"Phil and his team, as well as Pablo Helman and the folks at ILM totally got where I was coming from on the creature designs. I went out to meet with them early on, and it was just inspiring to see what the other artists could do with my goblin, faerie, troll and brownie designs."
"Jim Bissell, who was the production designer, and I had many a conversation about the philosophy and thinking that went into a lot of the book designs. I always felt that the faeries were like the pure spirit of nature, which is why I designed them to be comprised of animals and plants that we all know."
"Jim not only understood that, he took it to the next level. He incorporated nature motifs in the house, like the oak-leaf wallpaper and the acorn topped newel post at the foot of the stairs. Even Sarah’s (Mallory’s) jacket had leaves and vines embroidered on it. It was taking all the design elements that I had rendered in pen and watercolors to the next level."
Q. What are your favorite “extras” on the movie DVD?
A. HB: "My favorite part was definitely seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff about creating the sets and the creatures. It was fascinating to see Jim Bissell talk about production design and Phil Tippett and Pablo Helman talk about visual effects. One of the best things about being able to visit the set was feeling like I was walking through a book—and the fact that it was our book only made it more surreal."
A. TD: "Being a 'book person,' I am always interested to see if the moviemakers give a nod to the source material if it is an adaptation. That said, I was really delighted to see that there was a segment on Hol and I. I think that lets viewers know that the creators of the world were happy with the final film – and we were. I loved this film. I think Mark and the team did a great job."
What's Next?
Q. Are you planning any more books or movies related to The Spiderwick Chronicles?A. TD: "We are currently in the middle of Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, which is a sequel story to the first five books. It follows a new set of heroes down in south Florida who are dealing with a whole new set of faerie-related problems. The first book, The Nixie’s Song, came out last year and the new book, A Giant Problem, is due out in September."
A. HB: "We talked a lot about what makes sequels interesting and we decided that we wanted to reverse some of the expectations of the original series. Part of that was moving the setting of Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles to someplace more tropical—which also allowed Tony to explore what faeries from different climates might look at. The kids in the new series live in a new development rather than a creepy old Victorian house and actually buy the Field Guide at a book store. We wanted readers to understand that when we said that faeries could be anywhere, we meant anywhere and that if they were really, really unlucky they could get into as much trouble as Jared, Simon and Mallory did."
Q. Do you plan to collaborate with one another on any more books at all?
A. TD: "This year, we’ll be collaborating on the third (and final) Beyond The Spiderwick book for 2009. After that, I think Hol and I are so busy with additional projects of our own, that it may be some time before we combine our storytelling superpowers again."
A. HB: "What he said."
Q. Tony, what’s next for you?
A. TD: "I have a new chapter book, Kenny and the Dragon, due out in August. It's my take on the classic The Reluctant Dragon and follows a boy rabbit and his best friend who is a gi-normous dragon."
Q. Holly, what is next for you?
HB: "I have a graphic novel, Good Neighbors: Kin, coming out this October. It’s the first of three that I am doing with artist Ted Naifeh. After that, I am working on a teen novel, entitled The White Cat, involving curse magic, organized crime, and private school."
Q. What advice would the two of you give to kids who’d like to be writers and/or illustrators and to their parents and teachers?
A. HB: "I have three pieces of advice for kids that would like to be writers. Some of it might seem obvious, but I’m going to say it anyway. First, read everything. Read across genres, read things you think you’re going to like and things you’re not so sure about, read the backs of shampoo bottles. You can’t be a writer unless you’re a reader. Secondly, you have to write a lot. It takes lots of drafts and lots and lots of words before you are going to find your own style. Thirdly, although this may not work for everyone, getting a critique partner really helped me stay motivated. Having another person telling me when scenes worked and when they didn’t and also holding me accountable to the deadlines I set was invaluable."
A. TD: "My advice would be to parents and teachers. And that would be to encourage kids that like to write or draw or have overactive imaginations. The world needs more of that. I am the product of being surrounded by supportive adults while I grew up drawing dinosaurs, dragons, spaceships and goblins – pretty much your normal kid. You just never know where that imagination can take someone."
Holly and Tony: Final Thoughts
Q. Anything else? A. HB: "A lot of people think of faeries as little glittering girls with wings, but according to folklore, faeries are capricious and dangerous and strange beings. I’ve always hoped that the Spiderwick books would send kids in search of more information on faerie folklore, because it is much more interesting than most people probably realize. I also hope that kids will go out into their back yards, or parks, or even inside their house or apartment and look for faerie evidence. It’s there for the finding!"A. TD: "I hope people enjoy both The Spiderwick Chronicles books and film. They are same story told in different ways, and they have the same theme of family, adventure, resourcefulness, and an open eye to a bigger world beyond your backyard."
