Jubilee Books: What made you want to become an illustrator?
Satoshi Kitamura: I always liked drawing.

What was your first job as an illustrator?
Illustrating a magazine called 'Audio Catalogue'.

What other jobs have you had?
I once made big dinosours using lorry tyres for children to climb in a play ground. A couple of years ago I translated short stories written by a Welsh author called Leslie Norris into Japanese for young adult readers.

Do you write books as well as illustrate them?
Yes.

What was the first book that you illustrated?
Angry Arthur written by Hiawyn Oram

What is your most recent book?

My most recent book is Me and My Cat? (Andersen Press and Red Fox) and I'm currently working on a book called Comic Adventures of Boots (for Andersen) which is due out later in November 2001.

Where and when do you normally illustrate?
At home all day.

What are your other hobbies or interests?
Wood work. I like making things with timber.

What books did you like as a child?
I read lots of comic books and liked to look at art books. I don't remember reading books without illustrations before the age of 12. There were all kind of comics in Japan; science fiction, fantasy, horror, slapstick, sports, etc. and even highly artistic literary comics. Up to the age of 14 or 15 I read lots of them.
I also liked the early 20th century American newspaper comics like Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay. Although I don't read comics as much as I used to do, George Herriman's Klazy Kat remains my favourite.

Did you have any favourite subjects at school?
Art, Japanese, English.

What books inspire you now and what book is your current favourite?
I cannot think of one book but I like reading popular science and poetry books and sometimes novels.

What people have inspired you both as an illustrator and as a person?
Numerous artists all over the world. 60s and 70s both Japanese and Western illustrations and graphic art.

Do you have any favourite TV shows or films?
I don't watch TV. I like Abbas Kiarostami's films and non comercial animation films.

Favourite type of food?
Salad

Favourite place?
London. I like physical aspects of London. The buildings, parks, anonymous gardens behind the terraced houses, and their inhabitants like, birds, squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes, cats, dogs and sometimes people. I like the graphics of asphalt surfaces with mended holes, yellow and whilte lines, fallen leaves and footmarks.. I love walking along Hangerford Bridge towards Embankment avoiding the puddles after a good concert in the evening.

If you weren't an illustrator what do you think you would you be doing now?
A craftman like a cabinet maker or a potter.

What is the best thing about being an illustrator?
You can draw all the time.

Who is the most interesting author or person you have worked with?

How do you come up with the ideas for your illustrations?
Reading the text again and again until you start seeing pictures in your head.

Do you look at other illustrators or artists to give you ideas or inspiration for your work?
Not so much but one gets inspired form all sorts of images you see here and there.

What are the differences between illustrating a book you have written and a book someone else has written?
I don't know which is more difficult, to illustrate someone else's text or my own. When the text is written by an author, it is definitive and all you have to do is read and interpret it the best you can. It is often very exciting and rewarding to work on the story or poem written by a good writer or poet. To illustrate you go into someone else's thought process through his or her words and visualize it. Illustraiting is nothing but enhanced reading.
However illustrating my own text can be tricky. I can change it as I like any time. When it goes well, the words and pictures develop almost organically together and create an interesting world but when it doesn't you could get trapped in the endless indecisiveness as I do with my book at the moment.

What materials and processes do you use to make your illustrations?

Pen and ink and watercolour.

What are the most important ingredients for a successful book?
If success means big sales, then I don't know. But if it means a good book, honest work is the most important.

What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?
Work as much as you can.

Interview conducted with Joseph Pike © Jubilee Books 2001