Up Close: Matthew Reinhart, pop-up master
Matthew Reinhart on Star Wars, Sendak and crafting the perfect pop-up
By Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 10/4/2006 5:00:00 AM
For fans of pop-up books, Matthew Reinhart is a household name synonymous with intricate paper artistry and styled, in-your-face illustrations that delight both kids and adults; this month’s release of The Jungle Book—the fourth striking pop-up title this year that Reinhart (pictured below right) has had a hand in—is no exception. As his latest book hits stores, Playthings asked the popular author, illustrator and paper engineer extraordinaire to share a little bit about the process of creating a new pop-up book and bringing it to market.
In this exclusive interview, Reinhart also lets us in on his experience working with beloved children’s book author Maurice Sendak on Mommy?, Sendak’s first pop-up book; the genesis of Sabuda & Reinhart Present, the new 3-D line at Orchard Books/Scholastic that he launched with former mentor, and now creative partner, Robert Sabuda; and the next four books he is working on with Sabuda, including the third and final title in their popular Encyclopedia Prehistorica series, set for a May 2007 release.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your creative process in writing/designing a pop-up book? How does it develop?
A: “All of my pop-ups start with the story—whether it’s a reinterpretation of a classic or newly written non-fiction. Of course, from the get-go, I have ideas in my head about what would be cool to make in three dimensions for each page. Writing was hard for me at first, since I am primarily a designer and illustrator. Thank God for editors! After the words are written, I usually make a written outline of large main pops, for the number of page spreads, typically around six. Robert Sabuda, my partner in pop-ups, and I love to cram as much as we can on each spread, so we use little booklets on the pages with extra pop-up surprises inside. I don't usually think of a specific mechanism to use for each idea, but I think of an object or character that needs to either become 3-D or move in a specific way. It’s important for me to vary the perspective of these pops, so the reader doesn't keep seeing the same thing—because I would get bored with it!
“After figuring out rough list, I begin to design the mechanisms by just cutting out paper, folding it, and taping it together. It’s completely by hand, and I make lots of mistakes! The work studio is a complete disaster, with white paper pieces everywhere (well, usually just around my desk). This initial design stage may take up to 6 months, and as I refine each mechanism, I begin to draw pencil die lines. Once I am able to rebuild a new copy of the pop-up from these, one of our designers or I can make very accurate die lines on the computer, so we can give the information to the manufacturer for making thousands more. The most important early step, before any drawing or artwork is done, is the paper engineering. Then, after all the pops work correctly, I can sketch lines and make final artwork for the hundreds of pieces per book. Some of our books have taken a year to create, but I've gotten faster over the years and narrowed it down to about 7 months.”
Q: Many of your titles seem specifically to appeal to older readers or all ages. Can you give us some insight into why you've made this creative choice?
A: “You know, I don't really think about readers as young or old, adults or kids. I turn 35 tomorrow and I feel just like I did when I was young—in fact, it’s weird for me to even say I am that old! Today, young readers are so advanced I don't really think they have the same limits I had as a kid. I wasn't exactly a stellar reader as a kid either—I liked comics and picture books a lot more. As I choose titles for pop-up books, I try to pick stories or subjects that I would enjoy making or stories that I think are fun or interesting. I would have a hard time being inspired by a story I didn't like.”
Q: Can you share with us a particular design challenge you've had with any of your recent titles? Anything you wanted to do but could not make practical?
A: “Each book is a challenge—and even though I learn more and more about engineering and illustration with each book, it doesn't get easier. I think it's because I always try to push the boundaries each time, and devise new mechanisms for a new book. Currently, I am working on a pop-up Star Wars encyclopedia-like book, and it's the hardest thing I've ever done—but I love it. Darth Vader's helmet is extremely hard to make pop-up from paper! As a devoted Star Wars fan for nearly 30 years, this project is a dream come true!
“I am going to geek out just for a second—uber-Star Wars geek—I've seen all the movies multiple times, read all the books, [I] collect all of the toys, and [I] just acquired a complete collection of the first vintage SW action figures mint on their backing cards—that's a big deal for Star Wars nerds like me. I love every minute of designing this book, but those spaceships are really hard to build…
“Of course, there are always limits due to money or physics. Sometimes, certain details like shiny foil or velvety flocking cost too much to use. If I had my way, all of the animals in my latest Jungle Book pop-up would have had furry flocking in every different color, but it would have been expensive to make and difficult to manufacture. Also in Jungle Book, I was barely able to make the monkeys' temple strong enough to stand nearly 2 feet off the pages of the book. The structure of the temple needed a lot of strength, but I figured out a way.”
Q: Speaking of The Jungle Book, what inspired you to create this particular title? What will readers find inside?A:“The stories of Mowgli in The Jungle Book have always been one of my favorite classic stories, and until recently I had never read the original text by Rudyard Kipling. Now I know why it’s lasted for over 100 years and spawned so many movies and books. Plus, I am a huge animal lover from when I was a toddler. What kid wouldn't want to live in the jungle with a bunch of wild animals for family? My pop-up retelling of Mowgli's jungle adventures include a 3-D herd of elephants, and a ferocious face-to-face encounter by Mowgli's arch-nemesis, the tiger Shere Khan.”
Q: Your new line of 3-D books, Sabuda & Reinhart Present, produced the popular and well-received Castle book [written by Kyle Olman and engineered by Tracy Sabin] that hit stores a few months ago. How did that come about?A: “Robert and I had so many ideas for pop-up books, but we just don't have the time. We also thought it was important to support and showcase new artists and paper engineers so that more readers could enjoy new pop-up books.”
Q: What will some of the hallmarks be for new books in this line? Where would you like to take it in the future?A: “The first books will be non-fiction and educational, with a sense of humor, of course. We started with the Middle Ages, but in the future may take readers on a journey to ancient Egypt or maybe, if we're lucky, on a pirate cruise! Robert and I may guest star on a book or two in the future, who knows? Right now, however, we are focusing on presenting other new talents. We don't want to hog all of the spotlight!” Q: Castle has been getting quite a bit of buzz lately. Can you tell us a bit about why you chose this as your imprint's first release?
A: “Our editior Ken Geist, Robert and I just though it would be a cool book to make—with lots of opportunities for amazing pop-ups."
Q: Are there any new collaborations with Robert Sabuda planned for the future, perhaps in the Encyclopedia Prehistorica series?
A: “Yes, the final chapter of Encyclopedia Prehistorica, called Mega-Beasts, comes out in May 2007. It’s got saber-tooth cats, mammoths, pterodactyls, giant ground sloths and prehistoric dragonflies. After our journey through prehistory, Robert and I will begin a new trilogy of mythological and fantasy pop-up books called Encyclopedia Mythologica. Book 1 is about Gods and Heroes, Book 2 is about Fairies, Mermaids and other Magicals, and Book 3 will be about Dragons and Monsters. Fun stuff!”
Q: The Encyclopedia Prehistorica series was incredibly well received. What was your initial reaction to that? Did you foresee its popularity?A: “The positive response to Dinosaurs and Sharks was a shock—it hit me out of left field. I knew they were cool books, but I never realized how much people, young and old, would like them. I just thought they be nice little books. It also doesn't hurt that just about everybody loves or is fascinated by dinosaurs.
Q: Do you have a favorite book that you've done, or (more specifically) a favorite spread from one of your books? A: “My favorite pop in Mommy? is the spinning mummy—that was hard to make! And I love his bandages. Some of my new pops for the Star Wars project are pretty cool, too, since I'm using some new mechanisms.
Q: What was it like to work with Maurice Sendak on Mommy? Did he have specific ideas for what he wanted to achieve with its pop-up construction?
A: “It was amazing to work with Maurice! This book took us a long time to create but it was all worth it. What I think was so great working on Mommy? (book inset pictured left) with Arthur Yorinks and Maurice was that it was all so collaborative, we all figured it out together. Once we worked out the script and pacing, I engineered the pops. Maurice and Arthur came up with new ideas and additions to the pops, which made them even better. The book turned out better than we had anticipated, I think, because we all kind of fed off of each other’s creativity. It’s weird, but I never in my life would have thought I would ever say to the renowned children's book illustrator Maurice Sendak (in order to get a mechanism to work properly), "No, Maurice, you have to draw it like this.” It was mind-blowing!
Q: Will you do any promotions (school visits, store visits, readings) in support of any of your new books?A: “I do signings and events here and there—but I am so busy working on my next book that unfortunately I don't have enough time this year for many."
Q: How would you like to see your pop-ups displayed or marketed in stores?A: “Up in front with giant, flashing neon signs and mechanical book openers for showing off the pops!”
