Sunday, September 5, 2010

Werewolves

WerewolvesCover_400_2
Werewolves - by Paul Jessup

Werewolves! They're not here to cuddle. That being said, they're people too. Written by Paul Jessup and published by Chronicle Books. I was brought on board to flesh out a young girl's artistic journal after she and her brother survive an attack by what they guess are wild dogs. The story fallows their transformation from the point of view of young teenage vegan Alice Carr, as she learns to cope with ravenous new cravings; a body that's rebelling against everything she once understood as herself; and the new dynamics of life in a pack under constant threat. Threat from what? I wont say, but they look uncannily like some people I know.

Here's a taste:

allyhaller_werewolves_thomas
allyhaller_werewolves_dream1

So... I have a dirty secret. I'm not a true werewolf fan. I admit that, at first, I was surprised and perplexed as to why I might be tapped for such a project. My experience with werewolves up to this point amounted to Teen Wolf and the brutish crazed killing machines found in most horror flicks. But as I got to know the details and read Jessup's story, I could see that this wasn't your typical werewolf tale. Instead, this book takes a look at werewolves from a somehow realistic perspective. The format was also a draw for me. That the art should reflect the thoughts of a savvy girl as she jots and sketches her unique experiences down made it more like a found treasure then a graphic novel. I loved that keeping the style loose and sketchy was key.

alternative sketch

I was so excited to see this book on shelves over the weekend! looks like my healthy love of critters and blood has finally paid off. Thank you so much Paul for the great story, and Chronicle Books for publishing and vision. Also huge thanks to Katie, Kasey and Todd over at becker&mayer! book producers for being not only great designers, but also an extremely organized life line and guidance system during this project. yay!

If you want to read more about Werewolves please check out this nice write up in the LA Times. and if you simply must know more about this Paul Jessup fellow, here's a link to an interview on SUVUDU or listen to this really interesting podcast on talechasing.com were he discusses a bit more in depth about how the book came to be and his writing process.


4 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the book, Ally! On top of that, the LA Times review seems pretty positive. Hell, that you're mentioned, quoted, and your illustration is included in the LA Times at all is pretty awesome! Again, congratulations!

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  2. I've been taking pictures of the book in ever bookstore I've been in. It's so awesome!

    ps-
    your art is really what made this book so fantastic

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  3. Hi there! Love the book, and I especially loved your looser illustrations! It was a perfect combo and I really hope the book does well.
    Btw, I found your old DeviantArt page, looks like you haven't been there for a while. Why not stop in and promote the book there? I think you'll get a good response. After all, there are lots of monster writers and illustrators running around there...

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  4. That's a good idea, I bet there is an audience to be found on DA! Maybe I'll log back in an post a little something there. So glad you liked the book!

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