kind of thought I 354 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: had done that that seeing it it was sort of 355 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: like I really needed to think about that for a while. 356 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: And at the end of that period of time where 357 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 1: I sort of took myself out of the world and 358 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 1: then and then when I re entered, it was like 359 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,880 Speaker 1: I was so excited about it was like I kind 360 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: of succeeded in separating my own creative vision for whatever 361 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: I thought I was doing with the book and whatever 362 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: I didn't think. I had expectations, like I think that 363 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: the movie should be a certain way or not be 364 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 1: a serta way. It was just that it was so 365 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 1: big and full and its own thing, its own voice. 366 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:09,719 Speaker 1: It's so strongly what it is in all kinds of 367 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: amazing ways that I just needed to serve accommodate to that, 368 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: and I did, and I just find the whole thing 369 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: to be just incredibly fun. Well when I when I 370 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: go and do those movies. I did Madagascar too. I 371 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: had a small part that I did Rise at the Guardians, 372 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: which was not as successful as they hoped by any measure, 373 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:30,920 Speaker 1: but I had a lot of fun doing that piece 374 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: for them. And then they came to me and said, 375 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: you want to do Boss Baby, And I thought, Okay, 376 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: I'll give it a world because I loved Tom McGrath. 377 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: What Tom had the recipe, He knew how to put 378 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: these films together. But when I go do the film, 379 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: I go in there, and they take me on the 380 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: little tour. We walk around this conference when we would 381 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 1: they lay out the story as it was then and 382 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: I go in and you know, the first day or 383 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: two you're doing this, you have no idea what you're doing, 384 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: like what's too much, what's not enough? You're holding back, 385 00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: but you got to go in there and give it 386 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,879 Speaker 1: everything you had. And I and it's very similar to 387 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: another character I played on the show thirty Rock, where 388 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: the guy is like, there's a public self and a privateself. 389 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: There's boss Baby who's always bombasted and kind of commanding 390 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:14,679 Speaker 1: and intimidating people and and pushing people around. And then 391 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,920 Speaker 1: boss Baby who gets real and it's terrified and filled 392 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 1: with fear and wants to be loved and begins to 393 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: cave and get real. And the movie comes out. And 394 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: I must say, my kids have watched the film many times, 395 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: the first film, and we sat there and I would 396 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 1: watch it, and every time I watched it, I saw 397 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: something different that I didn't see. And and animated films 398 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,360 Speaker 1: are so dense. When you say to people you can 399 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 1: do anything you want to in animation, the question that 400 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: follows that statement is, well, what have you got can 401 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,919 Speaker 1: your imagination keep up with the technology. They're amazing. But 402 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 1: the other thing I noticed is that the film is 403 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: made for a certain demographics, so it's the little kids 404 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: and the pace. I mean, I watched the second Boss 405 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: Baby and I had a splitting headache when it was over. 406 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: So fast paced, and you realize, this is what kids want. 407 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: Kids want boom boom, boom boom. You know, I I 408 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: completely agree about the pace. I mean, the first time 409 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: I saw it was just like out of breath. But 410 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:14,159 Speaker 1: I have to go back to what you said about 411 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: like you voicing Boss Baby. One of the early conversations 412 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 1: I remember my agent and I had I think it 413 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: was Damon Ross and Ramsey Nato, who's the producer, And 414 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: Damon is the one who brought the book to DreamWorks. 415 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: They knew that you were already attached, but they were like, 416 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 1: who do you guys think should voice Boss Baby? Like 417 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: if just high in the sky, who would you want? 418 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: And Steve and I were both like Alec Baldwin And 419 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 1: they're like, okay, well you know, besides Alec Baldwin, who else? 420 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: And we're like, well, well, well we'll push together a list. 421 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 1: And later we got on the phone together and we're like, 422 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: well that that's who. I mean, who else? Anyway, You're 423 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 1: yours are the heart and soul and anchor of that movie. 424 00:23:57,359 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: And plus I have a little key chain that came 425 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:01,880 Speaker 1: in some sort of swag bag and the first movie, 426 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,640 Speaker 1: like all the screenings and your voice emits from it's 427 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: in my compartment, so so occasionally if things joggle in 428 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: there all of a sudden, I hear you. To me, 429 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: it's the joy for me is because we all want 430 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: to make animated content for our kids as actors and 431 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: do that voice thing. But God, you really hope that 432 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: you work with the right people. And when we did 433 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: the first Boss Baby, thank God for Tom, I mean 434 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: thank God for Tom. Yeah, he's amazing. I love the 435 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: heart that both of the you know, the Boss Baby, Yes, 436 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,439 Speaker 1: and that's like the center of both of them. Just 437 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: hearing him talk about how that came to be and 438 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: how important that was to him. And I think it 439 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,880 Speaker 1: makes sort of like the the fast pace and all 440 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: the stuff that's going on, it's almost coming at you 441 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: so quickly. It it holds it all together always. And 442 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: I think my books, at my picture books don't have 443 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: necessarily a quality like that. But I do hope a 444 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: child will be eat them again and again and go 445 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: back to them over and over again. And that's always 446 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 1: the hope, always that there's like an emotional center, like 447 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: a heartbeat, you know that. And that was the thing 448 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: about Boss Baby that was probably one of the hardest 449 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: things to make sure was still there. As I worked 450 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: on on that book. It was trickier than some of 451 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: the other books that i've I've done. And I don't 452 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: know if it's because, you know, I think comedy is trickier. 453 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: It just is. So. In the little documentary I saw, 454 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: the little four or five minute documentary of you, a 455 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: lot of sweeping shots and tracking shots in your fortress 456 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: of solitude there, your cabin, your studio, and lots of colored, 457 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: beautifully sharpened It was like a commercial for pencils and 458 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,719 Speaker 1: beautiful cans or containers filled with bouquets of different colors 459 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: of pencils. And I'm wondering, is that still it's hand drawing. 460 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 1: You're not doing it with a computer at all? No, No, 461 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,719 Speaker 1: not at all. The computer stresses me out, you know, 462 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: maybe my age, maybe my temperament. I just don't find 463 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 1: it relaxing. I would rather do a piece over again 464 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: than struggle with something technological that I don't understand some problem. 465 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: Do most people who illustrate books these days do an 466 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:20,200 Speaker 1: old school away like you, Most are on computer? Yeah? Really, yeah, 467 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:22,399 Speaker 1: I think so, or some part of it might be 468 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: on computer, Like they might do a lot of traditional 469 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 1: drawing or painting and then scan that, put it into 470 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: a program, and then work on it on the computer. 471 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: I just don't. I just sort of do the whole 472 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:38,119 Speaker 1: thing on a piece of paper, which sometimes takes me 473 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: longer than it probably should, depending on what I'm working on. 474 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: I don't mind the time in I actually like it. 475 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: It's what you need to do to do what you 476 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: do correct. Yeah. Yeah, And when you're in the cabin, 477 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,200 Speaker 1: there is that where you go. I remember I think 478 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: I might have mentioned this to you that different people 479 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: in my life have told me about their parents Styron's children, 480 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: Roth's intimates, Fever's children, when the mother would say, whatever 481 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 1: you do, don't knock on the door of that room, 482 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 1: or don't go out to the cabin, don't don't disturbed dad. 483 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: There it is. There's the difference basis. Yeah, do you 484 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 1: prefer concentration like any writer? Well, I'm still in the 485 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: house in which my three sons were raised in. They're 486 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,399 Speaker 1: now grown up, so they're not here. But at the 487 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,640 Speaker 1: time that they were little, they all were in one 488 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: bedroom of the house and I had my studio in 489 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: one bedroom. And that worked until my oldest was probably 490 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,400 Speaker 1: about fourteen or something, and it was kind of like, 491 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: they can't still be in one bedroom, the three three 492 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: of them. And so what you do because I got 493 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: four sons. Yeah, I'm seriously, what did you do? Yeah, Well, 494 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: built this little cabin in the backyard, so I'm in 495 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 1: it right now. Actually it's twelve by twelve by twelve 496 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: six twelve high two and I love it. I still 497 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: love it. But even when we built it in the backyard, 498 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: they were still little young, but they just all of 499 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 1: a sudden, I mean, it was good for all of us. 500 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: It was good for them. It was good for me 501 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: to have this sort of space between me being inside 502 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: and helping with homework and doing the car put all 503 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: that stuff, cooking whatever, and having my own, you know, 504 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: space that they really respected it. They would come out, 505 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 1: they like look through the door and to cand, you know, 506 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,920 Speaker 1: come in, and they it was also important for them 507 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: to see that this was like a life that I 508 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 1: had that was separate from them, and it was important 509 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: to me, and they respected that. Did your children did 510 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: all did three boys, as they became teenagers require their 511 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: own rooms? We never had that space, so so they 512 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: grew up together in the same room where you had 513 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: two rooms for them. Well, then we had two rooms. 514 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: So the oldest got his own room, and then when 515 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: he went to college, then the second oldest took over 516 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: that room. And so then they each then that's two 517 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: had their own Number two and number three had their 518 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,680 Speaker 1: own room. Number one was gone. Yeah, I say, I 519 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: say to my wife, and I'm terrified of this because 520 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: I feel like my kid's got to have their own 521 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: room or it's gonna be ma'am. You know what's funny 522 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: the book I did, the Seven sal Eaters that I mentioned, 523 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: it's seven kids that all live in this sort of 524 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: cavenish house, and I illustrated their bedroom where they're all together. 525 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: They're just all gamed together and in sort of an 526 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 1: addict space. And so many kids have come up to 527 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,720 Speaker 1: me over all these years that this book has been out, 528 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: and they're like, I love their bedroom. I wish I 529 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 1: had a bedroom like this, And it's it's just I 530 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,800 Speaker 1: think there's something about it being sort of like Peter Pan, 531 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: like you know, that idea that like kids are just 532 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 1: in a big puppy pile together. It's an interesting emotional 533 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: feeling that I think kids have when they talk to 534 00:29:55,600 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: me about like wishing they had that, because you do 535 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: they really I don't know, but they feel like they 536 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: want that. Marla Phrasie, author of boss Baby. If you're 537 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 1: enjoying this conversation, be sure to follow Here's the Thing 538 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: on the I Heart Radio app, Spotify, or wherever you 539 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. When we come back. Marla Phrasie talks 540 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: about why she makes books for kids at the age 541 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: just before they can read. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're 542 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: listening to Here's the Thing. For as long as stories 543 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: have been told to children, there's been a tension between 544 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: entertaining and educating them. Marla Phrasie's primary goal is to 545 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: delight her readers, and while she's willing to challenge conventional 546 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 1: norms along the way, she doesn't feel pressure from the 547 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: industry to do so. Not in that way in my experience, 548 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: although I know that the last few years there have 549 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: been many, many conversations and rightly so about having more 550 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: issues being covered and representation in children's books and stories. 551 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: When I started to illustrate certain books that allowed for 552 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: me to do this, I was really it was important 553 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: for me to put you know, a lot of diversity 554 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: and inclusion in the represented in the illustrations when I could. 555 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: I think Boss Baby is a pretty good book to 556 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: explain like why it wouldn't have worked then, because like, basically, 557 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: Boss Baby is about what it's like when you have 558 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: a new little creature in your house who's like the 559 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: boss of you, who's getting all the attention, right, But 560 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: it's also about sort of a patriarchal kind of system, 561 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: and that's what I was started playing off of, in 562 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: which case it had to be a white male boss. 563 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: I mean, what's interesting. I did do a book, um, 564 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,720 Speaker 1: you know, after Boss Baby, called The Boss of Your Baby, 565 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: in which you know, there's a little girl, that sibling 566 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: that comes in and so plants the boss baby, and 567 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: it was interesting to see the little girls, you know, 568 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: Tabitha and Tina in the in this boss Baby family business. 569 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 1: But basically, like this, the heart of the story in 570 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 1: the film is still about Ted and Tim and their relationship, 571 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 1: which is wonderful. And in the book, however, it was 572 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,239 Speaker 1: the subtext was sort of the patriarchal breaking apart of 573 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: having this little girl boss come in and sort of 574 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: get rid of the guy. Also just what happens when 575 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 1: you have a little sibling. Another question about your writing 576 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: is writing to delight children versus writing to educate them. 577 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: Do you feel some compelling obligation in both areas. I 578 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 1: don't feel any obligation to educate them at all. I 579 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: feel a very strong obligation, however, to tell a story 580 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 1: that means something to them and me. If I have 581 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 1: something to say, if something means something to me, it's 582 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 1: going to mean something to them, just because that's sort 583 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:16,360 Speaker 1: of where you kind of find the universal theme. But 584 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 1: I really am so lucky that I get to work 585 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: with children as my audience, because, especially as an illustrator 586 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 1: who tells stories with pictures, sometimes in my books I'm 587 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 1: writing the story too. Sometimes I'm illustrating somebody else's story. 588 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 1: Sometimes I have wordless books that don't have any words. 589 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: And so I think, well, children read pictures better than 590 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 1: we do. They're way better at it than adults are. 591 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: And and so when I know like, children are going 592 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 1: to be looking at these pictures and they're going to 593 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: be following the story. I know I can put in 594 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 1: all kinds of levels of subtlety or secondary things that 595 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,600 Speaker 1: just adn't adult would miss, but kids will see it. 596 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: And I also know that they will read the pictures 597 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: at a much higher level of understanding than they could 598 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: read words, Like at their age, they're better at reading 599 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:16,919 Speaker 1: pictures and they take it in differently. So I never 600 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,839 Speaker 1: think I wish I was telling stories to grown ups. 601 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,760 Speaker 1: You know, I really love the idea of telling stories 602 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:27,439 Speaker 1: to children at the age pretty much before they learn 603 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,399 Speaker 1: how to read. That's sort of my sweet spot. And 604 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: I don't think they need to be educated. I think 605 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: they just need stories to kind of identify with and 606 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: look to to make sense of their world in a 607 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 1: way to help them. Like, oh, I feel like that too. 608 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 1: I think that's pretty much what I That's where I 609 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,359 Speaker 1: go when I'm trying to figure out if this, if 610 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,439 Speaker 1: whatever I'm working on is going to rest resonate. It's 611 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: more about resonating with a child, like are they going 612 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,800 Speaker 1: to care? And then can I keep them in their attention? 613 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: And once you have their attention, then you know you've 614 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,320 Speaker 1: kind of got them if you if I care about, 615 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 1: you know, making sure that it makes sense, which is 616 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: is sort more what I'm you know, whatever I'm trying 617 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 1: to do. Does this make sense to them if they 618 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:21,359 Speaker 1: were to look at it, and so, you know, it's 619 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,800 Speaker 1: all on me if they can't understand what what I'm doing. 620 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 1: I want to tell you my sindex story really quickly. 621 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 1: I'm in an apartment building in New York, a very 622 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:34,319 Speaker 1: desirable building, beautiful building in the village, and I'm I'm 623 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 1: on the verge of buying an apartment there. And uh, 624 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:39,360 Speaker 1: this is before I was married, and I wanted a 625 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: decent size, and so the apartments on the floor there 626 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 1: was a good size one two or three bedrooms, and 627 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: then there were two apartments across the hall, which was 628 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 1: probably the same apartment broken up into two apartments. And 629 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:54,480 Speaker 1: they show me the one apartment and I say, that's beautiful, 630 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: and they said, but the woman who owns it, she's divorced, 631 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:59,319 Speaker 1: she's never here. She'll probably sell it to you. And 632 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:01,919 Speaker 1: I said, what about the other one across the hall 633 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:03,879 Speaker 1: from the main apartment, so to speak with the two 634 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: smaller ones. He said, well, that's not on the market. 635 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:07,880 Speaker 1: I said, well, is there any way we could contact 636 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 1: the owner? And she said, no, no, I'm not allowed 637 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 1: to do that. I would not I would not recommend 638 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:15,800 Speaker 1: you do that, nor what I want to facilitate that. 639 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 1: And then finally the time came when she said to me, 640 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: I think there's an opportunity here for you to talk 641 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: to the owner. I've spoken to him and he's very 642 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,040 Speaker 1: private and he has this apartment for many, many years, 643 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: and he told me that he is prepared to discuss 644 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,759 Speaker 1: this with you theoretically. And it was Maury Sendeck and 645 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:35,279 Speaker 1: I get more Sindeck on the phone of his home 646 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: in Connecticut, and I have one of the funniest conversations 647 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,440 Speaker 1: I've ever had with another person in my life. In 648 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 1: the background, you hear a child screaming and being disciplined, 649 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 1: and he's yelling at his mother. And I said, what's 650 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 1: that sound in the background, because that's my housekeeper in 651 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,480 Speaker 1: a very elegant but he said, that's my housekeeper, Mr Baldwin, 652 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: He said, my housekeeper. That's her child, his son who 653 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 1: comes to work with her now. And then he said, 654 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: Mr Baldwin, I I am a rather well known writer 655 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:05,280 Speaker 1: of children's books. I have a reputation for writing children's books. 656 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: But the truth matter is I don't really like children 657 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,600 Speaker 1: at all, and I have no use for them, and 658 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: I prefer when they're not around. Thing to say, then, 659 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,520 Speaker 1: I said, when we got to the business end of it, 660 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:20,720 Speaker 1: and he was so kind to me and so lovely, 661 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: and he said to me that his partner had just died. 662 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: And he said, in order to make this work with you, 663 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:28,880 Speaker 1: I'd have to go in there and go through everything. 664 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 1: And he goes, and I'm not ready to do that. 665 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 1: He said, I can't unpack my life with my partner. 666 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:36,560 Speaker 1: And when I'm ready to do that, I'll let you know. 667 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: And then by then I found another apartment that I 668 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 1: bought in a role just and then he died, Sendac, 669 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: but he was when he said, he said, I just 670 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:48,360 Speaker 1: prefer when the children are not around. Yeah, that sounds 671 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:55,400 Speaker 1: very Sandac. And now have you noticed changes in parenting 672 00:37:55,480 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: trends as they're reflected in themes and children's books? You know, 673 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:04,160 Speaker 1: I definitely think they are one of the things about 674 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 1: children's books that's interesting. And send Doc was like amazing 675 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:14,879 Speaker 1: at this very thing, which is you can't really date 676 00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:18,080 Speaker 1: his books you know, they're just as much of the 677 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:21,799 Speaker 1: moment now as when he did them, however many decades ago. 678 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:26,880 Speaker 1: Some of them timeless and when you look through them, 679 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:28,719 Speaker 1: you know, a bed like the Bedroom and where the 680 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:32,600 Speaker 1: Wild Things Are, for instance, is a very odd children's bedroom. 681 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:34,520 Speaker 1: It doesn't look it looks sort of like a hotel, 682 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: a generic hotel room, Like there isn't anything in there 683 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,839 Speaker 1: that you think, oh, yeah, well that was from you know, 684 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: it just looks. It kind of says what it needs 685 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:50,399 Speaker 1: to say. Bed table, you know, window cake. That sort 686 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:54,600 Speaker 1: of is My hope with my work is that it 687 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,560 Speaker 1: has a timelessness because like the kids that may read 688 00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:00,840 Speaker 1: it now are going to grow up in hopefully shared 689 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:02,560 Speaker 1: the book what you want them to be sharing it 690 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: with their kids. And so I've really tried very hard 691 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: to not date the book so that it will resonate. 692 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: Is there something you've written in the last several years 693 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:15,799 Speaker 1: that you wouldn't write again now? You wouldn't write it now? 694 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:20,120 Speaker 1: I don't, And I think it's I mean, I'm really 695 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 1: proud of each of the books that I've done, and 696 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: I feel like they are each a part of what 697 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 1: I was going through when I did them, and so 698 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 1: it's sort of a chunk of where I was in 699 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: my life and what was going on in the world. 700 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,440 Speaker 1: And I mean in terms of like the pandemic. I 701 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 1: am certain that books and everything parenting and education will 702 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: be different, but how I don't I don't know how. 703 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:47,080 Speaker 1: I do know that the book on my drawing table 704 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 1: right now, the one I've been working on this year, 705 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:53,480 Speaker 1: is different for me because it's sort of a and 706 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:56,320 Speaker 1: I know I couldn't have done it without having gone 707 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: through the last year and a half. So it's just 708 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,919 Speaker 1: it just feels very gantically part of what we've all 709 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: been through. Whether that resonates when the book finally comes out, 710 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:10,120 Speaker 1: whether we're going to be, you know, past, whatever the 711 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 1: emotional issues are right now, who knows. But I know 712 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: that in the making it, I kind of have to 713 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 1: be feeling sort of a certain compulsion to do it 714 00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:23,040 Speaker 1: right now. Whenever that right now is well, let me 715 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: just say that I look forward to the possibility of 716 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 1: Boss Baby three. Maybe we have an environmental theme, maybe 717 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 1: we clean up the Amazon, maybe we do something to 718 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 1: save the planet. I'm very grateful to be doing the 719 00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,880 Speaker 1: two films. Has been one of the highlights of my career, 720 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:41,440 Speaker 1: and I owe a lot of that to you, So 721 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:49,680 Speaker 1: thank you, Thank you. Children's author and illustrator Marla Frasey. 722 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:53,640 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Kathleen Russo, Carrie donohue, and 723 00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 1: Zach McNeice. Our engineer is Frank Imperial. I'm Alec Baldwin. 724 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,960 Speaker 1: Here's the thing, is ought to you by iHeart Radio.