3.27.2016  AG Ford: Storytelling through illustration

In the course of more than sixty interviews for Lone Star Listens, we have yet to talk with a book illustrator. Until how. As the talented AG Ford of Frisco, Texas, reminds us, illustration is storytelling. In less than a decade he’s created characters, plots, and settings—depicting some of the most famous figures of our time—in fifteen books to date for young readers, including New York Times bestsellers and a Bluebonnet nominee. And he’s just getting started. Ford took time from his upcoming book projects to visit with his via email last week.

LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE: You have fifteen children’s titles published with Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Candlewick Press, and Scholastic. Do you consider yourself an illustrator or author/illustrator, and why?

AG FORD: I am the illustrator and not the writer on all of the books that I have published so I definitely consider myself an illustrator. But more so, I consider myself an artist. Illustration is storytelling. I am not the writer, but as an illustrator, I feel that every image is important to telling the story. especially in children's books.

Did you grow up drawing and sketching? Did you always have a pen and pad in hand?

Absolutely! My favorite thing to draw when I was little was Ninja Turtles. I would draw them constantly!

You grew up in Dallas. How did that experience inform your artwork?

It’s hard to say..., all of our experiences shape who we are, I'm sure it had some impact. Most importantly though, my high school art teacher, Mr. Steed, was a great influence and really helped me get serious about art.

You attended the Columbus College of Art and Design, majoring in illustration. Was there a turning point when you knew you wanted to pursue illustration as career? What made you choose CCAD in Columbus, Ohio?

I received a scholarship to attend Columbus College of Art and Design, so of course that helped my decision to go there. I got accepted into SVA in New York and MICA in Maryland but ultimately chose CCAD. I think the turning point was realizing how much I loved painting and using my hands. C.F. Payne was my mentor in college, and he was the person that I could look to and realize that it could be a career.

After college you began the road to book publication. What was that like for you?

When I look back at it now, I think “wow”—I was able to get published rather quickly. But at the time, I was very eager and not very patient. I wanted it so bad, and I worked extremely hard to get the first book deal. My agent, Steven Malk, was very helpful and always willing to talk about the next steps to take. He has been a very important person in my career and continues to guide me through.

What is your usual medium, or––if you use a variety—your preferred one?

Most of my books are done in acrylics and oils.

Can you tell us about your process in illustrating a book?

My process usually starts out with lots of research. Especially if it’s a book on a historical figure. I go on a mad hunt for as many pictures as I can find on the individual. Then I start a major brainstorming session that would last a few weeks. I create many, many thumbnails and write down ideas and concepts constantly until my studio is filled with small sketches and Post-its with ideas. Once the creative side of things are established, I find the best concepts, and sketch them out for my art director/editor and we see what each spread for the book shall be. Upon approval, I start drawing and painting the final images!

Perhaps your most honored book to date is G. Neri’s Hello, I’m Johnny Cash (Candlewick, 2014). I counted a half dozen different awards for it. It’s an interesting book. It’s a coming-of-age book for a white Southern singer written in free verse by an African-American author/poet and an African-American illustrator. How did that come about?

The book is published by Candlewick and I have illustrated a few books for them including Goal! by Mina Javaherbin, a Texas Bluebonnet nominee, Desmond and the Very Mean Word by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams, and What Color Is My World? by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld.

Greg Neri wrote a beautiful manuscript and had been working on a book about Johnny Cash for twelve years. Greg’s manuscript didn't start out as a children’s book, but ultimately he was able to turn his manuscript into a picture book and got on board with Candlewick. They reached out to me and I was thrilled! I'm a big music fan and a fan of musicians. People are quite surprised by what I listen to, and I don't omit any genre of music. I also love to illustrate biographies because I enjoy drawing someone when they are young and showing them grow into an adult through pictures. It offers its challenges because there might be parts of the book where we need to show the person at a certain age, but there might not be a picture of that person at that exact age. I love this challenge. Hello, I'm Johnny Cash is one of my favorite projects to have been a part of.

Can you tell our readers what you’re currently working on?

Currently I’m working on a chapter book series for Penguin Random House titled Commander in Cheese, by Lindsey Leavitt, due out in May, and a picture book with Penguin Random House written by Kelly DiPucchio (one of my favorite authors ever!!) and a picture book with Disney/Hyperion.

Last question: What does AG stand for, and why no punctuation?

My dad's name is Al, and my mom’s name is Gwen. They took the first two letters of their names and named me AG. So it’s actually not initials, AG is my actual name, but I like to use two capital letters. Sometimes I'm listed as A.G. because it helps people pronounce it correctly. Its kind of confusing, but I have always liked my name.

For more info about AG Ford, you can find him at www.agfordillustration.com and on Twitter T @AGFordArt

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Praise for Hello, I'm Johnny Cash

“In free-verse poetry and images that recall the emotional directness of WPA murals and photography, Neri and Ford follow Cash from the grinding poverty and tragedy of his early years to the invention of his signature "boom-chicka-boom sound" and his breakthrough hit, "I Walk the Line." The images consistently strike a haunting chord—especially a twilight scene on a country road in which Johnny hears his first song on the car radio ("John couldn’t believe/ that was his voice/ going out over/ the airwaves"). Readers will best appreciate this biography after hearing some of Cash’s music—and they won’t want to stop after hearing his story.” —Publishers Weekly

“Neri and Ford do an impressive job of painting a portrait of the Man in Black that emphasizes his hardscrabble beginnings and lifelong love of music....On each oversize, two-page spread, Neri’s straightforward free-verse lines describe a pivotal moment in Cash’s life that contributed to his love of music. Working in perfect concert with the words are Ford’s full-bleed, soulful oil paintings, which lovingly capture emotion—serenity in Cash’s beatific face when he sings along with the radio; rapture when he hears June Carter sing for the first time. ... Parents eager to share Cash’s signature boom-chicka-boom rhythms with their kiddos will appreciate this eloquent introduction to the iconic musician.”
—Booklist (starred review)

Praise for Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X

“The author of this handsome, inspirational offering is Malcolm X’s daughter–an educator, activist, and motivational speaker. . . . Ford’s oil paintings are accomplished and historically accurate.” —School Library Journal

“Before he became the black nationalist leader known as Malcolm X , Malcolm Little was a boy who loved fishing and butterflies. His daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, aided by AG Ford's vivid paintings, outlines a childhood marked by love and tragedy.” —USA Today