And some of it I made up as I went along.Īs I progress with the series, instead of getting tapped out (yet), I find myself continually challenged in such a great way. I also stopped telling stories that take place ONLY in one day. I learned I can write from a boy’s perspective. Yet - spoiler! - I’m definitely not done with ‘em. Other changes: I stopped relying on twist endings after Book 2 (IZZY). Hey, practice makes…well, more nuanced storytelling. I’ve been conscientious about adding more side stories, deeper - and sometimes subtler - feelings, and just generally more subtext.
But I also think my writing has become much more layered. I’ve definitely been writing longer chapters with each book (again, not too bright). Then again, it also gives me more artistic satisfaction.Īs for my writing evolution, much of this is subtle. Best friends Shai and Emmie, two third graders destined for superstardom, plan a benefit concert to help stray animals in this third novel in the Shai & Emmie series from Academy Award-nominated actress Quvenzhan Wallis. Obviously, I’m not too bright because this creates more work for me. This includes clothing, backgrounds, and shading (graphic novel chapters only). Something else I’ve noticed : as the books have progressed, I’ve started drawing more details overall. You can also see that the linework on the right isn’t as heavy-handed. As much as I’ve tried to keep the characters’ appearances consistent throughout the series, they have a tendency to morph on their own (nothin’ to do with me, of course). Much like my comic strip, Early Emmie’s head is a little larger than her body and the proportions aren’t as realistic as Later Emmie (look at those stretchy, preteen legs!). For example, on the left is Emmie from the first book (INVISIBLE EMMIE) and on the right is Emmie from the fifth book (TRULY TYLER). There’s been kind of a parallel artistic evolution with the EMMIE & FRIENDS series. Still, it took quite a few years before it sunk in that, duh, newspaper comic strips only have so much room for run-on sentences. I guess that’s not surprising since I tend to gravitate toward more “natural” proportions.Īs for the writing, the strips were much wordier at first – something my editors always chided me about. Later, they began to look more like real people (well, as much as cartoon characters can). In the early days, my characters looked more like caricatures, with oversized heads and big, bulbous faces. Visit him online at a former comic strip creator, I was witness to fourteen years of my own creative evolution. He received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and now lives in Connecticut. He has won five African American Literary Awards and is a cofounder of the Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival. Jerry is the creator of Mama’s Boyz, an award-winning syndicated comic strip. Jerry Craft is a New York Times bestselling author-illustrator who has worked on numerous books for young readers, including the Newbery medal-winning graphic novel New Kid. Positively Izzy (Emmie & Friends) Cover Image. You can find her online at ABOUT THE MODERATOR She lives with her husband and two daughters in Cleveland, Ohio. Terri is also the bestselling author of Invisible Emmie, Positively Izzy, and Just Jaime, as well as a Reuben Award-winning cartoonist of the long-running internationally syndicated comic strip The Pajama Diaries. Becoming Brianna, the latest in the series, hit the New York Times Graphic Novel bestseller list. Terri’s Emmie & Friends series is growing exponentially with every book. Maybe it’s time for a total reinvention.ĭon’t miss the rest of the Emmie & Friends series: Invisible Emmie, Positively Izzy, Just Jaime, Becoming Brianna, and You-Niquely You: An Emmie & Friends Interactive Journal. But she gets the feeling that his friends don’t think she’s cool enough. He wonders why can’t he nerd out on drawing and play ball? Emmie is psyched that she gets to work on a comics project with her crush, Tyler. Ever since Tyler started getting into art and hanging out with Emmie, his friends and teammates have been giving him a hard time. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.Ĭliques. Click the link below to buy tickets online through Eventbrite (fees apply), or call us at 78 to buy tickets by phone (no fees).Ī story about being your truest self-and trusting your truest friends-from bestselling author Terri Libenson. Terri will be in conversation with Jerry Craft, author of New Kid and Class Act. Terri Libenson, author/illustrator of the Emmie & Friends series, presents Truly Tyler, her fabulous fifth book in the series.