Woody Miller
Photo provided by illustrator.
As a child, Woody Miller spent many hours at the “timeout” table in the kitchen corner, after cutting the phone cord to get mom’s attention (yes, phones used to have cords). Lucky for him, there were paper and crayons to help pass the time, and he usually continued drawing long after time out was over. Years later, Woody still spends time coloring and painting. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two black cats.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Anything by Richard Scarry, I absolutely loved to see all kinds of animals wearing clothes and hats doing everyday jobs like mailmen, bakers, firemen, and police. I think I secretly wished my mail man was a fox in a fedora.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“…and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are.” –from Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Chris Van Allsburg, Maurice Sendak, Richard Scary. All 3 of them create such wonderful worlds, one can get lost imagining roaming around them.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I was always good at drawing, and loved inventing new characters. I loved cartoons and comics, but I also loved doing paintings, so books were the natural marriage of painting and story for me.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Just keep doing what you do, and do it well. Look everywhere for inspiration and ideas, movies, music, magazines, nature, books, cities, etc. Let your passions show through in your work!