Cinderella: A Pop-Up Fairy Tale

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: Peter Spier's book Gobble, Grunt, Growl was my favorite as a child and as a young artist. The only words in the book were animal sounds, but the pictures really told the story. Mr. Spier is an amazing draftsman and while his creatures remained realistic, they all displayed such emotion and fun. He really knows how to set a scene of characters interacting without the use of a single word. All of his books share the same love of natural science, detail and whimsy. They inspired my drawings as a child and continue to now as a professional artist. I wish I could be half as good as him!

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The book: It would have to be a book with a lot of pictures and a lot of words! DK's Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide of The World's Wildlife could keep me occupied for a long time. The CD: That's tough, because I am constantly buying new music. I have current favorites like The Killers and Delerium, but being a long time Madonna fan, I would have to say her first self-titled album was her best. Its fun and fresh. The DVD: I would probably take one of the discs from The Simpsons: Complete Season 6. Its my favorite show on TV, and that was a brilliant season. I could watch over and over again!.

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: Most of my lies are awful since I am such a terrible liar. My worst was back in 1st grade when my family lived in San Diego. My parents took me to the zoo every other weekend and I was a complete animal nut. So one day, I told my friend Rommel that I had a zoo in my backyard, complete with elephants, giraffes, and other wild beasts. He actually believed me! The silliest part of this lie was that I actually brought him over to see my "zoo," which did not exist. Rommell seemed unfazed when he caught my lie; children are pretty forgiving. I was one dumb kid!

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: To make pop-ups, I need lots of light, inspiration and thumping music! The studio where I make pop-ups is a simple office with large windows and filled with pop-up books in an old building in New York City. Thanks to satellite radio, we listen to all kinds of music (though I am partial to dance music). Being a child of the 80's, I also force my designers to listen to the 80's station almost everyday. We have a very casual, fun environment but are serious about the work we do. When I write, however, I need to be alone. I play quiet, soothing music in a small office at home. The office doubles as a toy room for my massive Transformers and Star Wars figure collections. When I have writer's block, I have plenty of toys to distract me!

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: "Thanks for the fun and don't touch my toys!"

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: My grandpa George, since he died before I was born and everybody in the family loved him so much. He really wanted a grandson but missed me by a few years. I'd like to get to meet him just once.

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: I would like to be able to morph into any form I choose like Mystique from X-Men or Beast Boy from the Teen Titans. Kind of like a Transformer robot that can turn into anything!

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