In 2011, after finishing rough drafts for the first three stories, I (the author) realized the tone and style would require illustrations to achieve the full effect of what I was attempting—a study on the side-effects of our social structure using a children’s fairytale format. I wanted the images to be timeless and striking, and I decided on a black-and-white, line drawn, illustration style. This style would give the book a classic look, preventing it from being easily dated due to computer graphics or trendy color palettes. All I had to do was find an illustrator.

Finding An Illustrator

I began writing the series in 2011, and developed a pretty clear idea of how I wanted the book to look. Because artists have their own style, I searched endlessly for an artist that could replicate what I was seeing in my imagination. The first illustrator wanted to use pencil, but it didn’t give the stark contrast I was wanting. The second illustrator almost illustrated the entire first book, but the illustrations looked more like they belonged in a coloring book. The third illustrator worked on it for about six months, but wasn’t able to create the style I was looking for. After I finished writing the first book, and was halfway through the rough-draft of the second book, a man sat next to me at Starbucks and asked if something was wrong (apparently, I looked upset). I told him that I had just fired my third illustrator. The man smiled and said, “I think I might know someone.” That “someone” turned out to be Tom Fee.

Tom Fee

Having worked for a year-and-a-half with three illustrators, I was a little wary when I first met Tom. The style I wanted wasn’t a style he was used to using, but he liked the idea behind the book series, and he wanted to see what he could come up with. So, we gave it a try. We started with an illustration that was important to me, one in which I knew exactly how I wanted it to look. I had worked on it with previous illustrators, but no one could bring it to life. Tom and I worked on it together, and I loved the final product so much that I still have a poster-sized version of it hanging in my stairwell. Because of that illustration, I believed I had finally found my illustrator.

At the time, I thought I was only writing two books; I didn’t realize I still had two more books to go. Because of this, Tom had no idea what he was signing up for when he agreed to illustrate my first book. The project was only supposed to take about two years. Instead, the journey became a ten-year collaboration resulting in over one-hundred-and-fifty original, black and white illustrations.

Collaboration

During those 10 years, Tom and I met once or twice a week to go over rough drafts and re-dos. Each tiny detail was addressed until I believed it was as good as we could get it. Because of this, the images were more “sculpted” than drawn. We were trying to create a style all our own, and we wanted the illustrations to help the reader connect to the story rather than read the story as a detached observer.

The Reviews

Because of the care we gave each illustration, they gave the Monkey Mind Tales® Anthology Series a professional quality that reviewers have called, “vibrant” and “spot on for bringing these stories to life.” A reviewer described them as, “intricate black-and-white sketches with wood-grain textures. In them, human beings appear as blackened storybook shadows, befitting the mysterious whimsy of the tales they accompany.” Another reviewer said the illustrations gave the book a sense of “enchantment with their old-world feel.” The art was said to be “magnificently detailed and evocative,” “fascinating,” and “added another dimension to each story.” One reviewer said, “Tom Fee’s detailed illustrations capture the essence of the scene he (Reedy) depicts and delight a young reader’s eyes.” 

Designed For Print

In an age of digital books, I decided to design the Monkey Mind Tales® Anthology Series to be printed. I wanted the books to exist in reality, and for them to be both tactile and engaging. I chose hardcover instead of paperback because the book itself is more like a work of art than a book. The durable, cardboard hardcover is reminiscent of the childhood books we read as we grew up, and the illustrations are also presented in a way that supports the text on both pages (the spread), which is something missed in the Kindle version. The Kindle version is basically a digital picture of the printed book, and it loses some of the effect that the printed book will give the reader. That being said, the Kindle version does allow the illustrations to be enlarged, giving the reader a chance to see them close up. 

In Conclusion

I couldn’t be prouder of how our illustrations turned out. With each book, the illustrations became more vibrant and detailed. The final book took us three-and-a-half years to illustrate. We spent five months testing out different versions of snow until we came up with a style we then used throughout the entire book. Who knew snow would be so challenging to a perfectionist, which is what I am, and why I am so thankful that Tom seemed to have an almost endless wellspring of patience throughout the process. 

I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I enjoyed illustrating and writing it.

Sincerely,

Steve Michael Reedy